ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 aims to center readers on what is meant by power. This includes an examination of the major theoretical models of this concept before landing on the frame guiding this book, which identifies power as something being largely rooted in individual self-determination. This chapter also unpacks how the structure of socio-political systems has impacted the distribution of political power in large societies like America down to the micro-level structure of the family home. The common thread throughout is the distribution of resources, who gets to determine who gets what and what personal traits impact individual and group power to access valued resources. The foundational argument for this book is laid out here that in America the power structure has been influenced by the ideology of white supremacy, and black Americans are the only group that can be trusted to shift this power dynamic in a more equitable manner that will stabilize the black community, the nation and the planet.
