For as long as this country has existed, the power structure was never designed with people of color in mind. The laws, financial systems, and economic opportunities were created to favor certain groups while leaving others out. Even today, we see how wealth, influence, and decision-making remain concentrated in a few hands, with people of color rarely included in the plans. This reality leaves us with two choices: wait for inclusion, or build our own. The truth is, no one is going to hand us power. If we want progress, we must create it through togetherness.
History is proof that when we come together, we can achieve greatness. After emancipation, when the doors of opportunity were closed to us, our ancestors built schools, churches, and businesses from nothing. In the early 1900s, communities like Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma—better known as “Black Wall Street”—showed the power of unity. Black entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, and shop owners built a thriving economy that kept money circulating within the community. Though it was violently destroyed, the example remains a blueprint for what is possible when people of color stand together.
That same spirit has carried us through generations. When banks refused us loans, we created credit unions and savings clubs. When universities shut us out, we founded historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) that continue to educate and inspire. When jobs were denied, we turned to entrepreneurship. Every step of advancement came not from waiting for the system to change, but from us working together to create our own.
The lesson is clear: togetherness is more than a cultural value—it is a financial strategy. The power structure in America thrives on keeping us divided, because division makes us weaker. But unity makes us stronger, and unity builds wealth. Today, if we want to achieve economic and financial power, we must recommit to this strategy and put it into action.
Here are concrete steps we can take as communities of color to move forward:
- Support Black-owned businesses. Every dollar we spend has power. When we keep that money circulating within our communities, we create jobs, build stability, and strengthen local economies. Buying from one another is an act of empowerment.
- Invest together. Too often, individuals are denied access to credit, loans, or investment opportunities. But family investment clubs, cooperative businesses, and group savings plans open doors that might otherwise stay closed. Together, we can raise the capital needed to buy land, start businesses, and build wealth.
- Teach financial literacy. Knowledge is power, and too often that knowledge is kept away from our children. We must make financial education as important as reading and writing. Credit, investing, saving, and wealth-building strategies need to be taught in our homes, our schools, and our communities.
- Focus on generational wealth. Wealth is not just about today—it’s about tomorrow. Homeownership, entrepreneurship, life insurance, and investing in stocks or real estate are ways to ensure our children start further ahead than we did. Every generation should build on the foundation of the last.
- Collaborate, don’t compete. The system teaches us to see one another as rivals, but the truth is that we rise faster when we work together. Collaboration multiplies our strength, creates new opportunities, and builds networks that no single person could achieve alone.
The system as it stands will not make room for us. That means it is up to us to create our own tables, our own businesses, and our own sources of wealth. Togetherness is not optional—it is survival, and it is also the key to long-lasting success.
The path forward will not be easy, but it is clear. By uniting, pooling our resources, and supporting one another, we can build communities that thrive, regardless of who holds power in Washington or on Wall Street. Our progress has always depended on us, and our future will too.
The message is simple: the power structure may not have us in their plans, but that does not matter. We can create our own plans, our own power, and our own achievements. When we stand together, nothing can stop us.
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Marvin Dixon/Founder
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