5 Personal Finance Books to Read During Black History Month

The 21 Day Financial Fast tops my list because it's a practical book that focuses on how you can break bad spending habits, develop good financial practices, and prepare your finances for the long term. Michelle Singletary does an excellent job of breaking things down in a series of easy to approach steps over a 21 day time period, proving that anyone can be successful following the proven steps in this book.

Spend Well, Live Rich is another great book by Michelle Singletary. Based on the 7 money mantras from the author's own grandmother, this book is more spiritual motivation than practical advice. It teaches that by developing good money management skills you can build wealth and be financially successful -- even on a small income -- and walks the reader through exactly how to do it.

Girl, Get Your Money Straight! is all about female financial empowerment and motivates women to ditch unhealthy financial habits and focus on funding their dreams. In just 7 steps, Glinda Bridgforth touches on everything from goal setting, developing new habits, paying off debt, and creating a spending plan. In addition, it includes some really awesome worksheets, affirmations, and success stories of African American women who turned their finances around. It also does a great job addressing the emotional and societal issues that affect women of color and how they can be dealt with.

Want to know how black millionaires have built their wealth? The Wealth Choice is based on a seven year study of 1,000 wealthy African Americas showcasing how their process, their mindset, passions, habits, and so much more. It is a guide on how anyone, regardless of their background or economic disadvantages, can achieve financial success by taking specific actions and developing a strong discipline.

When it comes to money, it's important to build a solid financial foundation for children so they can make sound financial decisions in adulthood. In Do I Look Like an ATM? Sabrina Lamb talks about exactly how African American parents can set the stage for their children to be successful with their finances. She shares a series of exercises and topics of conversation for parents to have with their children that teach the principles of financial success in a way that's simple and easy to understand.