What does it mean to have economic justice when you have systemic barriers against you?

Economic justice isn't a personal achievement—it's a condition where the systems themselves don't actively work against you. Sor Juana had intellectual brilliance but was confined by gender, religious authority, and colonial hierarchy. She couldn't simply 'work harder' her way to freedom because the barriers weren't about her merit. That distinction matters. When you face discrimination in hiring, wage gaps based on identity, exclusion from networks, or assumptions about your competence, you're encountering systemic barriers. Economic justice means those barriers get dismantled, not that you become exceptional enough to bypass them individually. It requires collective action, policy change, and people with power choosing equity over comfort. Your personal financial security might still require you to navigate these systems strategically. But don't confuse survival within injustice with acceptance of it. You can work within the system while simultaneously refusing to believe the system is fair, while supporting others facing the same barriers, while building toward something better. That's not sellout—it's strategic wisdom.