21 Savage launches financial literacy program for kids, donates to Atlanta's COVID-19 relief fund
Rapper 21 Savage is launching a free online financial literacy program for young people as part of an initiative to offer financial help to those who need it amid the coronavirus pandemic.
He announced Wednesday in a press release the Bank Account At Home program, a partnership with mobile banking provider Chime and education technology platform EVERFI, which offers varying lessons on money for kids of different ages
“I feel like it’s important more than ever to give our next generation the tools to succeed in life,” the rapper in a statement.
Younger students can start by learning basic money management concepts; middle school-aged kids can receive tools on how to start planning a financial future; and teenagers are offered lessons on budgeting and entrepreneurship, according to the release.
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His efforts also include a partnership with Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to provide free WiFi and tablets for undeserved students in the city and a $25,000 donation to Atlanta's #ATLStrong COVID-19 relief fund.
21 Savage said he wants to empower youth to manage their money. The rapper launched his Bank Account program in 2018 to teach financial literacy to teenage students across the United States.
The Grammy-winning rapper, who was born in London as She'yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph and moved to the United States as a kid, has a history of using his platform to help others, particularly in his hometown of Atlanta. He's hosted back-to-school drives, a Halloween party for kids at a local mall, and has advocated for immigrant justice following his arrest last year in what U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said was a targeted operation over his expired visa.
More: 21 Savage says undocumented children in America should automatically become US citizens
“When you’re a child, you don’t know what’s going on,” he said in an interview with the Associated Press at the time. “Now, you grow up and got to figure it out. Can’t get a job. Can’t get a license. I’m one of the lucky ones who became successful. It’s a lot of people who can’t.”
Contributing: The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 21 Savage starts Atlanta COVID-19 relief efforts, financial help
