It’s now determined fact: Donald Trump will be the next President of the United States.
Throughout the entire nation, millions of people are currently feeling shock and pain at the direction of our country and what a Trump presidency means for us and the world. In many cases, these are people that hold a more hopeful vision of the world, that are now seeing those hopes and dreams lose the day.
Others are in communities of color, immigrants, Muslims, women, and the many populations that are most under attack as a serious backlash of white supremacy takes such a political victory. Whether it’s the specter of criminalization, the separation of families caused by deportations, or the increasingly open bigotry in our national discourse, we know that there is a real basis for serious anxiety in our communities.
We should be clear from this very moment, this was a victory for white supremacy in a country with a long-rooted history of structural and institutionalized racism. The rootedness of those ideas in many parts of our country in this day is something that many of us clearly underestimated.
No political election can destroy that hope, and no politician is stronger than the activity of committed social movements. From the civil rights movement, labor movement, and more recent movement for marriage equality we know that there are often many setbacks. But, when we are committed and determined enough in our pursuit of justice, we win.
We know that in times of difficulty communities are capable of pulling together and finding a strength in one another that isn’t often visible. We know that organized people are capable of mounting inspirational and effective resistance against the most backward and oppressive political leaders.
We are not afraid and we are not hopeless. We are steeling ourselves for the coming fights. We are preparing ourselves to redouble our efforts to battle inequality and white supremacy. The necessity of stronger and broader social justice movements has become even more apparent in the last 24 hours. We are as committed as ever to defending our brothers and sisters of color, to standing up against anti-immigrant policies, to offer fierce resistance in the face of marginalization and oppression.
Most importantly, to continue fighting for a new world of genuine equality and freedom for all people.
As we begin to prepare ourselves for the coming fights, we know that we have to find solace and compassion with our progressive allies. There is a moment to mourn and reflect and then there is a moment to recommit to the struggles ahead. We can’t do this in isolation, only in community. We hope that we can come together as we process this moment and set our sights on the future.
We will gather at 3:30pm on Saturday the 12th at the Metro Justice offices for this purpose. Please contact Colin to let us know if you plan to attend.
“But there’s a message there for everyone and it is that people can unite, that democracy from below can challenge oligarchy, that imprisoned migrants can be freed, that fascism can be overcome, and that equality is emancipatory.” – Angela Davis
