Gemstones in the Sun

Gemstones in the Sun [GITS], a national 501c3 nonprofit organization, was established in 2019 by people of color [POC] in the USA. Our mission is to create an opportunity for POC to be in psycho-spiritual recovery from the internal effects of external oppression, while working together to proliferate cooperative structures with the aim of building an egalitarian economy in the USA.

Historically, people of color – indigenous people, descendants of enslaved Africans, and immigrants of color -- have not benefited from the transfer of intergenerational wealth. Legal and illegal means of destroying POC generational wealth have resulted in widespread, unhealthy relationships to money, wealth management and cooperative economics.

Traditionally, community has been the source of health, strength and sustenance in POC society. Community is the connection to our values, cultures, and decisions. And community is how we thrive in business. We believe in and give service to something bigger than ourselves, and we work through community to make a way out of no way for the betterment of all.

The healing, recovery, empowerment and economic development work of GITS is our calling. The four elements of our Color Bold, Diversity Strong philosophy are:

• The POC community is a broad tent and synergy matters. We achieve more justice interdependently than we do by seeking it independently.
• Healing and Recovery is the first step. We provide tools and space through our GITS Freedom Circles for a collective focus on spiritual deconstruction of internalized oppression, a commonly experienced side-effect of systemic racism.
• Empowerment. We share our stories, best practices, strategies and power through community networks that empower and strengthen the bonds within and between us.
• Cooperative Economics. We harness our bonds and collective strength to create opportunities to build POC values-based economies.