In this op-ed, Khamil Bailey, co-Founder and Executive Director of the Greenwood Plan, shares her journey from growing up confronting systemic racism in East Orange, New Jersey, to witnessing injustice and building community among Black residents of Pittsburgh. She highlights her work to support Black entrepreneurs through initiatives like Cocoapreneur and the Greenwood Plan, emphasizing the need for financial support and public-private partnerships to build economic independence and political power for communities of color in the city.