Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change

Abrams offers statistics indicating the influence of money on social mobility. On the level of education, zip code determines where a child will attend school and by extension determines the level of access that child has to significant academic resources—what Abrams refers to as “economic cartography.” Redlining, a practice in which banks denied loans mortgages to potential borrowers deemed too great a financial risk was a discriminatory tool wielded against people of color who lived in “unfavorable” neighborhoods. Such practices became “barriers to entry” (146) for people of color. Although Abrams planned to study economics in college, she came to and graduated from Spelman with “poor financial literacy” (145). She mentions the advice often given to people seeking opportunities for advancement, namely that they should reach out to their families for financial assistance and support. She notes the shallowness of this recommendation for people whose families do not have the financial means.

Abrams discusses her finances and the necessity of learning the language and tools of institutions to achieve “financial fluency.” Abrams earned an almost six-figure salary as a new attorney but struggled with poor credit. Credit cards and federal loans helped her pay for expenses not covered by her scholarships.