The National Action Network’s call for a March on Wall Street, led by Rev. Al Sharpton, is rooted in a tradition of protest that has long defined our struggle for justice. And let me be clear: I have the utmost respect for Rev. Sharpton and NAN. They have stood on the front lines of civil rights battles when many others remained silent. But as we enter a new era, we must be honest with ourselves — marching on Wall Street misses the mark. Our challenge today is not simply external oppression, but internal responsibility.
Rev. Sharpton is right to remind America of the painful truth — that Wall Street’s foundation is tied to slavery, and that Black bodies were once literally traded as commodities. That history cannot be denied. But history also teaches us direction. If our ancestors were sold on Wall Street, our response should not only be to march there, but to master what happens there today.
We went from being sold as slaves to becoming the country’s biggest consumers — slaves to an economy we don’t own. That’s not Wall Street’s fault; that’s a reflection of our lack of understanding of economics and what we have taught our children about ownership. We can’t afford to ignore the truth: if we only consume but never invest, we remain dependent.
We cannot stop at symbolism. Wall Street doesn’t write laws — politicians do. Wall Street doesn’t control our spending — we do. Black America commands $1.7 trillion in buying power. Yet, while White families own stocks at a rate of 66%, only 39% of Black families do. We march on Wall Street, but too few of us are shareholders in the very companies we protest. That contradiction matters.
The problem is not only oppression from the outside; it is also a lack of stewardship on the inside. We spend billions on fashion, fast food, and beauty, yet we own only 3% of the businesses in places like Westchester County. That’s not Wall Street’s fault. That’s a mindset we must confront. If we organized investment clubs in every church and redirected even a fraction of our consumer dollars into Black-owned institutions, we would not just march in front of Wall Street — we would sit at the table inside it.
This is why the politics of candidates like Zohran Mamdani are dangerous. His platform represents everything Black America and Black economics don’t need: more dependency, more redistribution, and more empty promises of government programs instead of ownership and self-determination. Mamdani has advocated for rent freezes, government-run grocery stores, and substantial corporate taxation — policies that may seem appealing in the short term but ultimately undermine incentives for entrepreneurship and private ownership. Black America does not need more political experiments that trap us in dependency; we need policies that encourage business creation, property ownership, and economic independence. His vision reduces us to permanent clients of the state rather than empowered stakeholders in the economy.
It would be far more productive to teach investment than to simply call Wall Street racist. Racism exists, no doubt, but labeling Wall Street as the enemy doesn’t change the fact that markets respond to knowledge, capital, and discipline. If only 39% of Black families own stocks compared to 66% of White families, the real issue is access, education, and mindset. Teaching people how to use Wall Street — instead of marching against it — is how we close that gap. If every church, fraternity, and community group ran investment workshops, if parents taught their children the basics of saving and compounding, we’d transform $1.7 trillion in consumer spending into a foundation of ownership. That’s not waiting on someone else to change the rules; that’s us learning how to play the game and win.
Our pastors and community leaders must guide us into new territory — financial literacy, cooperative investment, and business development. Imagine if a pastor encouraged a young Black couple in their early 30s to invest modestly each month. By retirement, they could have built hundreds of thousands — even millions — in wealth, creating a lasting legacy. That kind of teaching, rooted in faith and action, is what our communities need more than symbolic marches.
And we cannot forget the spiritual truth: the Bible never blamed the rulers of the earth for poverty — it confronted the people for their lack of faith, wisdom, and discipline. From Genesis to Proverbs, Scripture consistently shows that poor stewardship, laziness, and short-sightedness lead to lack. “The borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7), yet we normalize debt instead of practicing sacrifice. The parable of the talents makes it clear — God rewards those who multiply what they are given and condemns the one who wastes it (Matthew 25:14–30). “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6), and James reminds us, “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). With Black America spending $1.7 trillion as consumers while owning so little, we are not just wasting resources — we are being judged by God for poor stewardship.
Protesting Wall Street may create headlines, but it will not fix our deeper issue. True power comes from collective responsibility — choosing to circulate our dollars in Black businesses, teaching our children how to invest, and building institutions that outlast us. If we continue to confuse spending power with economic power, we will remain consumers in someone else’s economy. It is time to honor the fight NAN represents by moving to the next level — from marching for recognition to building for ownership. Our path forward must be rooted in stewardship, investment, and collective responsibility. That is how we move from symbolic protest to lasting economic freedom.
Get Emotional Politics — Logical Failure is the book you need.
In this bold and unfiltered work, Damon K. Jones delivers the hard truths many are afraid to say out loud: Black America has been loyal to a system that has failed to deliver. We’ve mastered symbolism but forfeited strategy. We show up to vote, but not to fund. We speak out, but rarely build. And the result? Speeches instead of solutions. Visibility instead of victory.
This book is not about left or right. It’s about logic over emotion. Power over performance. It’s a call to wake up, re-strategize, and use our political currency with purpose.
If you’re tired of being used, overlooked, and sold out—this book is your blueprint for change. Your voice is powerful. Your vote is valuable. But your money, your mindset, and your political clarity are what will make the difference.
Read the book. Share the message. Challenge the tradition. And let’s finally start getting what we pay for.
