The podcast that focuses on how to use the money you have, make the money you need and save the money you want. Host Kim Chapman, Financial Wellness Director for Neighbors Federal Credit Union, explores the issues that can affect your financial well-being and discusses ways for you to enjoy the financial freedom you've been looking for.
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We sit down with David Rogers, the creator of Black Blocks, to explore how a board game can make financial literacy feel exciting while teaching African American history. We break down how the game works, why it sparks better family conversations, and what money habits it helps players practice in real time. • why games can teach financial education better than traditional seminars • David’s motivation rooted in parenting, youth education, and Black history • how Black Blocks works: starting cash, buying property, paying rent, and managing setbacks • Fate cards that test Black history knowledge with real consequences • Life cards that mirror everyday expenses and unexpected events • using game night to talk about budgeting, mortgages, insurance, and smart choices • common gaps in history knowledge and how curiosity drives deeper learning • core financial concepts: strategy, cash flow, avoiding overbuying, and not going bankrupt • where to buy the game and what David is building next Stay on track with your financial journey. Subscribe to the Money Matters Podcast, and visit neighborsfcu.org slash financial wellness for more tools to help you build a strong financial future.
Welcome to Money Matters, the podcast that focuses on how to use the money you have, make the money you need and save the money you want – brought to you by Neighbors Federal Credit Union.
The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice.
Welcome to Money Matters, the podcast that focuses on how to use the money you have, make the money you need, and save the money you want. Now, here is your host, Ms. Kim Chapman.
SPEAKER_01
So, welcome to Money Matters. I'm your host, Kim Chapman. Today we're going to talk about a fun, more exciting way to learn about financial education. Have you ever been to a financial education seminar? They're not the most exciting. I know I actually host those things. I do my best, but guess what? We have Mr. David Rogers here. He actually has come up with a board game, a board game that makes it more engaging by blending practical money lessons with uh history of African American entrepreneurship. So, Mr. David Rogers is joining me, and he's going to tell us all about how he came up with this concept and how you actually play the game. Welcome, David.
So tell me, how did you even come up with this concept? Tell me about your history. What made you think that a board game might be what we need?
SPEAKER_02
Well, I mean, I've always been um very intrigued in education, black history, financial literacy, and um I my my one of my goals in life was to be a school teacher. Um I kind of started, but then I diverted to being more on the business side in corporate America. Um but I've always had a love um for you know um learning and um trying to teach people, especially teaching the youth on how to be better, um, not just as far as, you know, financially, but also understanding their history as well. And having two kids of my own um only um prompted the urgency for me to make sure that they were equipped as far as financially and also knowing their history as well. So when they get out into the world, um they understand, you know, the playing field and how to equip themselves um with knowledge. And so that's pretty much the birth of the game came from just wanting to educate and make sure the the next generation um is knowledgeable uh and prepared. And so, like I said, the genesis of the game uh was to, you know, create something where people can understand buying and selling property, paying the rent, and also you understanding certain landmarks in black history, like you know, you're looking at Black Wall Street, you know, you go through the Apollo Theater, uh Edmund Pettis Bridge, um those things so that people understand what, why are those important? Um and also bringing those back to the forefront on people understanding that they are important. Because a lot of kids have, you know, um lost their way. A lot of kids don't even know that, you know, a black person created the stoplight, right? And so those are the things that, you know, kids need to know as these are things that we're using every single day. And we do not pay homage to the people who who came first and who developed these things.
So tell us a little bit about the game. If we were to get the game, what can we expect?
