TULSA, Okla. — In a year when more than 320,000 Black women have been forced out of work, the struggle for equal pay has transformed into something deeper, a battle for financial liberation. Dr. Paris Woods is leading that charge with a message as revolutionary as it is overdue: “Wealth isn’t a luxury. It’s liberation. And for many Black women today, it’s a necessity.”
A first-generation Harvard graduate and bestselling author, Dr. Woods has become a national voice in financial education. Her book, The Black Girl’s Guide to Financial Freedom, flips the script on traditional wealth-building narratives and centers Black women as architects of generational change.
Now she’s bringing that conversation to sacred ground in Tulsa’s Greenwood District, the original blueprint for Black economic power.
The Turning Point Toward Financial Liberation
In a recent interview with The Black Wall Street Times, Dr. Woods opened up about the personal journey behind her book, the power of legacy, and why financial freedom for Black women is a liberating act.
“I had done all the things—got the degrees, landed the dream job—but the money still wasn’t right,” Woods said. “I had to figure out how to create freedom, not just income.”
After being laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic, she turned inward and realized financial independence gave her something more valuable than a paycheck: choice. That moment sparked the mission behind The Black Girl’s Guide to Financial Freedom.
“If I were truly my ancestors’ wildest dream, I need complete control over my labor and time. That’s true freedom,” Woods added.
Honoring a Woman Who Left a Lasting Legacy on Black Wall Street
During her BWST interview, Dr. Woods reflected on Greenwood’s legacy, invoking trailblazers like Lola Williams, a Black woman who defied the odds and owned multiple movie theaters during the height of Jim Crow.
At a time when Black women were expected to shrink themselves to fit within the margins of white supremacy and patriarchy, Williams expanded—not just her business, but the vision of what was possible for Black women in America who had control over their finances.
“That’s what honoring the legacy of Black Wall Street looks like,” Woods said. “Black women were building empires while navigating segregation, economic exclusion and gendered racism.”
Woods carries forward the same flame that lit Lola Williams’ path: fierce, purposeful, and focused on financial freedom.
“Wealth Isn’t Flex. It’s Freedom.” — Dr. Paris Woods
She emphasized that Greenwood wasn’t just a place. It was a mindset that still lives in us today. A declaration of self-determination for all the willing. A living, breathing example of what Black economic power looks like when it’s rooted in community.
“We have generational wealth, we have generational ingenuity, all of that is in us today. So how do we leverage that to live into the dream, to live into the price that was paid for the folks who sacrificed and whose great work might have been burned down, right? But that legacy is still within us. And so how do we leverage that today?”
The Black Girl’s Guide to Financial Freedom explains where that shift starts—with redefining what wealth means—not just for the individual, but for the entire community.
In her book, Woods challenges the notion that financial success is simply about luxury or status. Instead, she frames it as a pathway to collective liberation, where money becomes a tool for repairing, rebuilding, and reinvesting in ourselves and each other.
Love Your Family and Friends. Protect Your Finances
However, Dr. Paris Woods also provides wisdom on lending to family and community responsibly.
“We need to treat family support like a bill. Set a budget. Create a fund. And when it’s gone, it’s gone,” insight she learned from Oprah Winfrey and Trevor Noah.
She encourages women to open multiple bank accounts, automate savings, and prioritize getting out of debt—not just for financial health, but, as Auntie Maxine Waters, the congresswoman, would say, to ‘reclaim their time.’
Breaking the Silence Around Money and Trauma
Dr. Paris Woods doesn’t just teach budgeting strategies. She addresses the emotional weight many Black women carry when it comes to money. For her, healing financial trauma is just as critical as paying off debt or saving for the future.
“I cried while writing this book. Because I had messed up,” she admitted. “But the shame breaks when you speak it.”
Too often, conversations around money are wrapped in secrecy and judgment. That silence, she says, feeds a cycle of guilt and isolation that keeps women stuck.
Dr. Woods believes that true financial freedom must begin with emotional freedom. That means breaking free from the scarcity mindsets passed down through generations, the pressure to be everything for everyone, and the belief that we are somehow bad with money.
“There’s so much wisdom that lives within us, but we’re often disconnected from it because of trauma,” she explained. “When your mind and heart are healed, you make better choices with your money. That’s the transformation.”
An Invitation to Heal, Build and Rise
In the spirit of Greenwood, Dr. Paris Woods reminds us that financial freedom isn’t just about surviving the system; it’s about rewriting it. And she’s leading a movement to help Black women — and all who read her book — heal their financial wounds, and build a future rooted in freedom, not fear.
Her message is clear: Black women already have everything they need: legacy, wisdom, and power. The only thing left is to activate it.
On Thursday, Nov. 6, the Tulsa community will have a rare opportunity to hear that message live during the final “Books for Thought” event of 2025. Greenwood Rising is hosting Dr. Woods for a moderated discussion from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Don’t miss this chance to learn, connect, and begin your own journey toward financial liberation.