What Democracy Demands: Economic Justice for All

Sixty-two years ago, a quarter million people converged on Washington, D.C., to demand a nation worthy of its highest ideals.

At the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, they pressed for urgent change: a living wage, the end of school segregation, and the expansion of life-saving civil and labor rights. These were not radical dreams—they were the bare minimum for dignity and democracy. Their vision was clear: a truly inclusive, multiracial democracy where no one could be locked out of social, political, or economic belonging.

That vision remains unfinished. And the call they sounded still echoes today—asking us not only to remember, but to keep marching.

Today, Borealis Philanthropy carries this vision forward by resourcing those who are working to ensure that all Americans have safety, voice, care, and power. Our grantee partners are defending our democracy by pursuing racial, gender, and disability justice; narrative change; community safety and well-being; and—like generations prior, who marched for access and opportunity—economic justice. 

At the March on Washington, Dr. King delivered his prominent and celebrated “I have a dream” speech, in which he identified economic justice as critical to the fight for civil rights. Speaking with power and conviction, he declared:

“We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” 

As attacks on democratic principles intensify—and access to fundamental, life-affirming resources grow increasingly unequal—we want to be clear about naming and scaling our commitment to economic justice; to work to build cooperative, just, and regenerative economic systems; to work that allows justice, equity, and belonging to roll down like waters, like a mighty stream. 

Our grantee partners are approaching economic justice through an expansive and interconnected lens. They are organizing workers, advancing equitable economic governance, and building mutual aid networks. They are protecting and expanding housing justice and creating pathways to intergenerational wealth. And they are leading their work in ways that honor and recognize the many intertwinements that lie within: of extractive capitalism and racialized poverty, of disinvestment and displacement, and also of effective policy and lived experience. 

Here’s what some of their work looks like: 

• Life After Release organizes to end the criminal legal system’s extraction of wealth through fines, fees, and money bail which drives systemic cycles of poverty and incarceration. Their courtwatch programs, community organizing, and policy advocacy efforts are holding the carceral system accountable while also building communal power to end its predatory practices
• Essie Justice Group builds power with women with incarcerated loved ones to dismantle the practice of mass incarceration and, thus, of its economic toll. Through healing programs, policy campaigns, and leadership development, the organization is building up the capacity of its members to challenge an unjust legal system, expand community safety, and shift narratives around criminalization.  
• Equity and Transformation advocates for the rights and dignity of workers in Chicago’s informal economy to secure labor protections and fair pay. By organizing with workers, running political education programs, and operating an innovative guaranteed income program, they are creating a community-led blueprint for economic inclusion that other cities can follow.  
• National Black Food and Justice Alliance advances economic justice by advancing food and land sovereignty. Their efforts support organizers to secure and protect land, build cooperative food systems, and strengthen networks for land retention. 
• Detroit Disability Power trains policymakers and service providers, conducts accessibility audits, and mobilizes disabled voters to exercise their rights at the poll and build political power, ensuring that disability inclusion is a central tenet of the city’s public investment and economic policies. 
• SisTers PGH provides direct economic support—including housing and employment—to community members shut out of mainstream systems. They offer supportive housing, employment assistance, and emergency resources while also advocating for policies that expand safety, opportunity and inclusion for trans communities in Pittsburgh.

We are proud to stand with—and fund—the frontline, community-rooted strategies turning the vision of justice and democracy into reality every day. The fight for fair wages, safe housing, and community-owned resources isn’t abstract—it’s urgent, it’s winnable, and it needs all of us. If you’re ready to move resources where they matter most, and to connect directly with the organizers leading this work, partner with us. The time to act is now. Connect with us.