The Rise and Fall of Racial Capitalism

This time-based illustration demonstrates the sonification of unemployment data for each state. Artwork by Nettrice Gaskins
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The Rise & Fall of Racial Capitalism
This special issue of The Forge explores the history of racial capitalism and why we must dismantle it to build a liberation economy.
Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere
Editor’s Note
We hope this special issue creates a foundation for more strategic thinking and greater collaboration on how we can fight racial capitalism and build the world we want to see.
Photo by Larry Farr
“It’s a crime to be poor”
Organizers from the Dream Defenders on why we must defund the police and abolish prisons if we want to dismantle racial capitalism.
Photo by Wesley Tingey Hammons
Monetary Sanctions, Racialized Wealth Extraction, and...
Cities and states are filling budget gaps by increasing monetary sanctions that systematically extract wealth from Black communities. Fines and fees reform is an important step toward dismantling systemic racism, mass criminalization, and economic inequality.
Photo by Pawel Czerwinski
"Building up the house for the next generation...
Greisa Martinez Rosas from United We Dream on her fight for dignity, respect, and equality for undocumented immigrants.
Photo by Clay Banks
Work, work, work, work, work, work
A strong labor movement can help dismantle racial capitalism. Here’s how.
Photo by Liz Sanchez
This Land is Your Land
Racial capitalism is built on stolen land and exclusion from home ownership — resulting in enormous racial wealth gaps and housing insecurity. A Homes Guarantee would create housing security for all.
Photo by BP Miller
Money, Power, Respect
Money making money is a third pillar of racial capitalism. In this audio article, we talk about the racialized financial systems that have given us “socialism for the rich and rugged capitalism for the poor."
Photo by Maarten Van Den Heuvel
Looking for the Symbol of Racial Capitalism? Look No...
Amazon embodies racial capitalism. That’s why we must organize against it.
Photo by Evangeline Shaw
Remaking Our Economy with Restorative Investing
Why philanthropists must invest in Black and brown communities to lead the fight for liberation.
Photo by Greta Scholderle Moller
A Path to Reparations for the War on Drugs
Any plan to decriminalize cannabis must put power in the hands of Black and brown communities.
Photo by Jen Theodore
One-Two Punch: How the Green New Deal Fights...
The Green New Deal will succeed where the mainstream climate movement has failed. Here’s why.
Photo by Emiliano Bar
Lessons for Ending Mass Incarceration Beyond the...
COVID-19 offers us an opportunity to target the root causes of mass incarceration. But we’ll need political courage to convince lawmakers to divest from the correctional system.