Dear attendee,
The NASPA Annual Conference is our time to gather in community, support, and love for each other. Our goal for the event is to bring you sessions and discussions that affirm your identities, increase your knowledge, and welcome your perspectives. While we had many wonderfully engaging opportunities to do that over the last few days, we write to specifically address Suze Orman’s remarks in the closing keynote session. Several of the messages shared were insensitive and offensive to your lived experiences and to our NASPA values, and for that, we sincerely apologize.
We cannot discuss financial literacy without first acknowledging the inequitable and unjust systems that have prevented Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Queer, Trans, first-gen, low-income, and many other historically minoritized and marginalized communities from attaining education and generational wealth. Suze’s comments tied self-worth to financial progress, ignored the difficulties that many individuals experience when navigating existing systemic structures and tools, and used offensive language to describe the area of Chicago in which she grew up. While we intended the session to be helpful to each of you in your own personal financial journey, we missed the mark.
Several sessions from this year’s conference reflect a theme of progressing in our ability to own both our intention and our impact. This is one of those times for the Association. We apologize again and commit to providing more responsive resources and opportunities for continued dialogue about the content and impact of the closing session. More information will be shared soon.
If you would like to share any additional feedback with us, or connect with one of us, including Julie Payne-Kirchmeier and Mamta Accapadi as they transition to their new roles for the coming year, please email ACprograms@naspa.org.
In Solidarity,
