People love to talk about Black wealth. "We are worth $500 billion," they cry. Great. But how much of that is invested?

The Black community is not invisible, but its investment earnings are barely discernible. Maybe in the past, you thought that the stock market wasn�t open to you. As a child I don�t recall hearing much about the Dow Jones industrial average. Our family dinner table discussions were not about stocks and we certainly weren�t entertaining calls from stockbrokers.

Blacks make up only two percent of those selling stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other securities, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, so if you haven�t been approached by a securities professional, I�m not shocked. In fact, when a Wall Street Journal reporter interviewed me he was surprised to learn that half of my $133 million portfolio of clients belonged to Black investors, many who had never invested before.

That�s disturbing. Surveys show that most Black Americans place their money into low-return savings and money market accounts instead of the high-return investments that create great wealth. In the middle of one of the longest buying runs in stock market history, too many of us have been on the sidelines because we either invest in low return money market accounts or we didn�t participate at all. Because we tend to invest more conservatively, we end up with less retirement savings. And once again, those who are investing are pulling farther and farther ahead, leaving those who are not far behind.

Your financial knowledge will pay dividends. Blacks of all ages are less likely than Whites to describe themselves as "knowledgeable" investors. Thirty-eight percent of Blacks say it�s their lack of knowledge that prevents them from investing. And sure, you can argue that by ignoring the Black market the investors have lost out. But we lose out more.

Well, know today that the market is open to you and you should take advantage of it. Don�t let lingering racial insecurities or fear of discrimination keep you from claiming your prosperity birthright and participating in the American economy. History shows that our sweat, our hearts, our brains are heavily invested in the development of this country. Now it�s time we invested money in the economy we helped create and cash in on our success.

A well-conceived investment plan is a form of life assurance. It takes a little money to get started, but it takes even more of an investment in the truth. Accept for the first time in your life that saving money is vital to your future happiness and security. Commit to making your money work for you.