The Intersection of Race and Class: Why Economic Despair Feels New to Some But Is Familiar to Black America - African American Facts Not Taught in Public Schools

1. The Growing Despair: A Feeling Black America Has Always Known

Many people today feel abandoned by the system, betrayed by politicians, and powerless in the face of economic struggles.
But for Black Americans, this is not a new feeling—it’s the lived reality of generations.
The difference is that now, more people are waking up to how broken the system truly is—but Black communities have been screaming about this for decades.

💡 Key Takeaway: What many Americans are feeling now—mistrust in leadership, economic hardship, systemic injustice—has been Black America’s reality all along.

2. The Class War Narrative: Why We Must Not Erase Race

There’s a growing movement to focus on class struggle over racial injustice.
Some argue that race is a distraction and that the true enemy is the billionaire class.
While class warfare is real, it is deeply tied to race—you cannot separate the two.
The top 90% of wealth and power in this country is held by white men—not by accident, but by design.

💡 Key Takeaway: Class struggle is real, but it is not separate from racism—it has always been weaponized against people of color.

3. Economic Policy Has Always Been Tied to White Nationalism

Economic and immigration policies are not just about money—they are about maintaining racial hierarchy.
Federal policies on who gets funding, which communities are developed, who gets hired, and who gets deported are all shaped by white nationalist ideology.
The modern economy is built on exclusion. Policies are designed to protect white wealth while limiting opportunities for marginalized communities.

💡 Key Takeaway: Every economic policy is also a racial policy—because financial power is used to uphold racial power.

4. The Hypocrisy of “Eat the Rich” Without Acknowledging Racism

The “eat the rich” movement is growing, with calls to dismantle billionaire control and oligarchic power.
But if we ignore the racial structures within capitalism, we risk repeating the same oppression under a new name.
Black leaders and marginalized activists have been fighting against economic injustice for generations—yet are often erased from these movements once they gain mainstream traction.

💡 Key Takeaway: We cannot fight economic oppression while ignoring the racial hierarchy that created it.

5. The Reality of White Supremacy in Economic Power

James Carville once said, “It’s the economy, stupid.” But today, we must say, “It’s the racism, stupid.”
Every major decision—immigration, labor rights, federal funding, corporate policies—is shaped by white supremacist ideals.
Even tech billionaires like Elon Musk are openly embracing Nazi ideology—yet their power remains unchecked.
When white billionaires perpetuate racism openly and still receive wealth and influence, it shows how deeply embedded white nationalism is in global economics.

💡 Key Takeaway: The ultra-rich are not just oppressing the poor—they are reinforcing a racial power structure that ensures wealth remains in white hands.

6. The Path Forward: A Fight That Includes Both Race and Class

Economic oppression must be fought, but not at the expense of erasing race from the conversation.
Black and brown activists built the foundation of the economic justice movement—they cannot be erased now that the fight is mainstream.
The solution is not just “eat the rich”—it’s dismantling the systems that have kept power concentrated in white hands for generations.

💡 Final Takeaway: The fight against economic oppression must also be a fight against racial injustice—because one cannot exist without the other.