Soaries to Keynote New Mexico Black History Month Events, Highlight dfree® Financial Freedom Movement

Albuquerque, New Mexico – Emphasizing the need for African Americans to become debt free, dfree® Founder DeForest B. Soaries, Jr. this week will participate in Black History Month events including: an economic empowerment lecture at the University of New Mexico (UNM); African American Day at the Legislature; and, a community forum at New Hope Full Gospel Baptist Church.

After meeting with campus officials Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017, Soaries will address students for the 12:30 p.m. UNM African American Student Services (AASS) lecture. Friday, Feb. 10, he will meet with state officials before the 11 a.m. speech at the New Mexico Capitol Roundhouse in Santa Fe. At 7 p.m. Soaries will join Bishop David C. Cooper for the community forum on economic justice at New Hope church, 1901 Pennsylvania Street NE in Albuquerque.

“We invited Dr. Soaries to the University of New Mexico and the New Mexico community-at-large because, in these tough economic times, we want to empower students and all to make informed decisions about their finances,” said Sonia Rankin, Associate Dean for Curriculum and Program Development, UNM University College.

AASS Director William Scott Carreathers added, “Based upon some early financial mistakes made by some of our student population, we have invited Dr. Soaries to our campus to assist in ensuring stability, responsibility and accountability in their finances.”

Soaries noted that UNM was one of the national sites chosen by CNN to pre-screen their film Almighty Debt, an installment of the Black in America series hosted by Soledad O’Brien that debuted in 2010. The 90-minute documentary focuses on First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens (FBCLG) in Somerset, New Jersey and follows Soaries’ attempts to fight debt from the pulpit. After FBCLG members started participating in dfree®, church giving increased by more than $1 million. Through books, conferences, training, support and motivation, dfree® helps individuals: focus on the root causes of their financial woes, take practical measures to build better financial habits, become debt free, build wealth and give back to others.

“There may be no greater need than to understand the value and joy of debt-free living,” Soaries said. “There may be no greater legacy we can leave our children.”

America’s consumer debt is $3.4 trillion and the average American household balance-carries $16,048 in debt. The average American today holds 52% more debt today than they did a decade ago.1 Millennials are financially fragile, with 53 percent carrying over a credit card balance in the last 12 months and 50 percent believing they couldn’t come up with $2,000 for an unexpected need within the next month.2 Groups who are in particular need of economic justice include entrepreneurs, millennials and women.

About dfree®: Founded in 2005, the dfree® financial freedom movement is a transformational, lifestyle movement that promotes financial freedom through values-based principles and practical approaches to financial management. dfree® addresses the cultural, psychological and spiritual influences on financial wellness. In the tradition of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., dfree® also is a movement to help achieve economic justice in America. Rev. Dr. King once said, “We must never let it be said that we spend more for the evanescent and ephemeral than for the eternal values of freedom and justice.” dfree® emphasizes controlling money matters so that individuals have the freedom to focus on more purposeful pursuits. Let’s Move Forward Together.

The dfree® strategy is being used by hundreds of churches, organizations and individuals worldwide. For more information about dfree® visit mydfree.org, text “dfree” to 22828 to join the mailing list or follow any of the following: #dfree #mydfree #dfreeNextLevel #LMFTdfree.

About Soaries: dfree® Founder Rev. Dr. DeForest B. “Buster” Soaries Jr. is known as an active agent for change and is a widely-requested speaker. He is the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, New Jersey and former New Jersey Secretary of State. His pastoral ministry focuses on spiritual growth, educational excellence, economic empowerment and faith-based community development. Soaries, author of Say Yes to No Debt: 12 Steps to Financial Freedom, has issued a Billion Dollar Challenge as a national initiative and free resource to help individuals and families collectively pay down $1 billion in consumer debt.

1ValuePenguin Average Credit Card Debt report, May 2016
2Millennials & Financial Literacy GFLEC/PwC survey, January 2016