URC Reflections: Wealth Distribution

 

An important aspect of the Unlearning Racism journey has been our continued reckoning with the deep-rooted racial injustices tied to the legacy of colonialism, and imperialism exported by the British Empire. These injustices manifest themselves in different ways, notably with the global system of capitalism and wealth accumulation which leaves a violent chasm between those with access to resources and those at the brutal edge of insidious wealth disparities. 
 
To combat this deeply entrenched imbalance, a paradigm shift is essential—a radical redistribution of wealth from an internationalist racial justice perspective. We must delve into both the historic economic injustices and present realities faced by the global majority to begin our repairs and initiate these crucial conversations. We must shatter the narrow confines of merely acknowledging the wealth gap in the UK and confront the stark reality of the countless lives that have been entrapped in the grip of coloniality’s enduring legacy. 
 
In this blog, we delve into radical wealth redistribution and share our experiences with the Unlearning Racism Course. Through real applications and insights from a former participant, Katherine Wall, we highlight the potential for collective action and transformative change.

 

Unlearning Racism x Wealth Distribution

In early February, I attended a weekend-long course organised by the Unlearning Racism Collective (URC), part of the Racial Justice Network. The arc of this course took us through the histories of how racism and whiteness came into being shaped by the forces of capitalism and the pursuit of profit through exploitation, extraction, and violence. The facilitators supported us – a group of white-bodied people – to look at how racism shows up in our lives and bodies, and how it feels to know that we are both shaped by systems of racism and uphold them even while we want to dismantle them. We looked at interventions we could make, ways to show up in solidarity with Black and Brown people, and how we could remain accountable for any actions we take.   
One of the most powerful parts of URC was when we turned our attention to material wealth and redistribution as part of racial justice work for white people. I had experienced something similar in workshops about class – from The Class Work Project and Resource Justice – but this was the first time I had experienced this demand for redistribution within an unlearning racism course.  

Grace Deione, URC facilitator - shared her money story

A money story is when a person names, with numbers, what they have – in their bank account, in terms of Savings, Housing, or Inheritance. It can include a person’s class background and present class experience. And it can relate to how whiteness has shaped their access to material privilege. Hearing this from Grace, and her reflections on what redistribution of resources she had undertaken, then opened up a conversation for us  as participants to reflect on our own access to material wealth and how we could also redistribute some of it, especially to Black and Brown-led groups. 
 
We were invited to think through groups we had a relationship with already or groups we know of that we could connect with and were invited to pledge to these groups. To ask about resource needs, as well as to pledge to give money/time if that was wanted or needed. For accountability, we were invited to fill in a form to name the groups and the amounts that we would be reminded of by the facilitators in several weeks’ time. 

There are questions for me within this approach about where the power sits regarding who decides where the money/time goes – currently, it still sits with the white person with wealth. And I am interested in how to shift that power towards the communities that need the money – in ways organisations like Edge Fund, Bristol Redistro and the JRCT Movement Fund are trying to do.
We encourage you to explore the following resources that have significantly influenced our thinking and understanding of wealth accumulation, reparatory justice, and organising for racial justice. We would like to acknowledge the teachings, wisdom, and phenomenal work of: 

 

  • Esther Stanford Xosei and the Stop The Maangamizi campaign. Check out Esther’s talk with the URC on some of the foundations of reparatory justice here
 
  • Resource Generation and their UK counterpart Resource Justice, creating a community of progressive people in the UK committed to the equitable distribution of wealth, land, and power. 
 
 
  • Decolonising Economics, working to build a solidarity economy rooted in racial justice principles based on Movement Generation’s framework for a Just Transition. 
 
  • The Good Ancestor Movement supports individuals and organisations with responsible wealth stewardship and radical redistribution. 
 
We ask all readers, to give genuine consideration to their immense potential of wealth redistribution. The time has come to confront the harsh realities of economic disparity and its deeply rooted connection to racial injustice. Our commitment to this work matters to challenge the narrative of scarcity in a world in which hoarding is normalised.
 
Written by Katherine Wall X Grace Deione as part of RJN & Unlearning Racism

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