Rethinking Legacy: From Generational Wealth to Generational Freedom

Are you free? This simple inquiry pierces the comfortable narrative of generational wealth, a concept often held dear within communities of color. While financial security is undeniably valuable, offering peace of mind and the ability to break cycles of poverty, investing in the dreams of our children, it can become a limited lens through which we view the future. What if, instead, we dared to build a legacy of Generational Freedom?

Don't misunderstand - financial security is powerful. Imagine the peace of mind, the ability to break cycles of poverty, to invest in the dreams of your children. That's undeniably valuable. But here's the truth we often whisper, not shout —wealth can't buy freedom.

Free. Free of the hypervigilance that tightens your chest as you walk through "the wrong neighborhood". Free from the microaggressions, a constant undercurrent reminding you of the color of your skin and not your professional achievements. Free from the sickening dread that clenches your gut when another news report details another life stolen. The list goes on….

My recent trip to Knoxville, Tennessee, for the Ella Baker National Freedom School Training was a transformative experience. Immersed in the rich history and empowering philosophy of the Children's Defense Fund's Freedom School program, I found myself questioning a deeply held belief within communities of color: the relentless pursuit of generational wealth.

The Children's Defense Fund's Freedom School program, born from the fight for Black education in the segregated South, offers a powerful lens. It's not just about literacy; it's about igniting critical thinking, fostering social justice, and empowering a generation to claim their rightful place in the world. This is the essence of Generational Freedom – a legacy that transcends material possessions and liberates the very soul of not just ourselves, but generations to come. It's about building a world where our children and grandchildren inherit not just wealth, but the freedom to dream, to thrive, and to exist without the weight of systemic oppression.

Let's move beyond the pursuit of mere wealth and embrace the transformative power of Generational Freedom. What steps can we take, both individually and collectively, to turn this vision into reality?