Notre Dame Federal Credit Union’s Post

This October, in honour of Black History Month, we’re celebrating 31 Black professionals in property. Today we’re celebrating Irich Rock CeMAP CPSP. Irich is a mortgage adviser and specialist property finance broker, helping individuals and firms secure financing for personal and business-related property purchases. His expertise spans residential mortgages, buy-to-let mortgages, bridging finance, development finance, and commercial mortgages. As an investor in Africa, Europe, and the UK, Irich adds extra value by consulting and sourcing suitable properties and projects for his clients. Irich gained valuable industry know-how from his experienced and successful mentor, Chile Kangombe. Their fruitful partnership allowed Irich to quickly acquire essential skills in the mortgage industry. When asked what inspired him to enter the property industry, Irich shared, "Many great investments aren't accessible or easily understandable to the common person; they're reserved for high net worth or sophisticated investors. Real estate is different—it's understandable, accessible, and affordable for everyone at some level... I mean absolutely everyone." We asked Irich to recommend a book or course that has been valuable to him. He replied, "Absolutely the Holy Bible. Its wisdom and principles have shaped my beliefs, instilled character, and guided my actions." Irich has extensive experience helping nurses, doctors, and other NHS staff with their mortgage needs, even becoming an NHS Trust partner for mortgages and protection. He specialises in complex mortgage cases, assisting those who are self-employed, have a bad credit history, are foreign nationals without permanent residency, and those with "low-to-no deposit." Irich aims to help 5,000 people from our community get onto the property ladder. He is passionate about educating as many people as possible about the various ways to achieve homeownership and the tools available for property finance. Irich always says, "What you don't know can't help you." Irich is an incredible man who supports our community by helping people achieve homeownership and acquire assets to pass on to future generations. #blackhistory #property #peopledem

At Chartway, all backgrounds, viewpoints, and life experiences are welcome, knowing this commitment strengthens our credit union family and our communities. As we commemorate Black History Month, we invite you to check out our blog post, "Black History Month: The Key to Generational Wealth." Join us as we explore the importance of generational wealth in the Black community and gain valuable insight on how to achieve it in today's economic climate. Read here: https://bit.ly/49ncysO

Be honest – are you able to provide the client experience you want to deliver? What’s holding you back? If it’s support and resources from your home office, let’s talk about how our team benefits from the Ultimate Advisor Partnership at Ameriprise.

🌟 Honoring a Trailblazer: Ernesta Procope and Her Impact on Insurance 🌟 In the spirit of Black History Month, we spotlight the luminaries whose groundbreaking efforts have reshaped industries. Ernesta Procope stands tall among these figures, her legacy in the insurance sector emblematic of resilience, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of equality. Ernesta Procope: The "First Lady of Wall Street" Starting in Brooklyn, Ernesta Procope transformed a modest insurance brokerage into the formidable E.G. Bowman Company, Inc., making a historic move to Wall Street. Her journey is a testament to overcoming barriers and pioneering African American presence in corporate America. A Timeless Legacy Procope's mission extended beyond business triumphs; she actively combated racial disparities, bringing vital insurance services to underserved communities. This effort was a crucial step towards economic inclusion. Exploring Further in "Black Pioneers of the American Insurance Industry" For a deeper understanding of African Americans' significant contributions to the insurance industry, "Black Pioneers of the American Insurance Industry" is an invaluable resource. Highlighting Ernesta among others, it delves into the stories of entrepreneurs who dared to transform the economic and social fabric of America. Celebrating Diversity and Representation The narratives of Ernesta Procope and her contemporaries underscore the transformative power of diversity and representation. Their achievements light the way for future generations, showcasing the importance of inclusivity in all industry sectors. Inspiration for the Future Ernesta Procope's story is a powerful reminder of the impact one individual can have on an industry and society. As we honor her and other Black pioneers, let's commit to advancing their legacy, ensuring a more inclusive and equitable future for all. Conclusion Ernesta Procope's rise from Brooklyn to Wall Street encapsulates a story of determination, creativity, and a commitment to justice. Her legacy, celebrated during Black History Month and beyond, continues to inspire the pursuit of equality and opportunity in every arena. #BlackHistory #InsuranceIndustry #ErnestaProcope #LegacyOfInnovation #DiversityAndInclusion

Insurance is the global recession-proof staple that touches everything that moves. The insurance industry is the oldest financial investment and one of the most consistent wealth producing trades in the world. It's also the industry that has historically generated the most wealth for the Black community. Today, the insurance industry needs more Black faces in leadership roles and in entry level positions. The work of HBCU IMPACT is to excel, educate, equip, and empower the next generation of Black insurance, risk management financial services and legal professionals. HBCUs produce the world's greatest Black talent and HBCU IMPACT is helping to pipeline that talent to greater impact. #insuranceissexy #insurancetoucheseverything

