New Essential Reading Alert: “Believe-In-You Money” is available now!
Credit: Megan Totah Design
In a world where financial systems often reinforce gross inequities and racial injustices, the release of RUNWAY founder Jessica Norwood's book Believe-In-You Money: What Would It Look Like if the Economy Loved Black People? is a healing balm, full of hope and possibilities.
With a mission to repair the racial wealth gap and create a more equitable future, Jessica invites us all to dream and imagine a world where we can transform our financial systems so that we can all experience abundance.
“People are embracing this invitation to dream. They are imagining new practices and ways of being with money, contributing to an economy that repairs harm and invests in Black joy and creativity.” - Jessica Norwood
“People are embracing this invitation to dream. They are imagining new practices and ways of being with money, contributing to an economy that repairs harm and invests in Black joy and creativity.” - Jessica Norwood
Believe-in-You Money delves into the history of Black business investing and shares six profound ways we can all use capital as a powerful tool for addressing racial injustice. By offering practical guidance and story-based evidence, the book invites all people—wealth holders and wealth movers—to start a money revolution that realizes the power of investing in Black business owners and culture makers in a way that creates a better tomorrow.
For Jessica, the concept of "Believe-In-You Money" isn't just a theoretical framework; it's deeply personal. She recalls the first time she ever received this form of capital, a moment that would set the stage for her mission. It happened when her grandmother, Juliette Morgan, pressed a few dollars into her hand. In that simple yet profound act, her grandmother became one of the first believers in her dreams and ambitions, reinforcing the idea that belief can manifest in tangible support.
When was the first time someone showed deeply that they believed in you? How did that moment change you?
Believe-In-You-Money doesn't shy away from the stark realities of our current financial landscape. In her book, Jessica meticulously dissects the strained relationship between Black founders and the glaring lack of support and investment they receive. This systemic problem forces Black entrepreneurs to expend more resources and time navigating the chasms of capital and network access just to be able to get in the game.
Believe-In-You Money is more than just a book; it's a call to action. As we grapple with the consequences of a racially unjust financial system, Jessica’s work provides a pathway towards change. Her vision for an economy that loves Black people is an invitation for all of us to be part of the transformation.
“Jessica has inspired me to relinquish my trained scarcity around resources, and helped me to understand that we must transform our financial systems as we transform our relationship to ourselves and the planet. Community is the pathway to mutual, sustainable abundance.”
– adrienne maree brown, author of Emergent Strategy
By engaging with this book, you're not only gaining invaluable insights into a critical issue but also actively participating in the movement to repair harm, invest in Black joy, Black creativity, and generational Black wealth-creation. The magic of Believe-In-You Money is that it invites us to imagine all kinds of possibilities. This is the type of book that is ripe for discussion–in academic circles, book clubs, within your organization, or among your sister-friends.
Believe-in-You Money is about belief—belief in something you have never seen. This idea starts with the needs of Black founders, but truthfully, it is a way of thinking about deploying reparative resources that can be used everywhere and benefit everyone. Rooted in Afro-Indigenous practices that guide us in sharing resources responsibly and cooperatively, Believe-in-You Money was designed especially for women, creatives, culture makers, start-ups, and anyone who has ever been financially marginalized.
Let Jessica’s words be a rallying cry, igniting a collective spark for change that mobilizes a generation to rewrite the narrative of our financial systems, where everyone deserves to experience abundance and wholeness. Jessica reminds us that there is profound potential within the Black imagination that remains untapped.
“There is a healing balm inside the Black imagination that we are not accessing,” she says. “It turns joy and play into strategies for living and loving. When we invest in that, transformation happens.”
Believe-In-You Money is NOW AVAILABLE at your favorite Black-owned bookstore, or wherever you get your books. Order in bulk and share widely with your peers, networks, and loved ones.
