On this episode of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D sat down with lawyer, journalist, and author Malaika Jabali to unpack her new book It’s Not You, It’s Capitalism. Drawing on her legal background and years of political reporting, Jabali challenges the myths surrounding capitalism and reframes our relationship to money, struggle, and systemic inequality.
Jabali explains that the idea for the book emerged during the pandemic, when people internalized their economic hardship as personal failure rather than a systemic flaw. Using the metaphor of a toxic relationship, she likens capitalism to a manipulative partner—gaslighting folks into believing they aren’t working hard enough while hoarding the fruits of their labor. “We’ve been conditioned to think this is the only way to live,” Jabali says, “and that’s the biggest lie of all.”
She and Davey dig deep into the psychological hold capitalism has on people, especially Black communities. From “prosperity gospel” churches pushing predatory loans, to celebrity billionaires being held up as aspirational goals, Jabali argues that capitalism sells false hope while hiding its exploitative roots. As Davey puts it, “That’s big pimping—the American way.”
The conversation also centers race and class. Jabali challenges the whitewashed history of socialism, highlighting Black revolutionaries like Assata Shakur, Martin Luther King Jr., Dolores Huerta, and Kathleen Cleaver, whose critiques of capitalism were often erased or watered down. She points out that capitalism in the U.S. was born through racial exploitation—enslaved labor, redlining, and now the prison-industrial complex—and can’t be separated from that legacy.
Jabali doesn’t shy away from tough contradictions, especially the debate around Black capitalism. She critiques the notion that individual wealth will liberate communities, pointing to Atlanta—a city known for Black excellence, yet riddled with inequality and displacement. “If Black capitalism was the solution,” she argues, “it would’ve worked by now.”
Davey also raises a sharp point about how billionaires collaborate and share resources, while everyday folks are conditioned to hustle alone. “They practice collective power,” he says, “and we’re taught individualism. That’s not by accident.”
To make the book accessible to younger readers, Jabali collaborated with illustrator Kayla E. to include visual breakdowns—like the cheeky timeline of exploitative “Johns,” from plantation owner to Silicon Valley CEO—all exploiting labor in different ways. She encourages readers to start with Chapter 1 (“Why Capitalism Is a Catfish”) and Chapter 2 (“The Boy Is Mine”) for a crash course in how race and class divisions keep working people fighting each other instead of the system.
In short, It’s Not You, It’s Capitalism is more than a critique—it’s an intervention. And it’s a call to remember that our worth isn’t tied to our wages, and our liberation won’t come from mimicking billionaires, but from reclaiming power—together.
- Intro to the “Ugly Bill” and Rise of Billionaire Class
00:00–00:01:00
Davey D frames the conversation around recent wealth transfers and economic inequality, especially in places like San Francisco. - Malaika Jabali’s Background & Book Introduction
00:01:00–00:02:00
Jabali introduces It’s Not You, It’s Capitalism, explaining her motivation and her former role at Essence Magazine. - Capitalism as a Toxic Relationship
00:02:00–00:04:00
Jabali explains the book’s framing metaphor—capitalism as an abusive partner—and how people internalize economic failure. - Gender, Labor & the Hustle Myth
00:04:45–00:07:00
Discussion on how capitalist definitions of worth are tied to jobs and hustle culture, affecting both men and women. - Gaslighting and Prosperity Gospel Example
00:08:00–00:09:30
Davey D brings up churches partnering with banks and pushing toxic loans. Jabali explains how capitalism gaslights people into blaming themselves. - The Lie of “No Alternatives”
00:10:30–00:11:45
Jabali discusses how people are taught there’s no system beyond capitalism—erasing histories of collective and socialist alternatives. - Black-Led Socialist Movements in U.S. History
00:12:00–00:13:00
Jabali points to forgotten Black-led socialist and cooperative movements in places like Wisconsin and the Black Church. - Billionaires Use Collectivism, While We’re Told to Be Individualists
00:14:00–00:15:30
Davey critiques how wealthy elites share power while telling everyday people to compete solo. - Socialism = Worker Power, Not Charity
00:16:00–00:17:30
Jabali breaks down socialism as workers controlling the means of production, citing Richard Wolff and Assata Shakur. - The Trap of Black Capitalism & Atlanta as a Case Study
00:27:00–00:30:00
Jabali critiques the Black capitalism narrative, pointing to Atlanta’s high inequality and Black displacement. - The Myth of Benevolent Billionaires
00:33:00–00:36:00
Jabali breaks down why even well-meaning billionaires can’t solve systemic issues—because capitalism structurally prevents it. - Visuals: The Evolution of “John the Boss” Graphic
00:39:00–00:41:00
Jabali describes a visual from her book tracing exploitative bosses from plantation owners to tech CEOs. - Centering Race in Economic Justice Conversations
00:42:00–00:44:00
Jabali explains why racial exploitation is foundational to capitalism—and why any critique must address it. - Race-Blind Class Politics = Strategic Mistake
00:49:00–00:52:00
They discuss the dangers of left movements ignoring race, using the New York election and DSA strategy as examples. - Chapters to Focus On: “Capitalism is a Catfish” & “The Boy Is Mine”
00:53:00–00:54:30
Jabali recommends Chapters 1 & 2 for their strong pop culture metaphors on economic deceit and racial-class division.
