Economic Justice

To Prosperity

Discussions about the economy often avoid the hard truths of how we got here. Truths about stolen land and wages; enslavement and incarceration; exploitation and greed. Discussions about the economy also omit the fact that we didn’t get here by accident. No mistakes or miscalculations can deflect blame from the deliberate discrimination, criminalization, and privatization that have led to the staggering levels of wealth and income inequality we have today. 

This pillar of work focuses on redefining and reshaping prosperity for all:

• Community leadership of a new framework for creating, accumulating, and distributing wealth
• Remodeling the economy to provide plentiful, equitable opportunities
• Rectifying the harm of economic oppression on disenfranchised communities of color

Baby Bonds

Intergenerational wealth transfer is the most significant predictor of a child’s future financial success. However, millions of California kids don’t have the security that inherited wealth provides. More starkly, data expose significant gulfs in wealth between white households and Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other households of color. This inequity will continue to compound without intervention.

Investment in a child’s future opens up exponential opportunities as they grow into adulthood. As such, we advocate for wealth and asset-building programs like baby bonds and childhood savings accounts. These and other similar investments give children and families the ability to dream big and the financial resources to follow through on achieving those dreams.

Head to our Baby Bonds Campaign page for more on this work.

Cash, Tax, and Revenue Policy

The fight for fair, equitable, and accessible tax and revenue systems is an essential piece of our strategy to upend the systems and institutions that perpetuate poverty in California. Existing policies like tax credits, guaranteed income, and other cash supports are popular, effective tools that assist low-income households on the path to economic stability and mobility. We champion expansion and increased investment in these reliable programs.

Similarly important is ensuring that California’s wealth is properly collected and invested back into our communities. We push for progressive and forward-thinking solutions that will increase revenues, ensure our wealthy individuals and corporations are paying their fair share, and require governments to fairly allocate and distribute funding.

Check out the Prosper California page to dive deep into tax and revenue policy.