Racial justice activists prepare for Trump budget cuts and policy changes
ST. LOUIS ‒ They feed the hungry. They counter violence and racial injustice. They fight for criminal justice reform and against book bans. And this week, more than 4,200 of them came together for solace and support and to map out how to respond if President-elect Donald Trump delivers on campaign promises to dismantle programs that support their work.
The effort comes as many racial justice activists said they mourn Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat to Trump, the Republican former president.
“We find ourselves at a crossroads,’’ Glenn Harris, president of Race Forward, told activists. “We cannot allow ourselves to fall into hopelessness.”
In the wake of the presidential election, the activists, educators, government workers and researchers participated in a two-day "Facing Race" conference Thursday and Friday hosted by Race Forward, a progressive-leaning national social justice organization. The event took place 10 years after Michael Brown, an unarmed Black teenager, was killed by a white police officer a few miles away in Ferguson, Missouri. Brown’s death sparked demonstrations and a focus on racial tensions there and other places.
Traditionally, the conference is held every two years and two weeks after Election Day.
Organizers said the convening provided activists an opportunity to discuss some concerns, including Trump’s campaign promses to eliminate the federal Department of Education, deport millions of immigrants and scrap programs centered on diversity. Other groups are also ramping up progressive activism efforts.
Harris praised activists for their work acknowledging they may be tired, but stressed their civic engagement efforts weren’t about just one election.
“We still have agency,’’ he said. “The road ahead will be tough.”
Searching for strategies
Katherine Boyles attended the conference hoping to learn how best to strategize if there are major changes in federal policies or budget cuts for programs that provide food aid.
“We have to figure out how to navigate,’’ said Boyles, community nutrition and food policy coordinator for the Office of Public Health and Safety in Indianapolis. Part of her work is trying to improve food equity in the city.
Boyles said in the wake of the election there needs to be more focus on ramping up local and community-based strategies.
It “will be very difficult if there are in fact cuts,” she said.
Trump officials have said they will cut or eliminate some federal programs to reduce out-of-control costs.
Jarvis Williams of Augusta, Georgia, said he expects Trump’s win will impact the work of many grassroots activists.
“They will have to think about how their work can flourish within a new global context,’’ said Williams, director of race and democracy at Horizons Project, which he described as a group of national organizers trying to address the failings of democracy.
“But it’s not something we never faced before,'' Williams said. “It’s just a new day with new characters with the same racial justice fight.”
'This will be a generational struggle'
Speakers and organizers also pointed to what they called victories, including some down-ballot elections of progressive candidates in Missouri and some union-backed candidates in New York.
“Elections are not just about the president,’’ said Maurice Mitchell, national director of Working Families Party.
Mitchell praised the work of activists, particularly Black women, who he and others credited with helping lead civic engagement efforts across the country.
Still, Mitchell said, it may take years to undo some of the expected changes.
“We’re not getting out of here in one election cycle,’’ he said.
Eric Ward, executive vice president of Race Forward, agreed.
“This will be a generational struggle,’’ he told reporters. “This will not be solved in four years or eight years or 10.”
Keep our eyes on the movement
Conference organizers said they recognize that some activists are still grieving the loss of the presidential election and provided offerings to help, including a session called, “Finding my wellness and wellbeing and gathering strength for the road ahead.”
“We need to grieve, whatever people need to do to re-center themselves,’’ said Harris. “We can mourn, but we need to get back to remembering who we are, where we come from and what debt we owe to our ancestors.”
Kim Desmond, chief equity officer for the International City/County Management Association, said the work of activists will continue. “Let us keep our eyes on the movement,’’ Desmond said.
Among others, there were sessions on combating systemic racism, navigating the post-election landscape, empowering community through climate initiatives and using equity tools in communities. There was also a call for more police accountability during a panel on the 10th anniversary of Brown's death.
There were also sessions and efforts to highlight joy, including a DJ and craft activities. And in an effort to support the St. Louis community, local businesses also set up shop.
It’s important for activists to be prepared to build, block and protect their communities for whatever changes come, conference organizers said.
“In times like these sometimes we just have to remind ourselves, remind ourselves of our strength, remind ourselves of our power, remind ourselves that we have strength in our community,‘’ said Karla Bruce, chief of staff for Race Forward. “And sometimes in the immortal words of the poet Kendrick Lamar we just have to pop out and show ‘em.”
“Don’t be mistaken we are doing the most important work there is to do – advancing racial justice,” she said.