(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)— BY GWEN MOORE

Every February, we celebrate Black History Month by honoring African-American heroes and remembering victories in the struggle against racial discrimination. Schoolchildren around the country read about Jackie Robinson, sing about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and learn about Ella Fitzgerald with the hope that the doors opened by these icons will offer them the opportunity for an even brighter future.

Considering all the progress that has been made by our community since our ancestors started arriving by slave ship, a 28-day month seems too short a time to fully appreciate the scope of our history. Indeed, ours is a history that continues to be written every day, as African-Americans work toward a level playing field.

With two decades of political organizing and activism under my belt, it is clear to me that one of the next frontiers in the fight for civil rights is financial: America is a capitalist society, and until African-Americans have access to the same financial services and the same level of financial literacy as everyone else, there is no hope for equality.

African-Americans must have effective access to banks, credit unions and mortgage companies with fair lending practices. They must have enough financial education to know a bad deal when they see it so they can recognize when they are being taken advantage of.

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