With the wave of setback Executive Orders by President Trump, we must not be gripped by fear and defeatism. Some of us are old enough to remember that our gains in civil and social rights were made many times in spite of prevailing attitudes and not because of them. First, we must not allow the progress we have made on our merits be redefined under Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) labels no more than we have allowed the concept of Affirmative Action to define our gains and achievements.
Let’s get specific in terms of what we must do to fight identified rollbacks. Let us remember that many of us who will cry victim, did not vote, and if we did, some voted for the very person now seeking to bring us “Reconstruction 2.0”. As a reminder, following the Civil War, Blacks were flourishing in the South. There were two Black U.S. Senators, Black Members of Congress, Superintendent of Public Instruction and a host of other gains. The deal that President Rutherford Hayes made with the South in order to keep the Union together was to create “States Rights”. In other words, to let the states make their own rules on former slaves and reconstruction of the South.
President Trump’s agenda for “Making America Great Again” clearly does not include many of us, so here is what we must do. First, the Black Press must again be recognized as OUR trusted messenger for truth in reporting on proposed changes by this Administration affecting people of color and Blacks in particular. This means that our Press must step up its game in reporting and accountability. Second, we must act on the information we receive. For example, our response to Book Banning should be the creation of Bookstores and Libraries in our churches. To counter the rollback of Black history and achievements, we have the education and ability to create community learning centers and discussion groups in our homes and churches.
Finally, we must remember that many of our present-day colleges and universities were started by our churches. We have more information, businesses and abilities than our forefathers who did so much with so little. Our challenge is to redefine our priorities. We must monitor corporate America’s response to the President’s agenda, and we must adjust our spending habits accordingly. We must remember that Corporate America only respects three things: (1) lost profits, (2) bad publicity, and (3) votes cast against their interest. Our currency is U.S. dollars. Black people in America generate enough wealth to be the 10th largest economy in the world. We just don’t act accordingly. Let’s do our homework and redefine our priorities. As the poet said, “WE WILL NOT GO QUIETLY INTO THE NIGHT.”
