Black History Month 2026: Black Capitalism

Day 17

There have been a couple of good books written on why “Black Capitalism” is a bad idea (posted below), but this meme pretty much sums it up.

The only point I would add is there’s a misconception among some Black people that Black people in power will treat us better than white people in power. As Michelle Alexander discusses in her book, “The New Jim Crow,” this causes Black people to give more leeway to Black people who obtain positions of power, but that leeway isn’t mutual. There’s no proof Black police chiefs, prosecutors, and judges treat Black people better than white ones.

Both “Black Bourgeoisie” by E. Franklin Frazier and “The Myth of Black Capitalism” by Earl Ofari Hutchinson discuss the idea of Black Capitalism. I would recommend reading “Black Bourgeoisie” first because “The Myth of Black Capitalism” criticizes some of the points Frazier makes in his book. I’d also recommend reading “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander. It’s not about Black Capitalism, but it does discuss the racism in the criminal justice system.

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