✨ Reflecting on Black History Month: Retelling Narratives of the Insurance Industry ✨ Today Michael I. Ohajuru spoke powerfully at Lockton's Black History Month Lunch and Learn with the theme "Retelling Narratives of the Insurance Industry." Michael is an incredible speaker who brought this important conversation to life in such an impressive, complex, rich, balanced, pragmatic way, and the insights shared have left a lasting impact on me. One message that truly resonated was the idea that oppression often relies on making others "not one of us." The transatlantic slave trade, for example, dehumanized millions by turning them into "others." Retelling these narratives helps restore the humanity of those who were once seen as less than human, ensuring their stories are honoured. This made me think of the importance of inclusion—of seeing everyone, no matter their differences, as fully human and including, valuing, everyone. It’s only by recognising our shared humanity that we can create a truly inclusive and compassionate world. As we reflect during Black History Month, I feel grateful to have contributed to organising this event and to be part of a company that is committed to retelling these crucial narratives and advancing equity and inclusion in the insurance industry. Let’s continue to work together to make sure no one is ever treated as "other." 🌍❤️ #BlackHistoryMonth #Inclusion #Diversity #RetellingHistory #HumanityMatters #InsuranceIndustry #DEI #Lockton #Insurance

Celebrating Black History Month Honoring trailblazers Trailblazers of the 1900s Travis J. Bell (1941-1988) spent his childhood on the south side of Chicago during the 1940s. In 1971, he co-founded investment bank Daniels & Bell, which became the first Black-owned investment bank on the NYSE. Over time, he became a force within municipal bonds underwriting. Additionally, Bell structured one of the first leveraged buyouts completed by an African American businessman when his DanBell subsidiary acquired Cocoline Chocolate, ranked one of the largest Black-owned companies at the time.   O.W. Gurley (1867-1935) was born on Christmas day to freed enslaved Africans in Huntsville, AL and spent his childhood in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He would go on to become one of the wealthiest businessmen and a significant contributor to the Greenwood section (“Black Wall Street”) in Tulsa, OK during the early 1900s. Black Wall Street was a self-sufficient community filled with Black-owned businesses, many of which were initially financed by Gurley. He was forced to flee and lost his property during the 1921 Tulsa Massacre, but is remembered as a successful black entrepreneur and business pioneer.   Madam C.J. Walker (1867-1919) was born on a plantation in Delta, Louisiana to former enslaved Africans-turned sharecroppers after the Civil War. She would eventually escape poverty, becoming the first black woman self-made millionaire, largely due to the successful launch of her own line of hair products and straighteners for Black women. Walker used her success to support philanthropic efforts as well as political and social activism.   Maggie Lena Walker (1864-1934) was born to enslaved parents in Richmond, Virginia and would go on to break barriers becoming both the first African American woman to charter a bank and the first African American woman to serve as a bank president in 1903.   Ernesta Procope (1923-2021) was born in Brooklyn, New York. She would go on to become a pillar in her community fighting to provide African Americans and people in poor areas with access to insurance. In 1953, Procope founded the commercial insurance brokerage firm E.G. Bowman, Inc. which later became the nation’s largest insurance agency owned by a Black woman and the first African American owned business on Wall Street. #BlackHistoryMonth

          Black History - Black Wealth - Part 1 Wealthy Black Americans from Black History A scoundrel, a lady of the evening, a slaveowner, an explorer, businessmen, a washerwoman, a pigfoot cook and inventors all became wealthy in Black history. 1. Anthony Johnson (c. 1600s–1670s) was one of the first African American property owners and slaveholders in the American colonies. He attained wealth through landownership and tobacco farming in Virginia. 2. Jean Baptiste Point du Sable (c. 1745–1818) was a Haitian-French immigrant who founded the settlement that later became Chicago. He engaged in fur trading and real estate, accumulating significant wealth in the process. 3. James Forten (1766-1842) was one of the wealthiest people in Philadelphia during his time. He enlisted in the Revolutionary War at age 12 after his father, a sailmaker, died. Forten was the inventor of several devices for sailing ships, improving their sailing ability. As a free-born African American, he became the foreman of a sailmaking business following an apprenticeship and bought the sail loft when his boss retired. He hired an integrated workforce and paid his Black employees equal wages to his White workers. 4. John Stanly (1774-1845) was a mixed-race former slave who became one of the largest slave owners in North Carolina. After being freed, Stanly became a barber, a stable trade at that time, and eventually purchased the freedom of his wife and children. He owned two plantations on Bachelor's Creek along the Neuse River, along with several houses and businesses, making him one of the richest men in his county. 5. Jeremiah Hamilton (1806-1875), "Wall Street's first Black trader," made his fortune in New York in the 19th century. Not much is known about Hamilton's early life, but he immigrated to New York after fleeing Haiti, where he was involved in bringing in counterfeit coins for a consortium of New York merchants. Litigious, secretive, and shrewd, Hamilton engaged in real estate speculation, deal brokering, and insurance fraud during a time when business in the state was mostly unregulated. He experienced financial losses during the 1837 financial panic but later rebuilt his fortune. By the time of his death in 1875, he left his family a sizable fortune estimated to be worth about $2 million (equivalent to about a quarter of a billion dollars today). 6. William Leidesdorff (1810-1848) was a Black millionaire who immigrated to the U.S. from the Danish West Indies. He owned the first steamship in San Francisco Bay and established several notable firsts in California, including the first public school, hotel, and waterfront warehouse in San Francisco. Leidesdorff became a millionaire when gold was discovered on property he owned. Part 2 to follow. What other wealthy Blacks do you know of in the 17th, 18th and 19th century in Black History? Add to the list.

