Today I was watching The Banker, a movie about a Black investor who, at the time, was hindered from succeeding at the American dream. He had to become creative in how he went about acquiring real estate.
Bernard Garrett and Joe Morris built an empire by understanding finance and real estate inside out, yet due to systemic racism, they had to use a white man as the face of their business. It was genius, but it was also necessary. The system was built to keep them out, and even after they succeeded, the government still came after them.
It really isn’t lost on me how deeply ingrained the idea of ownership is in me. I was laying on the floor of my one-bedroom apartment, on an old carpet that has seen better days yet still clean from the absence of stains and spills, while watching The Banker, eating a meatloaf dinner with mashed potatoes and mixed veggies, pistachios for a snack.
The meal transformed me into that time period while books on finance and investing, with thoughts from Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett, and Benjamin Graham, sat next to my laptop on the floor. The teen and I watched how at one point, the dream of ownership, the American dream, was forbidden for most race groups, especially Black Americans.
As I lay there watching, with finance books next to me, also near the Korean mattress that I sleep on, I noticed Bernard and I weren’t that much different. The time period is different, yet here we both are, trying to climb the ladder of the American dream, or at least have some form of social mobility away from poverty.
The Untold Story of The Banker
The Banker is based on the true story of Bernard Garrett and Joe Morris, two Black businessmen in the 1960s who used a white man, Matt Steiner, as the face of their real estate and banking empire because of segregation and racial discrimination.
Garrett was sharp, he understood finance and real estate inside out, but back then, no bank would give loans to Black investors, and white property owners wouldn’t sell to them. So, he and Morris trained Steiner to play the role of the frontman while they worked behind the scenes.
Even after they succeeded in buying buildings and a bank in Texas to help Black families get home loans, they still got taken down when the government came after them. The irony is, they weren’t doing anything different from what white businessmen did all the time, leveraging loopholes, playing the game, but because they were Black, they got hit with legal trouble.
Ownership as a Path to Freedom
Reflecting on my own life I couldn’t help but think about this blog, the stocks, the books, the new website the teen and I are putting together, and how I’ve designed my life to have some form of ownership and independence that can’t be taken from us. Even though we are a far cry from that kind of freedom, that continues to be the dream, the destination, at least financially for us.
Ownership isn’t dead, it’s more important than ever to own something, even if it doesn’t pay the bills. A blog, a website, investments, skills, anything that is yours. It creates a space of agency, serves as an outlet, and allows you to experience the feeling of owning something that no one else can control or take away.
The Shift Toward Ownership Thinking
That’s the real essence of it, ownership is not just about money; it’s about control over your own life. In a world where jobs are less secure, corporations are cutting costs at the expense of workers, and inflation is making everything harder to attain, having something of your own is a form of protection. When you own something, whether it’s knowledge, a digital space, investments, or control over your time, you become less vulnerable to outside forces.
People like Bernard Garrett had to fight just for access, but today, the barriers are different. Now, it’s about bridging knowledge gaps, navigating an unpredictable economy, and understanding how to create lasting value. The people who build, who claim ownership in some form, are the ones who don’t just survive but thrive.
Why Ownership Matters Now More Than Ever
In uncertain times, ownership is more than a goal, it’s a necessity. It teaches discipline, resilience, and the mindset shift from being a consumer to being a creator. Even if what you own today is small, even if it’s just a side project, a blog, or a few investments, it’s still a step toward financial independence.
And once you understand the value of ownership, once you experience having something that exists outside of anyone else’s control, you never go back.
Perhaps that is why I write articles such as these:
The Power of Ownership: Why Independence Matters More Than Ever in 2025
Act Like You Can’t Afford the Bread Until You Own the Bakery – Frugality Builds Ownership
How to Think of Stock Ownership – Seeing Stock Market Opportunities Through a Business Lens
Because no matter what path I take, I always find myself back on this path of ownership. I don’t see myself ever not owning something, whether it’s a stock, website, book series, or something in my name that at least brings in some form of income for my household to continue building financial security.
This is not to say that every project will be a great financial success, but the underlying purpose is there: ownership. It’s ownership outside of the external world, where others often have more control over your life, like your boss at work, the office manager who likes to micromanage, or government assistance (whether it’s housing, food, or student aid). While that assistance is a blessing, it comes with loops and the fear that you could be cut off at any time.
I wrote about how I was once in a position where I use the adage I didn’t have a pot to piss and how it kicked me into gear to have some form of ownership. I spent two years in an intense focus studying finance articles and blogs before investing which led me to where I am now with a private investment fund and this blog where I document my life and educate others.
Ownership: More Than a Goal, It’s Personal to Me
As I write this, I hear my upstairs neighbor with a short temper, either on the phone or playing Xbox Live, and already my nervous system is kicking into gear, anticipating some yelling or stomps on the ceiling. As I said, I am thankful to live in affordable housing, but I do look forward to having something of my own, without neighbors on top or bottom, or at least somewhere the walls aren’t so thin.
I live in an old building that was once a hotel in the heart of Downtown Tacoma. It was built in 1909, right down the block from the Old City Hall, which you can see as soon as you step outside. Hopefully, when I leave this place, I’ll be able to write about it fondly.
However, I can’t lie and say I will miss this place because I won’t, once we start a new chapter. I’ll forever be thankful for what the location has to offer, and I hope that when the time comes, the next tenant to rent this unit will get as much use from it, and then some, as we did.
It’s a perfect place to work towards something, but the worst place to remain stuck in. Oftentimes, there are more problematic people here than there are not. But if you stick to yourself, you don’t have much to worry about. And if you let people talk because they’re upset, and you don’t engage with them, you won’t get caught up in the drama.
Meanwhile, this is where I’ve built much of our ownership, where I started our investment journey, the private investment fund, this blog, and much more. However, now that I’ve been a student, I’ve been venturing out to either the campus library or the local library, which has recently opened back up since 2020. It’s nice to work away from all the noise once in a while.
Who am I kidding? Most of the time, I prefer to work outside the apartment because it’s rarely quiet. But again, I will forever be thankful for my time here in this beautiful old building that has a rich history, a dark history at that.
The Broke College Student 
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