“The last three or four decades have been filled with empty promises of revitalization, and that has diminished hope in our Black communities that better days will come. So, we not only need a strategy to address long-standing income and wealth inequalities, we have to do so in a way that acknowledges this mistrust and delivers real results for families.”
Joseph Ceasar is working to expand economic opportunity for families with low- and moderate-incomes in rural East Texas—especially people of color.
Joe is the founder and executive director of the Legacy Institute for Financial Education (LIFE) in Lufkin, having left a successful career in wealth management in Houston to establish the nonprofit in 2014. LIFE offers financial education, mentorship and growth opportunities for adults and youth. It focuses on communities where the median household income is less than $15,000 with strategies that help build generational wealth in communities that have encountered systemic financial exclusion based on race and class. LIFE is also the first LISC Financial Opportunity Center in the region.
A West Point graduate and veteran, with an MBA from the University of Houston, Joe is also deeply connected to the Lufkin community. He serves as the minister of O’Quinn Street Church of Christ and serves as a board member for many local organizations, including the East Texas Cancer Alliance of Hope, Habitat for Humanity of Angelina County, Lufkin Adult Learning Center, Angelina Arts Alliance, and the Angelina County Citizen’s Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, he is a mentor and volunteer for Concerned Black Men of Lufkin, which helps young men deepen their academics and develop promising careers.
Organization
Legacy Institute for Financial Education, Lufkin, Texas
Area of Focus
Financial opportunity, racial equity
Fellowship Project
Create a financial wellness cooperative to expand access to financial products and services, particularly within Black communities, study outcomes and share best practices.