There’s something we need to talk about in our community — and it’s not politics. It’s not racism. It’s not even opportunity. It’s economics. And more specifically… it’s behavior.
We have become experts at consuming. But amateurs at owning. We know release dates. We know fashion drops. We know who has what on social media. But ask us about dividend yields, land acquisition, business equity, or portfolio allocation — and the room gets quiet. That silence is costing us.
Some communities don’t chase brands — they acquire shares in them. They don’t brag about driving luxury — they leverage capital. They don’t upgrade phones every year — they upgrade assets. That’s not a flex. That’s a framework. And frameworks build futures.
My father once told me: “Every dollar you spend trying to look rich is a dollar that could have made you rich.” I didn’t understand it then. I understand it now. Because here’s the truth — looking rich requires constant spending. Being wealthy requires disciplined investing. One is maintenance. The other is multiplication.
Every unnecessary car note is not just a payment — it’s opportunity cost. Every impulse purchase is not just a swipe — it’s a decision not to own something productive. Every status upgrade that depreciates is money that could have been compounding.
We buy things that lose value. We hesitate on things that gain value. And then we wonder why our net worth doesn’t grow. Listen carefully — this isn’t about shaming anybody. It’s about shifting mindset.
Other families came to this country with less than many of us have right now. They bought duplexes instead of designer. They bought storefronts instead of status. They pooled resources. They leveraged family networks. They bought land. They didn’t need everyone to see their success. They built so quietly that by the time you noticed; it was generational.
Meanwhile, too many of us were conditioned to celebrate visibility over viability. We celebrate income. We ignore assets. We compete over appearance. We neglect ownership. We clap for salaries. But generational wealth isn’t built on salary alone.
Income feeds you. Assets free you. And freedom — economic freedom — is power. Power to fund schools. Power to support candidates. Power to survive downturns. Power to create opportunity.
If we’re honest, sometimes we want the applause more than we want the equity. We want the picture. We want the validation. We want people to say, “They are doing good.” But good is not the same as secure. And secure is not the same as wealthy.
Let me ask you something from this pew: If the paycheck stopped tomorrow, what keeps paying you? If the job ends, what keeps producing income? If inflation rises again, what appreciates while everything else gets expensive?
Those are asset questions. And we have to start asking them. We have brilliance in our community. We have talent. We have influence. We have spending power. But spending power without ownership is temporary. Ownership turns consumption into control. And control builds legacy.
We cannot afford to bleed wealth chasing optics. We cannot afford to finance lifestyles that won’t finance our future. We cannot afford to teach our children how to spend — without teaching them how to invest. Because the wealth gap isn’t just about history. It’s also about habits. And habits can change.
Imagine if instead of arguing over brands, we argued over business plans. Imagine if we taught our kids about stock ownership before sneaker releases. Imagine if birthday gifts included investment accounts. Imagine if every family meeting included conversations about land.
That’s not unrealistic. That’s intentional. We don’t need to look rich. We need to build wealth quietly, strategically, relentlessly. We don’t need more applause. We need more assets.
The real flex isn’t what you wear. It’s what you own. The real upgrade isn’t your car. It’s your equity. The real status symbol isn’t designer. It’s diversified.
I’m not preaching poverty. I’m preaching priority. Enjoy your life — but fund your future. Spend — but invest first. Live well — but build ownership. Because one day your children won’t care what you drove. They’ll care what you left.
The question is simple: Are we building applause? Or are we building inheritance? Because one fades. And the other multiplies. And we have the power to choose.