SPEAKER_02
Well, the game starts where every player begins with twelve hundred dollars. Um and it's the the the throughout the um as you play, it's similar to a monopoly set monop Monopoly game board. Um, but all of the spaces are different than Monopoly outside of you know going to jail and of course the start. But um outside of that, uh all the landmarks are significant to black history. Um it's like a have like Harry Tutman Museum, like the Apollo Theater, uh Black Wall Street, these are you know things, properties that you can buy. Um you have Sweet Auburn and Atlanta, all these different things that people can you land on, you can buy it, um, but also you can learn more about what what it means. But then the the real key to the game is like the fate and life cards. The fate cards are critical. You land on fate, um, your opponent picks the card up, they ask you the question, and it's a question in regards to black history. Uh it could be, you know, who was the first uh black woman to run for president. Um if you get it right, you get $100. If you get it wrong, you go all the way back to the start. Um and so, and then you have life cards. The life cards are more for things that happen, like you need things that normal things that happen in life. Right.
SPEAKER_01
You wake up, your battery dies, and your car, life just happens, right?
SPEAKER_02
Right. Right. Just need just regular stuff. And then also within the life, you can get a um get out of jail free card. So uh, but even on the board, there's things like you get $300 for reparations. You get uh, I think it's $150 for unemployment, uh, unemployment benefit. Um it's it's so so I made it engaging, fun, but also things that people talk about daily. People always talk about reparations.
SPEAKER_01
So the more you know, huh?
SPEAKER_02
And under You're right. And unemployment is huge. So why not get a benefit? So but also on the on the property, I made all the cards rent controlled. So the rent wouldn't be raised. So I'm trying to educate people, yeah, you could buy these properties, but also understand that certain things can be rent controlled. You know, so I'm trying to educate across the board, but give people enough that they want to learn more.
So You mentioned you wanted to be a teacher. So when I think of a teacher and definitely the passion for financial education, so how did you get to a board game as opposed to writing a book or hosting seminars like we do here at the credit union? How did you actually come up with that concept in terms of I want to be able to get this information out, but I want to be able to do it with a game?
SPEAKER_02
Yep, I've actually I've I've published 13 books.
SPEAKER_01
Oh wow.
SPEAKER_02
So I've I've been writing for a while. And so um even my my next book is centered around um uh centered around, I would say centered around black history. Um it's uh it's a sci-fi book. Uh it's based on if President Lincoln did not die. And all of the things that come from that on kind of like um, you know, the 40 acres in a mule, the Freeman's bank, a lot of those things were overturned after Lincoln died. And then also based on the Lincoln mindset of him being a separatist. So I've always been intrigued by history to to a large degree. And I like to sometimes look at, you know, the what ifs. You know, if, you know, if let's say if if King didn't die, you know, what would what would the world look like today? You know, and so I kind of always like to look at that, you know. Even even if I look at rap music, like what, you know, what what if what if Biggie didn't die, right? Uh so stuff like that.
SPEAKER_01
Like my movies I watch, there's always that alternate ending. So what if we change history just a little bit?
So how can families use board games and just everyday conversations to help children uh build healthy financial habits?
SPEAKER_02
I I think it it it begins a conversation. I think I think too many games are just about he he ha ha laughing it up, and there's nothing, you're not taking away anything. Right? I think with this game, it's it it it it brings more um togetherness, uh, it brings more uh understanding because unless unless your parent is a um you know an African-American professor somewhere, chances are y'all gonna be learning together, right? And so I think that part brings you together. Then it brings discussions on buying property, selling property, um, paying rent, you know, paying mortgage, all those things. Um, do you have insurance? Like I say, if you look, look, if you have to knee surgery, like man, how you gonna, yeah, the game, yeah, you're gonna pay whatever the $50 to get the knee surgery. But in real life, you're gonna be able to get the bigger.
SPEAKER_01
Surgery, $50, sign me up.
unknown
Right.
SPEAKER_02
So, you know, the the it brings discussions to a to the dinner table or or the the game table. And so I think it it opens up um the communication between family members and you know, older than the kids, um uh what uncles, aunts, and I think the whole family can get in and appreciate the game.
SPEAKER_01
Is there a certain age? I know you mentioned middle school, maybe middle to high school, and do you find that the older adults like this game as well?
