2023 Themes More Positive than Previous Years

(Black PR Wire) Boston, MA – OneUnited Bank, the largest Black-owned bank in the U.S., is proud to announce the winners of its 13th annual “I Got Bank! Youth Essay & Art Contest.” Each of the ten (10) youth winners are awarded a $1,000 savings account.  

The 2023 winners are Zoey Bradley, 9, Columbia, MD, Jada Current, 12, Buckeye, AZ, Kailee Marie Friend, 8, Hawthorne, CA, Taelyn Johnson, 9, Dorchester, MA, Sue Lee, 12, Los Angeles, CA, Ian Robinson Jr., 11, Middletown, DE, Cailyn Sanders, 11, Miami Lakes, FL, Aydin M. Soner, 9, Columbia, SC, Katalyn Wiley, 11, Conway, AR, Tatyana Wright, 12, Columbia, SC. Each winner expressed the importance of financial literacy and savings. The panel of judges included Teri Williams, the bank’s President & Chief Operating Officer and Sherri Brewer, the bank’s Senior Vice President, Chief Retail Officer. 

President Williams stated, “Interestingly, this year the most prevalent themes in the submissions were more positive, with a focus on thriving rather than overcoming economic challenges. We believe the more aspirational themes may be a result of a stronger employment market for their parents. We congratulate our winners, their families and all participants in the contest.” Williams wrote the book I Got Bank! What My Grandad Taught Me About Money (Beckham), after discovering the lack of books geared toward educating urban youth about financial literacy. 

The “I Got Bank!” youth essay & art contest is part of a larger OneUnited Bank initiative to make financial literacy a core and commonplace value of the Black community. To learn more about past I Got Bank winners, please visit the OneUnited Bank Financial Literacy Blog.

 OneUnited Bank also offers its robust Financial Education Center with online playlists on Financial Basics, Major Life Decisions, Starting a Career, Small Business and Preventing Elder Fraud. OneUnited Bank hopes its efforts will improve the financial skills of children and adults throughout the country. 

Media Inquiries: Suzan McDowell, Circle of One Marketing, suzan@circleofonemarketing.com, or by phone at 305-576-3790.

OneUnited Bank

OneUnited Bank (www.oneunited.com) is the largest Black-owned bank in America, the first Black internet bank, a Minority Depository Institution, and a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).

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