Celebrating August Small Black Business Month, allows for me to have more appreciate and understanding of the importance of recognizing and supporting Small Black Businesses. In May of 1998, my father, Timothy L. Jackson, was interviewed by a reporter for the Rocky Mountain Newspaper, highlighting the inheritance of a Black owned business being passed down to a second generation. The article highlights, the lack of capital accessible to Black Business owners as well as the lack of community banking. It shares the personal determinace and perservance, my maternal grandfather Guy L. Ford, committed to, in order to be able to purchase and eventually own his own business as a black man, during the 1960's, in Colorado. So, maybe, it was my calling and/or purpose to find myself as a, Business Banker/Business Partner, everyday working to share the full service of U.S. Bank with my partner Brandon Willis , Business Access Advisor, including but not limited to U.S. Bank programs such as Diversity Lending and Diversity Supplier. With Brandon's partnerships and the community involvement of U.S. Bank's Denver Black Heritage BRG, I am proud to say that financial eduction, resources, networking and support is available, in hopes, of changing the landscape of banking to become more inclusive. My grandfather, " believed if you do good work it doesn't matter what color you are". My father adopted this mindset as he took over the family business and I choose to actively believe this statement is true, even in today's time. In a world full of adversity and challenges it takes courage to provide solutions to overcome. Grateful that U.S. Bank's core pillars recognize the importance of diversity, putting people first and doing the right thing, not just within the bank's culture but towards our surrounding communities, as well. I can look back over my family's history and see how far society has come, but also can truthfully say that the work is not done. What we do and how we go about it as bank employees truly does matters! And being able to help a business owner, regardless of their race, establish a foundation, provide a living for their family, and be a pillar within their communities, is what it is all about. #diversitybanking #entrepreneurs #entrepreneurship #businessbanking #coloradoblackhistory #diversity #equity #inclusion #banking #usbanklife #blackchamberofcommerce

During slavery, benevolent societies were formed by the enslaved as a way to care for the sick and bury the dead with dignity. On April 17, 1787, Richard Allen and Absalom Jones formed the Free African Society in #Philadelphia to provide mutual aid and self-help. It was the forerunner of the first insurance company organized and owned by Blacks in the United States, the African Insurance Company. Organized in 1810 in #Philadelphia, the African Insurance Company lasted only three years, but the early model was adopted by many successful Black-owned insurance companies in the post-Civil War era. Juneteenth marks the day, June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers announced the end of the Civil War and the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas. It is a symbol of freedom and progress. The success of Black-owned insurance companies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries continued the freedom celebrated on Juneteenth, moving from physical freedom to economic empowerment and financial autonomy. Considering the origins of Black insurance in the United States, it is only fitting that The Black Friday Network/Ako Insurance Consulting host our next Black Friday event in #Philadelphia in collaboration with the NAAIA Philadelphia. By celebrating in #Philadelphia, we honor the city's historical significance in the fight for Black economic independence and the enduring legacy of Black entrepreneurship. By partnering with NAAIA, we build solidarity in the local marketplace to champion the creation of equitable opportunities across the insurance industry, particularly the distribution channel. Agents, Brokers, and Agency Owners of Color join us for direct access to capital, capacity, and consultative resources and an opportunity to network with other Agents, Brokers, and Agency Owners of Color! Underwriters, Actuaries, Claims Adjusters, Defense Attornies, HR Professionals, Risk Managers, and every insurance professional in between, we are calling you too! Join us as we do the work to diversify the future of the insurance industry! 📆: Friday, August 9, 2024 🕘: 9:00 am TO 5:30 pm EST Registration is OPEN! https://lnkd.in/eYQb3nCu Stay tuned as we announce more #BlackFriday - #Philadelphia details! #insurance #partnerships #insuranceindustry #naaiaphiladelphia #insuranceagents #naaianow #insuranceprofessionals #blackinsurancehistory