SPEAKER_02
I would say that, although the older, older people love it because they I think they realize um what they don't know. I mean, a lot of, see, what I've learned, this like I said, I'm not, I'm I'm not no expert, but what I've learned in um the whole time with this game is that um so many, uh sped out of my black people who've played it, um, they believe they know a lot of black history. But most of the time what I'm seeing is that they know more recent things. And when you start going back, they have no clue. I mean, I've asked some people, you know, what was the um what was the 13 colonies, right? What and they don't even know that we had 13 colonies. You you you gotta think how, I mean, it I was I was like, man, but there's there's gaps in in education everywhere, right? And so some people, it just didn't stick or or whatever, right? Or maybe it wasn't taught. Um and I can't speak to what's actually, you know, how teachers teach today. I don't know if they still say 13 colonies and the 13 colonies turned in the States. I don't know. Um, but I just know a lot of people that they have no clue what a colony is. Um and it's like here's one question was what was the first colony that banned slavery?
SPEAKER_01
You didn't give me the answers before we got on the phone, so I don't know.
SPEAKER_02
It's actually Vermont, right? And so I was even shocked learning that one. Um, I was like, whoa, okay. But those are the kind of things that uh I I want people to not just learn, but to say, you know, I want to know more. What the hell are these colonies? And and then why did they ban slavery and no one else? What you know, and so if you can go down and start doing a little bit more investigation and learning more about
So, what are the biggest financial concepts you hope people will take away after playing your game?
SPEAKER_02
I would say the buying, the buying, the buying of property and being strategic with your money. You you know, you're starting with twelve hundred dollars. And so you have to be very um cautious on how you buy property as you go around the board. Um, because some people they want to buy everything, but then they start landing on fate and they can't answer the questions. And then it goes back, and then they land on something else where they have to pay. And so you have to um make sure you don't go bankrupt into buying so much property, because if the the game of life is still going on, and it doesn't matter if you have so much property, but if you can't pay your other bills, you're gonna have to get rid of some of your property. That's how our real world works.
for adults that may feel like they're behind not just on the financial education, but even on the history side of it, what advice would you give to them? So where and where can we find the game?
SPEAKER_02
Uh you can buy the game on Amazon. Um, you can also get it on um my my site, blackblocksgame.com as well. Um, but I would I would say, you know, just besides the game, um, just on the whole education piece, I think everyone should take a business class um on understanding how to start a business, how to run a business. Um if you if not take a class, buy a book, and get the workbook that's associated with it and work through it. Um because I think we have to make ourselves more education, more educational in our thoughts and our thinking, in that people will take advantage of you if you don't know. Um, and at least you want to have some base on knowing um to be able to be more prepared to have discussions with people about real business.
SPEAKER_01
So, what's next for you on the financial education scene?
SPEAKER_02
Well, um still constantly promoting this game. Um I have um some books coming out. Uh I'm also working on um the next um phase of black blocks is to do a uh a board game that's black blocks Africa, um to go through a lot of important things in Africa so that we we have a a better bridge to understanding um Africa and and maybe Africa can understand us even better as well. Um I have seen there's a disconnect. Um, you know, a lot of you know Africans and uh black Americans really don't connect, um I think like we probably should. Um but that's also I think part of the American dream.
SPEAKER_01
So where can they find more information about the game and more information about your content?
SPEAKER_02
Oh um the game, like I say, um you can go to my website at blackblocksgame.com. Or you can also find the game on Amazon.com as well.
SPEAKER_01
Mr. Rogers, this is some good information. Thank you again for joining us.
SPEAKER_02
Oh, thank you. I'm glad to I'm glad to um that Money Matters gave me an uh opportunity to speak on their platform. Much appreciated.
Stay on track with your financial journey. Subscribe to the Money Matters Podcast, and visit neighborsfcu.org slash financial wellness for more tools to help you build a strong financial future.
