Navigating Money + Movement Contradictions, Together

JUN 30

WRITTEN BY JASMINE RASHID

In early June, I asked my newsletter community to share any questions they’re holding related to money and social movements. No topic was off-limits, and I encouraged folks to write the first thing that came to mind, without overthinking.

*Below is some of what was shared. Notice which of their questions are also your questions.

How do we lean into being well-resourced and thriving, when we’re often taught to avoid being “egocentric,” and that we should focus on giving instead of receiving? ??

How do I balance personal finance and giving generously, even if I’m not wealthy? ??

How can my romantic partner and I honestly, courageously, and lovingly discuss money and create a joint financial life, even if we come from different class backgrounds??????????????

How do we navigate setting prices in exchange for our goods and services, and finding peace by doing it ethically? ????????

How do I invest in my community as an everyday, middle-class person?????

How do we not burn out while practicing solidarity????

How does one reconcile anti-capitalist principles while creating a stable lifestyle and the ability to provide for their family? ??

How do we work through money trauma and guilt, and not block our financial blessings? ????

How do I find ethical and profitable employment? ??????

How do we learn from financial experiments (i.e. the GameStop thing) and repurpose those strategies for collective wealth-building and well-being????

How do we hold large financial institutions (banks, investment firms, venture capitalists, etc.) accountable to social movements? Is it even possible????

Whew. Do any hit home? I know they did for me.?Going a click deeper, here are some of the specific financial activist topics and resources people shared that they’re craving:

• The intersection of how we use our money with how we use our voices: boycotts, divestment, mutual aid, shareholder advocacy, and more.
• Real-life stories of collective decision-making processes around money, including interviews with financial activists that didn't make the book.
• The intersection of money and healthcare.?
• How to help folks redistribute extreme inherited wealth.
• Exploring “defund the police” and reallocating resources in communities.
• Innovate financial tools, designed for everyday people
• The role of philanthropy in financial activism, and how?we activate donors to spend more out of donor-advised funds (DAFs).
• Building stronger local economies with strategies like participatory budgeting

Before going any further, I want to take a very intentional moment to name how deeply grateful I am for these questions and curiosities. The very act of sharing, anonymously or by name, is radical. Here’s why.

Under modern capitalism, we have no choice but to grapple with seeming contradictions. And while many people are content accepting “business as usual” and not questioning our realities, an increasing number of us are ready to say the thing:

The “business as usual” financial system wasn’t designed for the 99% — and it’s definitely not working for those of us from non-white and non-wealthy communities — who are in pursuit of collective wealth-building and well-being.

So where do we go from here? My hope is that all of these inquiries are addressed, at least in part, in my forthcoming book releasing this September. But until then, I’ll be lovingly carrying these questions with me and weaving responses into my newsletter content, media, and speaking engagements.

As a part of my book tour, I’ll also be convening and curating spaces to answer these questions in community. No one person knows everything, but collectively we can figure out anything.

So — your money and movement questions and insights are a gift, no matter how messy, incomplete, or niche you might assume. You can continue to access a safe space to share those questions (and request resources for your financial activist) journey right here: https://forms.gle/7AdTienfPhxYejfF8

In gratitude and community,

J

*Edited down for confidentiality and readability from 49 survey responses.