“Always the expectation that we need to struggle collectively and intentionally to change the state of affairs. And I know that being in this community for several decades now that has been the charge. One foot in the academy but never totally there but always with the expectation that political, economic, social change can happen and it is in our hands.” – Rose Brewer
Open Road Fund’s event “Economic Ownership & Power” took place on Wednesday, March 27th, 2024 from 6 – 8 pm CT. In this session, we learned about the history of economic ownership and power, the racial wealth divide, and cooperative economics as a way to build wealth as Black folks in our community.
Speakers
- Dr. Rose Brewer, Morse Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor and Professor of African American & African Studies, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
- Nkuli Shongwe, Director of Community Wealth Building at Nexus
- Anisha Murphy, Esq., Owner of Just Law LLC, Adjunct Professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, and Vice President of Partnership Development at Community Reinvestment Fund, USA
- Moderator: Danielle Mkali, Senior Director of Community Wealth Building
How do we build economic ownership and power?
“For me it’s about giving ourselves grace, we have been through so much as a people. They can’t kill us. It goes to show how powerful we are and how resilient we are no matter what society throws at us.” – Anisha Murphy
“Organizing around economic ownership and power is where it starts…It’s going to take multiple strategies for us to get to a place where we can see liberation, where we can see ourselves really exist and reimagine what it looks like to live outside of those systems” – Nkuli Shongwe
About the Black Wealth Community Education Series
The Open Road Fund at Nexus Community Partners is hosting a Black Wealth Community Education Series from January to May 2024. The series is free, virtual, and live and is available as a resource for all while centering Black people and Black experiences. Topics include economic justice, housing, health and healing, and more. This is a Black-centered space where the Open Road Fund prioritizes uplifting Black voices and safety. Learn more about the Open Road Fund here.
Want to join the next event in the series? Sign up here for Nexus’s newsletter to stay connected!