大象传媒

鈥檚 farm is an oasis in the making. Apple orchards, maple and peach trees, apiaries for cultivating honey, and raspberry and blackberry bushes line his 335-acre property in Vallscreek, West Virginia. But beyond the beauty and sustenance Tartt is cultivating in the rolling hills of unincorporated McDowell County, he鈥檚 also tapping into his own history鈥攔eturning to the land and reaching back to his roots. 

鈥淢y people migrated here in the early 1900s, when really started to happen,鈥� Tartt says. 鈥淭he pay was better, the racism wasn鈥檛 as bad. It was bad, but not as bad. 鈥� in building the framework for the coal mining industry here in West Virginia.鈥� 

To a casual observer, this southern West Virginia county is devastated, disregarded, and depressed鈥攁 manifestation of Now, nearly 60 years after that , McDowell County is ripe for revival.  

Tartt sees boundless opportunity for inclusive growth and shared prosperity through sustainable farming practices designed to build a thriving community. A military veteran who returned to McDowell County in 2010 due to familial obligations, Tartt co-founded the farming cooperative with the late Sylvester 鈥淪ky鈥� Edwards in 2014. Two years later, the nonprofit (EDGE) evolved out of a working group Tartt co-led. EDGE now provides training in agricultural entrepreneurship, sustainable local farming techniques, and more through its Thrive program, offering locals opportunities to learn new skills. 

鈥淧rosperity involves good health, involves [a] clean environment, and involves equity in business and everything that we do. Not everyone can be rich, but you can still live well and have a quality of life,鈥� Tartt says. 鈥淪o [we鈥檙e taking] a holistic approach to whatever we鈥檙e doing, to make sure the community benefits and we鈥檙e not doing it to the detriment of our environment.鈥� 

Prosperity involves good health, involves [a] clean environment, and involves equity in business and everything that we do. Not everyone can be rich, but you can still live well and have a quality of life.鈥�

鈥擩ason Tartt

Gardeners can appreciate the growth of their tomato plants while hoping to limit the spread of the aphids that might eat those plants. Teachers can value growing class participation or attendance rates, but would likely not prefer an increase in class size. Low-wage workers who would benefit from higher incomes probably aren鈥檛 as interested in having their debt grow. So growth itself is a value-neutral concept. It鈥檚 the context of that growth鈥攁nd its limitations鈥攖hat matters.

Who Gets to Grow?

Since made mass production possible, the United States has increasingly adopted a narrative that capitalism requires unfettered economic growth鈥攚illfully ignoring the array of harmful outcomes such growth produces. Prioritizing economic growth without constraints has contributed to , from soil-stripping and to . This unyielding adherence to growth threatens public health by allowing polluting industries to contaminate the air and water, which in turn increases , , and premature death in the predominantly low-income and , , and other communities of color where these industries are typically housed. 

Despite platitudes about 鈥渞ising tides lifting all boats鈥� or 鈥渢rickle-down鈥� economics, at no point in this country鈥檚 history has economic growth been equitable. As with , today鈥檚 . From 1989 to 2018, , according to Federal Reserve data. During the same period, the wealth of the bottom 50% decreased by $900 billion. Between the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 and May 2022, 鈥攖o more than $1.7 trillion.  

History clearly shows that unfettered growth in the name of capitalistic 鈥渟uccess鈥� results in sustained and growing inequality, human and planetary exploitation, and worse. Yet there are other models鈥攎any that come from Black, Indigenous, and other historically marginalized communities鈥攖hat take a more holistic, symbiotic approach to growth. 

Consider the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy) , where every decision is made with consideration for the next seven generations to come. The Akan people of Ghana embrace a similar sense of interconnectedness through , which refers to the value of learning from the past to improve the present and future. 

A growing number of organizations around the U.S. and beyond are already reenvisioning growth and prosperity in ways that advance communal needs and planetary stewardship. The (BCDI) is a community-led planning and economic development organization committed to creating an 鈥渆quitable, sustainable, and democratic local economy that creates shared wealth for low-income people of color.鈥� The BCDI hosts political and business education programming and operates the Bronx Innovation Factory, an advanced manufacturing lab offering tools and training to help local innovators bring their ideas to reality and build wealth in the Bronx.

Organizations like the Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) center environmental and economic justice in their approach to redefining prosperity. APEN focuses on鈥攁nd marshals support around鈥攆rontline communities most often harmed by pollution, corporate greed, and environmental racism. In addition to policy advocacy and clean energy training, to support longtime California residents鈥攐ften immigrants and people of color鈥攖o own and remain in their homes in clean, healthy, livable neighborhoods.

Regardless of an organization鈥檚 particular focus, collaboration within and across communities is key. By rejecting toxic individualism in favor of collectivism and care, these businesses, organizations, and communities are proving that prosperity can look very different than what has been sold to most Americans as 鈥渟uccess.鈥� 

The problematic notion that 鈥渕ore is better鈥� predates the establishment of the nation, but the concept has been supercharged during particular moments in U.S. history. By the time the first , growth had become intricately linked to prosperity for that population. 鈥攇rowth centered on claiming, settling, and cultivating an increasing amount of land. And this growth did indeed create prosperity鈥攁t least for white people. 

