Empowered by Bitcoin: Five Levels of Black Financial Independence

Powernomics: The National Plan to Empower Black America was written by Dr. Claud Anderson of the Harvest Institute in 2001. A Black American historian, educator, and political strategist, Anderson dedicated his life to educating and unifying Black America with his Powernomics strategy, the vertical integration of ethno-aggregation. Powernomics, an empowerment plan, evolves around black economics, collectivism, and solidarity in choosing to keep the black dollar in the community. Dr. Anderson uses the metaphor of a five story building to articulate the levels of ownership black USA must achieve in order to ethno-aggregate and become a fully self sufficient globally competitive nation within a nation. The first floor focuses on ownership and asset acquisition the floors build upon one another chronologically to represent politics, justice, media, and education. Ethno-aggregation is a concept coined by Anderson that refers to Black America working as a collective to become economically self-sufficient. The most practical way for black USA to employ ethno-aggregation and implement it vertically in 2021 is with Bitcoin as Black America’s currency.

The first level of the Powernomics building challenges Black America to own everything the nation within a nation produces, consumes, and trades. Building the foundation encourages a “downsize” and “down grade” mentality for Black Americans to adopt. At this level, Black America accepts Bitcoin as payment, downsizes to accumulate more Bitcoin and downgrades to “stack sats”. The smallest unit of a bitcoin, satoshi (sats), will become the unit that Black America uses to denote a product’s value.

The first floor will take the longest to build. At this level Black USA is beginning to dedicate time, talent, and treasure to amass as many sats as possible, individually and collectively.  This is done by leverage possessions that have no utility/purpose in exchange for Bitcoin. Leverage is simply using a tool to help acquire what is difficult to attain. In the case of Black liberation and Bitcoin, Black Americans sell the cute, on-trend, designer apparel and accessories to black owned consignment boutiques in exchange for things that make Black life easier or aide in progressing the community forward. Donate to Black churches, patronize non-profits, and social organizations with sats. In this digital economy, Black American’s have five needs: multiple streams of income, shelter, transportation, healthy nutrition, and Bitcoin.

Blacks have to work to survive in this country. Whether the hustle is legal or illegal, the economy of America correlates success with work. Therefore, until 100% of the black community agrees to utilize bitcoin as currency, there is no need to quit working. This is a time when being deliberate is imperative. Let the “job” fund bills, the government, and services provided by non-blacks. Any business or person that accepts Bitcoin is considered an ally to the black community, spend sats with them.

Solve problems that arise in everyday Black American life by developing business plans and executing them. Pick up a hobby and/or learn a new skillset. The foundational level calls for black America to work together and form companies that will eventually become Black industries that solve problems globally. As ethno-aggregation becomes a part of the Black American life, black owned counseling services, clinics, and outreach programs will have better funding to fulfill their missions for the community.

The best way to begin ethno-aggregating is to think of it as a new habit. It will take 21 days to become habit and 90 days for it to become a lifestyle. The first 7 days are the hardest. In this time, starting over and backsliding will happen frequently. With persistence after 14 days backsliding will be less frequent. It is during this time that a life strategy is developed for yourself and your family. The habit is formed by day 21 and a lifestyle has developed by day 90.

Once the foundation is built, Black America then begins to build the second floor.  Level two indicates Black American’s have amassed enough wealth to solicit the allegiance and loyalty of politicians. Employing politicians ensures Black America has representatives incentivized to create and uphold policies that yield black empowerment. The second floor grants Black America freedom to conduct business with its home country as well as countries globally that are aligned with empowerment and proliferation of community. This allows us the opportunity to strengthen global relations and maintain domestic peace and civility.

In order to ensure effective black empowerment, Black Americans are encouraged to return to the “hood” and create a strong physical community that houses black hospitals, grocery stores, pharmacies, transportation companies, etc within its boundaries. Moving back to the “hood” with Bitcoin as the currency of the hood will empower black USA to gentrify its own communities simply to create safe havens for blacks to raise financially literate, emotionally, and academically intelligent black children. Owning politicians will make it easier for black America to influence the justice system. This is the most important element of the Powernomic building. Having significant political influence in America is key to ensuring adequate social standing in America. It is important that the politicians elected by Black USA represent Black America establishing laws that protect us from the oppression and domestic terrorism of Jim Crow.

Black America choosing to work as a collective on the Bitcoin network ultimately boosts trust in the currency by strengthening its network effect. This makes non-black bitcoiners our allies, despite personal preference/prejudice. This allows black America to become extremely competitive on a global stage. Bitcoin is a sound hard money that will help black USA create allegiances across the world.

The fourth level of Powernomics building urges Black America to own media outlets so Black Americans have control over the content being exported as it relates to “blackness”. Control of the media allows Black USA to promote our culture and enterprises in ways that are empowering and reflective of black dynamism. It is on this floor that work contributed by black computer scientists, coders, programmers, and developers building on Bitcoin core, the bitcoin open source software, provide evidence to how impactful Black contributions are. The country that forced Black America into permanent underclass status will no longer control the narrative of “blackness” and how black culture is distributed.

As a people, Black Americans can utilize Bitcoin’s technology as an innovation that empowers us to liberate ourselves from the state and its industries. The industries black America builds as a nation within a nation, will be the direct result of blacks liberating themselves with bitcoin.  The truth about Blackness will be exported by the media alongside products from black owned industries.

The final level the five story building is education. By utilizing Bitcoin, Black America will have enough wealth to dictate the mediums and curriculum used to educate Black children. Black children will learn to thrive as opposed to survive white supremacy. The Black American developed curriculum will encourage black youth to embrace blackness, live intentionally, and behave purposefully.

Bitcoin is a decentralized peer-to-peer currency that eliminates the oppressive middle man. It gives Black people a tangible option away from the oppressive cash system. Bitcoin incentivizes the nuclear family, personal finance,  thriftiness, and self-sovereignty all of which are necessary for liberation. Once the Powernomics strategy is implemented Black USA will be encouraged to promote and maintain positive self-image, self-worth, and community relations.

Bitcoin and Powernomics in tandem suggest Black Americans are no longer forced to subscribe to stereotypical conversations about racism, colorism, sexism, or fascism any longer.  Now is the time to harness the opportunity Bitcoin gives Black Americans to re-establish Black culture and reacquaint the globe to the melanated people of America. Black USA has an economic plan and a currency the only thing missing in community involvement.