Dr. Boyce Watkins shares importance of financial literacy with students

By Tariqah Shakir-Muhammad -Final Call Newspaper- | Last updated: Dec 25, 2018 - 4:17:12 PM

High School students of Muhammad University enjoyed a workshop with Dr. Boyce Watkins about financial management and entrepreneurship. Photos: Haroon Rajaee

Dr. Watkins was presented with a thank-you gift from MUI after the workshop. Photos: Haroon Rajaee

CHICAGO—Financial scholar, entrepreneur and author, Dr. Boyce Watkins, spoke with students from Muhammad University of Islam during a two-hour workshop and presentation about financial management and entrepreneurship.

The afternoon workshop also touched on topics such as maintaining and increasing savings and expanding Black business by collective effort.

“I think they [students] walked away understanding the importance of investing as a pathway to not just economic strength—but to happiness in life and having a thoroughly fulfilled existence, and that’s what I wanted to give them,” Dr. Watkins stated during an interview with The Final Call.

The all-female audience of highschool students participated in a question and answer session after the Dec. 18 workshop. Dr. Watkins, impressed by the students, commended the Nation of Islam for its continuous promoting of doing for self and eliminating poverty and want within the Black community, the ideology behind Muhammad’s Economic Blueprint. The economic development plan was launched during the Nation of Islam’s annual Saviours’ Day Convention in 2013 by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and is based on the Economic Blueprint of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

“I feel that this institution is doing something that should be replicated everywhere, even for those who are not in the Nation of Islam,” said Dr. Watkins. Muhammad University of Islam is the independent educational system of the Nation of Islam. The Chicago location educates students from kindergarten through high school. Jason Karriem serves as interim director of MUI.

“You really are going to what would be called ‘the Harvard for Black people’ in the sense that it’s a space that is very advanced in its thinking,” said Dr. Watkins.

Dr. Watkins is also the founder of The Black Business School, The Black Wealth Bootcamp and The Black Millionaire of Tomorrow. His motto is to create social change with “conscientious capitalism.”

MUI students were very impressed with the advice Dr. Watkins offered and with his answers to their questions.

“I actually thought that Dr. Boyce Watkins was very insightful, and he made me more interested in handling money especially because of its importance in the Black community and the Nation of Islam,” said 15-year-old 11th grader Madinah Muhammad.

Londyn Woods, also 15 and in 11th grade, stated Dr. Watkins inspired her to manage her time and money better. “He taught me if I manage my time very wisely and if I manage my money very wisely then I can really succeed in life and I can really make a happy life for myself and happy life for my future family.”

“I enjoyed his speech very much, it was very helpful,” said Deja Muhammad, 15. “I have a lot more information than I really had before he spoke, and I think he’s a great man,” added the 10th grader.

In his final remarks, Dr. Watkins stated he plans to host a second workshop for the male students and extend his Black Millionaires of Tomorrow program to Muhammad University of Islam.

“We wanted our young people to go to business school as early as possible so that they can get ahead in the economic competition,” he stated, explaining the goal of the program.

“We believe that if you take college-level concepts and you expose young people to those concepts at an early age, then by the time they get to college and are adults, they’re going to be light years ahead of everybody else,” said Dr. Watkins. “This is an initiative designed to put Black people ahead of everyone.” For more information, visit: theblackbusinessschool.com.

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