Something Nubian

Recently, a quote went viral claiming that Erykah Badu said:

“We’d have a lot more Black millionaires if Black people invested 10% instead of paying tithes.”

And just as quickly as it spread, she responded:

“I didn’t say that.”

Now let’s pause right there.

Because whether she said it or not…
the fact that so many people believed she would say it tells us everything we need to know.

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🧠 Why Did This Hit So Hard?

Because it touched a nerve that’s been sitting quietly in our community for generations.

Tithing.

Giving 10%.

An act that’s been framed as sacred… but often feels obligatory.

Let’s be clear:
This isn’t about attacking faith.
This is about examining how faith has been managed, taught, and sometimes… leveraged.

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💰 When Giving Becomes Dues

Somewhere along the line, tithing stopped feeling like an offering and started feeling like a requirement.

Not:

• “Give what you can”
  But:
• “Give what you owe”

And that shift matters.

Because when you are taught that your blessings are tied to your giving…
you’re no longer giving freely—you’re complying.

That’s not spirit-led.
That’s system-led.

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🌀 Conditioning Disguised as Devotion

Many of us were raised to believe:

• If you don’t tithe, you’re robbing God
• If you question it, you lack faith
• If you struggle financially, you need to give more

Let that sit for a second.

Because that logic creates a cycle where:

• The people with the least… give the most
• The system stays funded
• And the questioning stays silent

That’s not generosity.
That’s conditioning.

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🌍 The Diaspora Conversation We Avoid

Here’s the part that makes people uncomfortable.

If generations of Black communities had been taught:

• investment
• ownership
• cooperative economics

alongside spirituality instead of only obedience…

What would our communities look like today?

That’s not disrespect.
That’s reflection.

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✊🏾 Let’s Bring Truth Back to Tithing

Because here’s where I stand:

Tithing should be about helping someone in need. Period.

Not:

• Funding luxury
• Funding ego
• Funding hierarchy

But:

• Feeding families
• Housing people
• Supporting real, visible community care

If your giving doesn’t reach the people…
then what exactly is it feeding?

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🧿 The Real Issue Isn’t Giving—It’s Coercion

Let’s be honest.

If churches said:

“We need support to run this space and serve the community”

Most people would still give.

But instead, it’s often framed as:

“God requires this from you.”

And that’s where the line gets crossed.

Because God—however you define that higher power—
does not need your money.

People do.

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💭 So Why Did That Quote Feel True?

Even though Erykah Badu didn’t say it…
it echoed something many people have been thinking but didn’t feel safe saying out loud.

And that’s the real conversation.

Not about her.
But about us.

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✨ Final Reflection

You don’t have to stop giving.

You just have to start asking:

• Where is this going?
• Who is it helping?
• Am I giving from love… or from fear?

Because giving should feel like alignment.
Not obligation.

And faith?
Faith doesn’t require a receipt.

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✨ I Don’t Believe In God, Because I Know God. I share the same Creator as the plants and the planets—living, breathing, and aligned with the cycles of creation. ~ ReikiRaEss 🪬

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🌱 Ready to Begin Your Own Healing Work?

Start small. Reflection is a powerful tool for self-healing and spiritual alignment.

That’s why I created Unchained A Journal for Spiritual Awakening, Divine Wealth & Innerstanding—a guided journal designed to help you unpack beliefs, reconnect with your intuition, and move with clarity instead of conditioning.

👉 Click here to begin: Unchained A Journal for Spiritual Awakening, Divine Wealth & Innerstanding

With love, rhythm & divine alignment, La Trecia Reiki RaEss Founder of Something Nubian Reiki Master • Holistic Homeschooler • Positive Inner-G and Journal Therapy Coach 💌 www.SomethingNuBian.com | IG: @SomethingNuBian ✨ “Education is sacred. So is your child.”