Power Building Manifesto

Power is not given—it is built.

For too long, financial systems in the U.S. have amassed wealth by extracting from Black and Brown communities–our bodies, our labor, and our ideas–while spreading a divisive ideology that wealth and power are individual pursuits rather than a collective right. These systems will not save us. They must be transformed. 

Power building is about transforming systems to expand communities' influence, capacity, and fruitfulness by strengthening community power–the heart of our work at RUNWAY Roots. Entrepreneurship is a catalyst for community wealth, and as we deepen our understanding of community wealth, we naturally unlock our collective power. This work is not just about individuals but about communities—about shifting from extraction to self-determination. Together, we can build power to transform extractive finance into a reparative economic system–one that centers Black entrepreneurs, prioritizes community wealth, and ensures our economic future is shaped by us, for us

This is a call to entrepreneurs, funders, investors, policymakers, organizers, and community partners: We all have a role to play. Power building is about shifting who holds power, how resources flow, and who gets to shape the future.

Our Power Building Principles

WE BELIEVE OUR COLLECTIVE POWER CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED WHEN WE HAVE:

  • We reject financial models that don’t center on repair. We believe in:

    • Investing in the Whole Entrepreneur – RUNWAY Roots supports Black communities in addressing financial trauma, reclaiming self-determination, and fostering holistic economic well-being. We prioritize restorative approaches that center Black joy, healing, and sustainability.

    • Dismantling Exclusionary Lending Practices – Credit scores and collateral requirements only reinforce the racial wealth gap. We replace them with an ecosystem rooted in trust, relationships, and character-based underwriting to support entrepreneurs in Black communities overcome systemic barriers to wealth-building.

    • Funding Without Extracting – We reject funding models that force entrepreneurs into personal financial risk to access capital. Time, strategic planning, and mentorship are the true foundations of success.

    • Success Through Collaboration – We support a collaborative, judgment-free process focused on insightful feedback, mentorship, and peer collaboration rather than punitive assessments that punish those without inherited wealth.

    • Unlearning & Reimagining Economic Policies – Moving from extractive capitalism to reparative wealth building requires both learning and unlearning–for entrepreneurs, funders, and policymakers alike. Through business coaching, trusted partnerships like Uptima, and advocacy with donors and investors, we challenge the systemic forces driving wealth inequality in our communities and ensure that entrepreneurs and the ecosystems that support them have the knowledge and power to create lasting economic transformation.

    • Trusting in Ancestral Knowledge & Communal Wisdom – Mutual aid, shared resources, and community traditions have sustained Black economies for centuries. We honor the wisdom of our elders, liberation scholars, and community organizers who have lovingly fought for economic justice and self-determination and integrate these practices into our framework of reparative finance.

    • Safe Spaces for Visioning – We recognize the sacredness of safe spaces as essential for visioning, relationship-building, and strategy-sharing. These spaces serve as a bridge between grassroots organizers, thought leaders, and community members, strengthening our shared pursuit of power and economic justice.

    • Data for Power, Not Exclusion – Data reveals systemic barriers to economic power, but it is too often used to justify exclusion rather than drive solutions. We collect and amplify community-driven data that exposes systemic barriers, from discriminatory lending and policing to housing insecurity and environmental degradation, to advocate for real change that directly impacts the ability to build and sustain wealth.

    • Strategizing for Black Economic Liberation – We believe in transformative solutions that are rooted in love, justice, and collective liberation—strategies that turn our most aspirational visions into reality. An ecosystem that advocates for Black founders is not just beneficial—it is necessary to dismantle economic exclusion, rewrite financial policies, and ensure that Black businesses have the tools to thrive and build generational wealth.

    • The Power of the Collective – We believe in collective power—the ability of communities to transform themselves and the systems that shape our lives. Across histories and institutions, people have asserted their right to reclaim, redistribute, and reshape power, and we stand in that lineage. True transformation requires restructuring systems of power, ensuring that wealth and opportunity are not gatekept by a privileged few but equitably shared.

    • Protecting Black Innovation, Culture, and Legacy – We believe in the undeniable value of Black culture, innovation, and legacy. We are committed to building ecosystems that keep our communities safe so that Black creativity and cultural expressions can flourish, ensuring that future generations have the tools to build wealth, shape their own narratives, and thrive.. We are committed to strengthening the ties that bind our communities and systems of support and ensuring that our communities have the resources to create sustainable, generational impact.

Why We Must Build Power—Now

WE ARE UNDER ATTACK.

Our current cultural and political landscape is no accident—it is the result of a deliberate, coordinated assault on Black economic and political power. Rooted in anti-Blackness, fear, and power-hoarding, these systemic efforts seek to erode the safeguards our ancestors fought for. The dismantling of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives has direct financial consequences for Black entrepreneurs, limiting access to government contracts, funding, and economic opportunities. In 2023, the Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action emboldened further anti-Black policies, accelerating the rollback of DEI across corporations and government agencies.

But the attacks don’t stop there. Black-owned small businesses face displacement from commercial corridors due to rising rents, gentrification, and tax incentives favoring large corporations over local businesses. While cities grant millions in subsidies to major corporations, Black entrepreneurs struggle with unfair lending terms, high costs, and tariffs that limit access to essential supplies.

Meanwhile, Black business owners face disproportionate surveillance and harassment by militarized policing and a system that enables racialized targeting. This intense scrutiny limits their ability to operate safely and denies them the grace and flexibility afforded to others in business. Entrepreneurs are still recovering from COVID-19’s lasting economic impact, yet the system continues to ignore these interlocking injustices.

The result? A deliberate attempt to maintain the racial wealth gap.

The consequences extend far beyond business owners—entire Black communities suffer. When Black businesses are denied funding, displaced, or over-policed, the effects ripple through neighborhoods: jobs disappear, local wealth circulation declines and access to culturally affirming goods and services shrinks. The racial wealth gap is not just about individuals; it is about the systematic stripping of community infrastructure, economic self-determination, and collective power.

Our Call to Action

POWER BUILDING IS A COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY AND OPPORTUNITY.

​​Our strength is in our expansiveness—RUNWAY does not work in isolation. We invite you to be a part of a broad network of organizers, entrepreneurs, funders, and community members committed to a shared vision: an economic system that repairs, rather than extracts from, our communities. As we expand our power-building work today and beyond, we will focus more intensely on learning and organizing to empower our local communities to take action. 

We invite you to join us in this movement.

Attend RUNWAY’s power-building symposium–coming Fall 2025. Step into a space where learning, organizing, and action converge. Stay tuned about upcoming Events.

Engage in our educational pipeline.  Invest in your personal growth to further our collective knowledge. For additional information or resources email info [at] runway dot family.

Ready to invest in reparative finance? Fund and support models that disrupt extractive economics and put power back in the hands of Black communities. Reach out to our Business Development team at info [at] runway dot family.

Power building is not a passive process but a commitment to transforming systems, redistributing resources, and reclaiming our collective future.

The time is now. Let’s build.