Hello Reader,

Last week, we sat with hard truths about what this election revealed. Many of you wrote to me sharing your grief, your rage, your determination.

For which I am deeply grateful.

I hear you.

I see you.

And now? Now we move.

Because here's another truth we must face: 91% of Black women showed up to vote for Kamala Harris. Let that sink in. Despite everything––the attacks, the dismissals, the lies––Black women showed up. As they always do.

(Other groups of women of color pressed the button for Harris, too, but not the way Black women did.)

And what did we get in return? A clear message that solidarity is a one-way street.

So today we begin a three-part series on building real power in a system designed to exclude us.

No more waiting. No more hoping. No more asking for permission.

FYI, I'm about to get super real about some things, so if you're not feeling charged up, mark this unread and come back to it when you're ready.
But don't wait too long––this shit is important.

You've likely heard about Black Project 2025––a grassroots movement building economic sovereignty through Black-owned businesses, banks, and community networks. It's a powerful example of what happens when we stop hoping for change and start building it ourselves.

But here's what many miss: Before we can build collective power, we must get our individual houses in order.

We don't have time for me to mince words: Many of us are not ready for economic resistance. Here's what I mean by that. If we––

• Live paycheck to paycheck with no financial cushion
• Don't know what our financial cushion is
• Tie our skills and credentials to employers who don't value us
• Have no documented proof of our impact and successes
• Are overly focused on our current job (I don't care how great it is) instead of cultivating our network so we've got the next, next, and next jobs lined up
• Have side projects that never move beyond "someday"
• Have a fuzzy understanding of our true financial picture

then we are not ready for economic resistance.

And if any of the above applies to you, don't worry.

We're about to change that.

Here's what Being Ready For Economic Resistance looks like:

• 6-month emergency fund (yes, it's possible, and frankly, I'd recommend a 9-month+ runway these days)
• Portable skills and credentials YOU own (and I mean own in all the ways)
• Strong portfolio of quantified achievements
• When it comes to career and job prospects, you have a contingency plan for your contingency plan for your contingency plan
• Side income streams in development or operation
• Clear financial dashboard showing your true position

And if you can't tell, I am fired TF up.

So the next 30 days are gonna be about getting your house in order.

No excuses.

No delays.

Because you cannot build community wealth
from a foundation of personal scarcity.
​

Your 30-Day Economic Liberation Checklist:

1. Financial Audit
   • Track every dollar spent this month
   • Calculate your true monthly needs (not wants)
   • List all debts with interest rates
   • Set your emergency fund target
   • Create your debt elimination timeline (it's okay if you don't really know, we are all guessing with projections and whatnot, just put something down for now)
2. Skills and Credentials Inventory
   • List every marketable skill you have
   • Identify your credential gaps
   • Research certification options you can own
   • Pick ONE credential to pursue immediately
   • Map your skill-building timeline
3. Impact Documentation
   • Start your "wins" journal today
   • Write down every achievement from the past 2 years (and lower your standards for what you're including; I know most of you have a threshold that's way too high)
   • Quantify results where possible
   • Begin building your portable portfolio of work
   • Gather testimonials while you can
4. Side Hustle Foundation
   • List your monetizable skills/knowledge (use AI to brainstorm and improve your AI skills at the same time. Boom.)
   • Research market demand (Who's already paying? Who's likely to keep paying a human being for this?)
   • Draft basic business structure (you do NOT need a business plan, just a simple business canvas will do; there's one in our WOC Career Guide for Entrepreneurs)
   • Set concrete first steps
   • Create 90-day launch timeline (Jumpstart Your Online Business can help here)

You can think of this as building your station on a modern Underground Railroad. The freedom fighters understood that liberation required both individual preparation and community coordination.

To Sum Up, Your Assignment (Due in 30 Days):

1. Complete your detailed financial audit
2. Create your impact documentation system
3. Choose and begin pursuing ONE portable credential
4. Take the first (or next) concrete step toward growing your side business
5. Open a separate savings account for your emergency fund

No more "planning to plan." No more "waiting until things settle down."

The time is now.

In Part 2 of this series, we'll get into strategic alliances––how to evaluate, build, and leverage relationships for mutual advancement. But you gotta get your own house in order first.

Listen: Economic resistance isn't about performative activism or fair-weather social media solidarity.

It's about methodical, strategic preparation for long-term liberation. Yes, that can be a grind. It can be a hustle. And no one else is going to do it for us.

Let's move.

If you are ready to get your house in order, reply to this email with "I'm ready" and tell me the first step you’re going take. We got your back.

Building power with you,
Cynthia

PS – 

Share this with another woman of color who needs to hear this.

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