White wealth is stolen wealth

Why do we have it? White wealth is stolen wealth. The global capitalist economy is anti-Black. Ending white supremacy necessitates a wholesale transformation of the economic system, starting with a radical redistribution of resources that can enable the construction of a new economy. Divestment is an essential practice for white people, especially those of us who have access to personal wealth. Holding on to stolen and hoarded resources to maintain a lifestyle built on the backs of Black people undermines our mission to destroy white supremacy. (From CRC’s Divestment Principles)

White folks, especially those of us who are wealthy, can demand the space to move as slowly as we want to – or not at all. 

CRCAA led me into doing work. Divestment gave me a clear and confident path forward, with principles and connection to a structure of organizational support and accountability to effective, transformative Black leadership in CRC. It supported me into a Divestment practice, guided by deep political clarity of “how” and “why”. It trained me with the skills and stamina to organize wealthy, white people in my networks to join me – something I had wanted, but struggled, to do.

Divestment doesn’t offer ‘purity’, but it does offer a choice: within a violent, anti-Black economic system, coming from and with stolen wealth, we get to decide – through actions – which side of this fight we are on.

If you are white, anti-racist, and have access to wealth or wealthy networks: I want you to join us! I want us to practice Divestment as an active contribution to Black self-determined economic systems. I want us to learn from and with each other as we get more effective at returning what’s not ours, as we choose our way forward. We need all of us – active, organized, and moving at scale together – to invest in the systemic transformations that are both necessary and possible.

– Thea, CRCAA organizer

NOTE: If you missed our November 2023 Divestment Circle, there will be more circles in 2024. Email us at info@the5methods.org to learn more.