By the end of the 19th century, the U.S. was on its way to becoming as a direct result of and using enslaved labor to dominate the textile industry. The industrial revolution ushered in a new era of wealth extraction, as robber barons like and (often immigrants and children) to create their steel, oil, and railroad empires. 

In the meantime, 鈥溾�� emerged as the country鈥檚 divinely ordained justification for continued settler expansion across the continent. The association between material wealth and the 鈥淎merican Dream鈥� only grew during this period of stunning wealth inequality. Consumption as an indicator of prosperity solidified further during the Roaring 鈥�20s, with , telephones, radios, and household appliances. also became more readily available, encouraging people to buy now and pay later. The mantra of 鈥淢ore!鈥� was no longer only the province of elites. 

By the time , the concept of individualism was firmly ingrained in the nation鈥檚 dominant culture. This narrative emphasizes personal achievement, disregarding values of cooperation, mutual support, and community. It also invisibilizes the array of public support鈥攆rom public roads and the postal system to tax breaks鈥攖hat businesses rely on, not to mention the racial, gender, educational, and socioeconomic advantages that their founders often enjoy. 

Of course, the capacity to be self-made could be significantly hindered by the circumstances of one鈥檚 birth. Members of marginalized communities had considerably less access to quality education, health care, social services, and jobs that paid living wages, or safe, secure, affordable housing. This material inequality was compounded by the reality of racial violence, which included .

When the stock market crashed seven months into Hoover鈥檚 presidency, he initially eschewed government-backed market or public benefit interventions, instead doubling down on white supremacist tactics of the past: , accusing them of overwhelming government relief programs, and taking jobs that would otherwise be going to white Americans. In reality, , and studies would later suggest these federal by reducing the demand for other jobs. that and . 

Unsurprisingly, the racist policies of the Hoover administration failed to save the economy. , and the . To address the budget deficit, in 1932 Hoover rolled back tax cuts for the wealthy that . But this, and a series of additional tax increases, came too late to stave off the suffering. Even after , Hoover lost the next election to Franklin Roosevelt, who , one of the most significant public interest investments in U.S. history.  

Despite its role in establishing a broad middle class, the New Deal did not create prosperity for all. Black people living under Jim Crow laws were subject to legal discrimination and . 鈥攑ositions likely to be held by Black people. Consequently, , 65% of Black people were excluded. allowed banks to refuse loans to people in predominantly Black communities, exacerbating this unequal access to economic growth. Racial covenants in communities nationwide disallowed the sale of land or housing to Black people. This confluence of greed, white supremacy, and racialized capitalism yet again created on-ramps to prosperity that were closed to Black people. 

From Yours and Mine to Ours 

The COVID-19 pandemic provided the country with an opportunity to reshape our prior economic assumptions about what is鈥攁nd what should be鈥攊n the public domain. When the 鈥攖he highest level since the Great Depression鈥攃itizens were able to access vital financial support through the CARES Act. That provided funding for state and local governments, tax cuts for businesses, and direct payments to individuals, bringing the U.S. as close as it鈥檚 ever been to embracing Universal Basic Income. were also provided to help small businesses and nonprofits keep their employees on payroll and their organizations afloat. An in funding was made available through a suite of economic legislation spearheaded by President Joe Biden鈥檚 administration, including the American Rescue Plan. 

Beyond government interventions, a resurgence in mutual aid efforts further underscored our interdependence and the power of community support. Grassroots organizing and advocacy efforts worked to protect the health and safety of essential workers, and groups like the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment and the Right to the City Alliance .  

Many have seen the benefit of and enjoy public goods and services. Investing in these public goods鈥攆rom public parks and community pools to public libraries and trash collection鈥攊ncreases opportunities for collective prosperity and personal enjoyment. At their best, these government-administered services provide core infrastructure that allows communities to thrive and grow, supporting both economic development and a healthy, robust democracy. 

Leading advocates say can create opportunities for equitable access to housing, quality education, employment, and health care. That shifted understanding of what鈥檚 possible, combined with an embrace of collective responsibility, can create a society where all needs can be met, says Angela Hanks, chief of programs at the movement-oriented think tank D膿mos. (Disclosure: Co-author Anoa Changa is the director of communications at D膿mos.)

