In the United States, the most powerful determinant of future success isn’t personal merit or effort—it’s wealth. This foundational factor shapes our ability to lead dignified, stable lives, superseding income and savings. Wealth provides access to opportunities such as homeownership and education, granting choice, freedom, and resilience in the face of financial uncertainties. However, people of color, specifically Black, Indigenous, Latine, Arab, Middle Eastern, Asian, and Pacific Islander, have been historically marginalized due to institutional racism and economic disparity, leaving them disproportionately at the margins of the economy. The absence of wealth in communities of color isn’t coincidental; it’s a result of centuries of systemic racism, exploitation, and oppression perpetuated through colonialism, slavery, segregation, and discriminatory policies. The racial wealth gap, a consequence of these injustices, represents the cumulative impact of historical inequities.

To overturn these effects, a transformative shift is required. This entails reimagining how wealth is created, restored, and safeguarded, leading to guaranteed wealth for people of color. This is central to constructing a Liberation Economy that prioritizes their needs and affirms their value. A critical step involves redistributing the nation’s wealth from elite institutions that benefit from the Oppression Economy to those deprived of their rightful generational wealth. To address historical injustices, a comprehensive approach is necessary. This includes a federal reparations program and a national Baby Bonds program. These initiatives aim to acknowledge and repair the damage caused by centuries of violence, theft, and exclusion faced by Indigenous and enslaved Black communities. By designing these solutions, we can foster an economy where people of color can thrive, preserving abundance for future generations. The urgency to act is undeniable—without intervention, the wealth of Black and Brown communities could dwindle to zero within decades.