Decolonizing Wealth, Second Edition: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance

Edgar Villanueva

Aug 2021 · Berrett-Koehler Audio · Narrated by Edgar Villanueva

About this audiobook

This second edition expands the provocative analysis of the racist colonial dynamics at play in philanthropy and finance into other sectors and offers practical advice on how anyone can be a healer.

The world is out of balance. With increasing frequency, we are presented with the inescapable truth that systemic racism and colonial structures are foundational principles to our economies. The $1 trillion philanthropic industry is one example of a system that mirrors oppressive colonial behavior. It's an industry whose name means “the love for humankind,” yet it does more harm than good.

In Decolonizing Wealth, Edgar Villanueva looks past philanthropy's glamorous, altruistic façade and into its shadows: white supremacy, savior complexes, and internalized oppression. Across history and to the present day, the accumulation of wealth is steeped in trauma. How can we shift philanthropy toward social reconciliation and healing if the cornerstones are exploitation, extraction, and control?

Drawing from Native traditions, Villanueva empowers individuals and institutions to begin to repair the damage through his Seven Steps to Healing. In this second edition, Villanueva adds inspiring examples of people using their resources to decolonize entertainment, museums, libraries, land ownership, and much more.

Everyone can be a healer and a leader in restoring balance-and we need everyone to do their part. As Villanueva writes, “All our suffering is mutual. All our healing is mutual. All our thriving is mutual.” Are you ready?

About the author

Edgar Villanueva is an award-winning author, activist, and expert on race, wealth, and philanthropy issues. He is the founder and principal of Decolonizing Wealth Project and Liberated Capital, which use education, radical reparative giving, and narrative change to disrupt the existing systems of moving and controlling capital. Villanueva also advises a range of organizations, including national and global philanthropies, Fortune 500 companies, and entertainment and media firms on social impact strategies to advance racial equity from within and through their investments.