鈥淧ublic goods are the foundation of a just economy,鈥� Hanks says. 鈥淭hey strengthen communities and our economy overall. Public goods also ensure a basic standard of living and help correct the power imbalance between the wealthy and everyone else.鈥�

But Hanks notes that corporate interests and the wealthy have weaponized the cultural myth of scarcity that suggests there are not enough resources to provide for all. This remains a major barrier to expanding public provisioning, despite its popularity. 鈥淭here鈥檚 still a persistent belief around scarcity in this country, which among other things is deeply rooted in racism,鈥� explains Hanks. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 what corporations and the wealthy use to talk people out of public provisioning.鈥� 

Nevertheless, action to expand public goods is already taking place. To address the crisis in diabetes care, in March 2023 to create state-label insulin, which will make the lifesaving drug substantially more affordable and, presumably, lead to fewer people having to ration their supply because of high costs. 

Elsewhere, states and municipalities are proposing , like the one North Dakota has run for more than a century. By servicing local governments and operating in the public interest鈥攂y law鈥攖hese entities could slash the huge sums governments now pay to private banks. Restoring postal banking, which the U.S. offered from 1911 to 1967, could help to service the  

Reimagining prosperity demands a new economy that reflects shared values and a commitment to success and well-being that exists outside of an individual framework. This new prosperity also requires a grounded understanding of people and places, and a value alignment that sees the potential and possibility in something better. 

John Muhammad, a city councilmember in St. Petersburg, Florida, believes traditional measures of prosperity, like GDP, are insufficient to assess well-being. 鈥淩eimagining prosperity requires going beyond traditional economic measures and considering a more comprehensive approach that aligns with the needs of the community, our well-being, health, and access to things like fresh food, education, and health care,鈥� Muhammad says. 鈥淕rowth usually means the economy is getting bigger and we鈥檙e producing more goods and services. But we need to make sure that this growth benefits everyone, not just a few people. Reimagining growth means making sure that as the economy grows, everyone has a chance to do well and improve their lives.鈥� 

Growth usually means the economy is getting bigger and we鈥檙e producing more goods and services. But we need to make sure that this growth benefits everyone, not just a few people. Reimagining growth means making sure that as the economy grows, everyone has a chance to do well and improve their lives.鈥�

鈥擩ohn Muhammad

Muhammad has worked with St. Petersburg鈥檚 South Side community to revitalize a once-thriving business district. He was instrumental in negotiating a deal with the city that required new development to include actual land ownership, not mere complimentary square footage or discounted rents on spaces to lease.  

鈥淚t鈥檚 important to negotiate in terms of acres and ownership when discussing community participation in new development, because that鈥檚 the only way to truly build equity and generational wealth,鈥� Muhammad says. 鈥淪ome of the historical 鈥榙eals鈥� that have been made expire after a prescribed term, and when that ends and the capital is extracted from the community, we are left with little to nothing to pass on to those who come behind us.鈥�  

Communities in Detroit know those extractive processes all too well. Branden Snyder, executive director of , a multigenerational, member-led grassroots organization fighting for housing and economic justice, says the whole economic system needs to change. 

鈥淭here are so many systems that extract and exploit Black and Brown folks outside of just the criminal justice system, including 鈥� how we set up our economies,鈥� says Snyder. Through its Agenda for a New Economy, Detroit Action works to 鈥渦nite Black and Brown working-class Detroiters in a transformational program to win the economic and social justice we are owed.鈥� 

鈥淒etroit is called the Motor City, but Detroit isn鈥檛 about cars,鈥� says Anthony Baber, Detroit Action鈥檚 communications and culture director. 鈥淭he city itself was never about cars. City is about the people.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檙e still trying to empower our people using that same white supremacist lens that destroyed our ecology and left all these young Black and Brown people with little to no access to advantages and prosperity,鈥� Baber adds. 鈥淲e have to change the entire thing.鈥� 

鈥淎t the end of the day, we need to make sure that resources are shared equitably and fairly,鈥� says Snyder. 鈥淎nd right now, that鈥檚 just not the case. When we think about tax breaks, the type of jobs that people get, the type of opportunities that come into neighborhoods, the type of development, and we think about the resources that people have鈥攊t鈥檚 not shared in an equitable fashion.鈥� 

Both agree that reimagining prosperity requires a strong equity component to ensure people can thrive and envision the possibility of something better. Giving people a meaningful voice in how their economy and politics are structured is as much a matter of shifting culture as it is shifting the policies and frameworks that enforce the status quo view on wealth and prosperity.  

鈥淎 big part of it is just changing the mindset to one of abundance and that resources are there,鈥� says Baber. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just a matter of, can we secure those resources for our people?鈥� 

Tartt, the West Virginia farmer, agrees that both a culture shift and values realignment are necessary in the practical application of prosperity doctrines, as well as in our collective imagination. And part of that includes establishing new pathways for partnership across communities.

鈥淚f we want to really talk about prosperity, that means investing back into the community and building businesses in a way that community is benefiting,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here are opportunities if you have rural communities connected to urban communities. And we鈥檙e figuring out: How do we help each other?鈥� 

This story was funded by a grant from Kendeda Fund, as part of the forthcoming 大象传媒 series 鈥淩edefining Prosperity.鈥� While reporting and production of the series was funded by this grant, 大象传媒 maintained full editorial control of the content published herein.