When we passed the 8th principle at USG we agreed to “affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.” What actions have you taken or plan to take to accountably dismantle racism? I’ll share the work I’ve encouraged through the UU Common Endowment fund and give examples of how you can use your money and your influence on money to implement the 8th principle. I’ll cover Edgar Villanueva’s 7 steps to healing outlined in his book, Decolonizing Wealth, and I’ll tell you about a few organizations challenging the financial system and building new tables and chairs to influence decision-making for the capital markets.
Vanessa grew up in the Bronx attending a United Methodist church and embraced UUism in 2011. She’d just moved to DC to take a position with the U.S. Treasury Department, shifting capital to “underserved communities.” She spent 21 years doing some version of that work. She now enjoys an early retirement where she’s doing the same thing but with more freedom to use words like reparations and systemic racism. She’s been with USG since returning to Philly in 2008. She hosts a live radio talk show, Vanessa’s Money Hour, on G-town Radio, 92.9 FM in Philadelphia and is building a tribe of money nerds who are also shifting foundation, endowment, and personal assets toward racial justice investing.
Resources and more information from Vanessa on this subject can be found here.