It’s now clear that we are able to not say we’re making progress on race relations in America. We’re going backward. Daily we discover ourselves practically speechless concerning what comes out of the mouths of so many individuals who name themselves leaders. Allow us to simply follow Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who had at the very least 4 years to look at excessive insanity popping out of the White Home and across the nation. We had an election in 2020 and had begun to imagine the American individuals wished to work towards semi-normalcy the place most individuals desired to maneuver ahead and at the very least inching towards equality and fundamental human rights for all of us.
As an alternative, we’re caught with 24/7 of the Trump insanity and a runner-up of a bunch of would-be Trumps! As a person, I’ve usually puzzled what life would have in retailer for younger Black individuals as they age. A few of them are absolute geniuses! As the times, months and years go by, I now marvel what will occur to all of us if we simply watch life go by as an alternative of conserving our arms on the plow as our ancestors did.
Plainly not a day goes by with out anyone developing with a technique to do hurt to us. That’s the reason I’ll by no means perceive how a number of of our individuals make themselves accessible to work with the racists who need to take the nation again to a time and place from which our ancestors died to free us.
We had begun to have hope. When Congressman John Lewis died, we thought absolutely he was well-liked on each side of the aisle, so passing a voting rights invoice to honor his work can be a chunk of cake!
A rising variety of individuals had begun to honor Dr. MLK by remembering him by means of a day of service for these in want, making a optimistic distinction of their communities.
Younger individuals of all races had been becoming a member of rallies for varied causes. They had been activists like Maxwell Frost, who acquired elected to Congress.
A superb Black lady was confirmed to serve on the U.S. Supreme Courtroom and the courtroom stunned us with three optimistic circumstances on truthful voting. A Black/Asian lady was chosen to be vice chairman.
Honorable Barack Obama had served two superb phrases as president and Michelle Obama had accomplished two phrases as our flawless first woman. Many cities had been electing Black mayors and never simply in small Black cities, but in addition in Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, St. Louis, Kansas Metropolis, New York Metropolis, Atlanta and extra.
The Congressional Black Caucus grew to 54 members! New faces from new locations come to Washington each election.
The Biden administration had begun issues to profit all of us — even for individuals in areas the place their Washington representatives voted in opposition to the advantages. We noticed the 2 strongest years of job progress in historical past. Many debtors started to profit from scholar debt reduction. Over 100 actions had been taken to decrease family vitality prices and extra!
We had been on a roll. Then alongside got here Ron DeSantis, who determined he might out-Trump Donald Trump! He banned books by and about lots of our heroes and sheroes. He picked a combat with Disney World! He completely disrespects girls and Black individuals. He claims it’s OK for him to pressure individuals throughout the nation to imagine that we had been one way or the other blessed to be enslaved due to the good issues slavery did for us! He’s tried to distort the brutality of slavery for our individuals and the way slavery nonetheless has scars on us.
All of us must hold our arms on the plow and work out our response collectively!
Williams is president of The Dick Gregory Society (www.thedickgregorysociety.org).