Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder launches Youth Financial Education Series

JPMorganChase is committed to helping close the racial wealth gap and driving economic inclusion for Black, Hispanic and Latino communities.

The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder Multimedia Group is launching a new monthly content series designed to meet young people where they are, and give them the financial knowledge they need to build stable, self-determined lives.

The Youth Financial Education Series, launching in May 2026 and supported by JPMorgan Chase, is an eight-installment initiative running through December that covers one real-world financial milestone each month. Topics range from understanding your first paycheck to navigating credit scores, avoiding predatory lending and filing income tax returns. The series is designed to be practical, jargon-free and culturally relevant, delivered through the trusted voice of Minnesota’s oldest Black newspaper.

“We believe financial education is one of the most powerful tools we can put in the hands of young people and families in our community,” said Tracey Williams-Dillard, CEO and publisher of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. “This series is about more than information, it’s about access, opportunity and building generational wealth in communities that have too often been left out of that conversation.”

The series is built around a content partnership model, pairing the Spokesman-Recorder’s editorial and production platform with organizations already doing financial education work in the community. Each monthly installment includes a written story published in print and online, co-branded social media promotion, a short video interview featuring a real program graduate between the ages of 18 and 25, a topic-specific infographic and featured placement in the Spokesman-Recorder’s email newsletter.

JPMorgan Chase’s support of the series reflects the financial institution’s longstanding commitment to economic inclusion and community investment. The bank has invested significantly in initiatives aimed at closing the racial wealth gap, expanding access to capital for Black and brown entrepreneurs and building financial resilience in underserved communities across the country.

“Economic opportunity has to be built from the ground up,” said a JPMorgan Chase representative. “Supporting initiatives like the Youth Financial Education Series is part of our commitment to ensuring that young people in every community have the tools and knowledge to build financial security for themselves and their families.”

The 2026 season covers eight topics that reflect the real financial decisions young adults face as they move toward independence. May’s launch installment focuses on understanding your paycheck, breaking down what deductions mean, how to read a pay stub and what to do with your first earnings. From there, the series builds month by month through financial foundations, goal setting, banking basics, credit essentials, predatory lending awareness, first-car buying and income tax returns.

Each installment is anchored by authentic storytelling. The short video component features a real graduate of a financial education program sharing their experience in their own words, no media training required. The Spokesman-Recorder handles all production and distribution, while the content partner helps identify the right person to tell their story.

The series is designed to be accessible and actionable for its primary audience, youth ages 18 to 25 and their families, with every installment including a direct call to action connecting readers to partner programs and resources.

Content will live permanently on spokesman-recorder.com, meaning each installment continues to drive traffic and awareness long after its publish date, providing evergreen value for both readers and community partners.

The Youth Financial Education Series reflects a broader vision at the Spokesman-Recorder Multimedia Group: that trusted journalism and community education are not separate missions but deeply connected ones. Financial literacy is not a luxury, it is a civil rights issue, and for communities of color that have faced generations of systemic exclusion from wealth-building systems, access to clear, honest financial guidance is both urgent and overdue.

The series launches this month. Future seasons will expand the topic library and reach as the series grows.

For more information about the Youth Financial Education Series or to learn about partnership opportunities, visit spokesman-recorder.com or contact admin@spokesman-recorder.com.

The Youth Financial Education Series is supported by JPMorganChase.