Divesting From Wellness Capitalism
Since COVID-19 hit, and especially in the last two weeks, we've collectively experienced a renewed energy to examine our lives, businesses, and well-being through anti-oppression work — specifically anti-racism work.
As a white woman, I am inherently racist. I have a lot of learning and unlearning to do. I'm not perfect, and I recognize that my antiracist education will be a lifelong journey.
As a white woman who strives to create an inclusive, equitable, justice-oriented company for wellness resources and education, it's my responsibility to make sure we actively continue our anti-racism and anti-oppression work.
At Holisticism this looks like a lot of things, including but not limited to:
An inclusion rider for all work we're invited to partake in with outside partners
Continuing to speak on the systems of oppression like racism, classism, sexism, ableism, heterosexism, and cis-sexism that exist in the wellness space
Amplifying the work of QTBIPOC healers and practitioners
Anti-oppression hiring practices (we’re currently a tiny team of two — me and Thais — and for the last year have only worked with QTBIPOC contractors)
Ongoing anti-oppression education of our team and our community
Pledging 10% of our profits in financial donations to anti-oppression* organizations and causes (*causes fighting racism, sexism, cis-sexism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, colonialism, classism, ableism, heterosexism)
This also looks like divesting from "White supremacist capitalist patriarchy," in the words of bell hooks. The structure of capitalism promotes inequity and accumulation — if you can acquire more things, you get more power. In our capitalist world, money equals safety, power, and well-being. But you shouldn't need to have a fat bank account to be promised safety, that your voice will be heard, and that your life and well-being matters.
Until we divest from capitalist structures and establish new structures in the service of justice, we'll never have a truly equitable world.
We won’t eradicate racism simply by ending capitalism as we know it, but ending capitalism as we know it is an important ingredient to ending racism. You get me?
If you’re like, “Yeah yeah just tell me how you’re gonna do it,” scroll down to the bottom of the page.
If you’re like, “Ooo, let’s go back to my place and talk theory,” then keep reading.
What Does Capitalism Have to Do With Oppression and Well-being?
Capitalism prioritizes the individual.
You probably remember (maybe?) learning about the emergence of capitalism in high school. Capitalism erupted from European land privatization and the Price Revolution in the 16th century. Public land — which was farmed communally for the well-being of the community — disappeared as landlords sought to earn a profit.
Since its inception, capitalism has prioritized individual accumulation over communal well-being.
Capitalism is obsessed with commoditization and productivity. The original commodity was the female body — it could be traded for a dowry (marriage!), used for literal labor and childbearing (reproducing and repopulating the working class!), and manipulated for patriarchal pleasure (toxic masculinity ruins the party again!).
Capitalism and the push to extract resources and commoditize all things — the earth below us, the people around us — contributed to European-led genocide of indigenous, African, and Asian cultures through slavery, colonialism, and white supremacy.
This system perpetuates marginalization across classes, genders, and races. It pits us against each other in competition, because it’s designed so that very few people can rise to the top and achieve wealth, safety, power. Scarcity reinforces individualistic thinking.
Capitalism also calls for the extraction, consumption, and destruction of resources. It destroys the natural world we live in and pushes us from the communal into individualistic thinking.
If we aren’t thinking of the health of the whole, we cannot possibly be well. If one of us is unwell, we are all unwell.
Patriarchy, Racism, Capitalism = BFFs
Instead of creating a more equitable world, the start of capitalism in Europe triggered the construction of a new "patriarchal order,” says Silvia Federici.
The definition of capitalism is usually boiled down to something along the lines of "free markets and competition." But as Ibram X. Kendi points out in How to Be Antiracist, "When others define capitalism in this way — as markets and market rules and competition and benefits from winning — they are disentangling capitalism from theft and racism and sexism and imperialism. If that's their capitalism, I can see how they remain capitalist to the bone. However, history does not affirm this definition of capitalism."
Capitalism and racism have a symbiotic relationship. They need each other to survive. Capitalism, as we know it, was created through oppression and endures through oppression.
How We’re Beginning to Divest From Traditional Capitalist Structures
I stand in solidarity with the brands and individuals who've spoken up about being more antiracist in their work. And I believe at Holisticism, one of the most powerful ways we can do that is through divesting ourselves from the traditional capitalist payment model.
All of our classes, workshops, memberships, and courses will be offered on a self-selecting sliding scale moving forward.
You’ll choose your energetic exchange, knowing that when you have a little more you’re investing in yourself and your community — and when you have a little less, your community has your back.
This model prioritizes communal well-being, instead of individual wellness. It asks us to take into consideration not just what we need but also the needs of the collective. Then, it asks us, Where are you well-resourced? Where do you experience privilege? Are you able to share from where you are already supported?
We’ll continue to explore where we can divest from capitalism as a company. Because I’ve bootstrapped this company myself, meaning I have no outside investors, I recognize that I have more freedom than many small business owners who may have bank loans or investors to answer to. Basically, I can do what I want because I’m my own boss.
I have the privilege of choice, and I don’t take that for granted.
Want to see this new payment structure in action? Sign up to join one (or all) of our workshops this month — we’ll be focusing on the Tarot.
Why Be Practical When You Can Be Radical?
We will rely on the community members to hold themselves in integrity and accountability with this new payment model.
I know the people of Holisticism. I'm confident that although many people may view this as a totally Pollyanna move that will torpedo our profitable company, this is actually a strategic act of resistance that's been many, many months in the making.
I want to publicly cite Brooklyn Open Acupuncture's model for sliding scale payments as a major inspiration for our sliding scale structure, as well as the works of bell hooks, Silvia Federici, Ibram X. Kendi, which inspired me to start thinking about this in early 2019. Shout out also to Angie Speaks, who educates on the problem of capitalism all day long.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading. Reach out if you have questions.