#NNPA BlackPress

Trump Is In. What’s Next For Black, Brown and Indigenous Women?

[This post contains video, click to play] Democracy Dies in Darkness – It’s Time for a Reckoning By Maria Perez, Co-founder and Co-Executive Director of Democracy Rising, and Muthoni Wambu Kraal, co-founder and Executive Director of Women’s Democracy Lab All we have is each other. This is not the first time large segments of the […]

Published

6 months ago

January 24, 2025

Oakland Post

[This post contains video, click to play]

Democracy Dies in Darkness – It’s Time for a Reckoning

By Maria Perez, Co-founder and Co-Executive Director of Democracy Rising,

and Muthoni Wambu Kraal, co-founder and Executive Director of Women’s Democracy Lab

All we have is each other.

This is not the first time large segments of the population—we the people—have faced state-sanctioned dehumanization and violence. We’ve seen it in the genocide of Indigenous peoples, centuries of slavery, decades of Jim Crow. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 made it easier, after Pearl Harbor, to justify the internment of Japanese Americans. Throughout our history, we’ve seen police forces act as systemic agents of racial control. Today, we face the stripping of reproductive rights, the promise to round up millions of immigrant and mixed-status families, and more.

For some time now, we’ve known that we’ve been teetering on the edge of a new era of state-sanctioned racism and misogyny, and the 2024 election has shown us that we failed to prevent it. We are no longer standing on the edge—we have fallen off the cliff into dark and dangerous times. But like every time before this, only we can keep each other safe and protected. And like every time before this, we will rise again.

For Black women—who have been at the forefront of protecting democracy—the stakes have never been more personal. We watched as the margins of voters of color, alongside white women, tipped the scales between electing a highly qualified woman of color president and ushering in a government of tyrannical white nationalists.

In response, Black women have drawn a line in the sand. We are done weaving a collective quilt of safety for all—only to see it unraveled by those who fail to act in the interest of the most vulnerable. For women of color, the message is painfully clear: the incoming regime’s plan is to fully relegate us as a collective underclass, the hell with our rights. We are all rightfully shocked; feeling betrayed, fearful, irate, ashamed of this country’s choices, and deeply exhausted.

It is almost inconceivable that a blatantly racist, sexist, and authoritarian wannabe dictator was elected by a popular vote—including more Black and brown votes than ever before. Authoritarian figures have been elected democratically in other countries for decades, but we often tell ourselves this happens only in countries with weaker democracies or more homogeneous populations. History provides some insight.

In 2018, Brazil—a country where whites are the minority—elected its own white supremacist autocrat, Jair Bolsonaro. At the time, there was a narrative suggesting that non-white voters had somehow been entranced by him, even as he denigrated and dehumanized them. The truth is, there have always been Black and brown people in Brazil who supported racism and sexism. The same holds true with voters of color here.

Voters make decisions based on a wide range of factors, including deeply ingrained family values, religious beliefs, societal pressures, trauma, and individual disposition. Propaganda is a powerful tool, and social media is an unmatched accelerant. So yes, some of our Black, Latino, AAPI, and Indigenous people voted for this, but a larger story is likely to emerge about the coalition of voters of color who “stayed home.” All of these dynamics should be turned from blame into questions— Why and where do we go from here? If we fail to diagnose the underlying political choices of those who fought to protect the nation from autocracy—and those who didn’t, we will also miss the answers we seek.

We have a role to play to address the threat to the decades of coalitions and trust we’ve worked hard to build across communities. We will need to create broader input and ownership over agendas that benefit the many, while practicing engagement and communication that navigates racism, sexism, and fears of replacement that also exist across communities of color.

We cannot afford to abandon any segment of our people because of the choices made by some, and rejecting the blame narrative is a crucial first step

The second step is to go small and build our democracy at the grassroots level. The road ahead is tough, it will require all of us—whether we voted for a different outcome, the outcome we got, or didn’t vote. We know what the incoming federal government has promised. They intend to stay in power, ruling by any means necessary. We have a very short time to prepare.

When Indigenous Zapatista leaders in Chiapas responded to the grave economic threat to communities following the 1994 launch of NAFTA, Subcomandante Marcos made their mission clear: “we are here to ensure that the inclusive, tolerant, and plural tomorrow—which is, incidentally, the only tomorrow possible—will arrive.” 1

This is our assignment now.

Policy fights must continue, and they must be fought wherever and whenever we can—at the local and state levels. But much of our work now is also cultural. Culture is shaped by action, art, dialogue, and creating spaces for people to come together. It cultivates democratic values and practices.

Focusing on cultural renewal will give us concrete evidence that what we do now matters—and bring joy in doing it together. We’ve seen movements like Black Lives Matter and Standing Rock spring up, fueled by solidarity. We’ve seen neighbors in urban and rural communities respond to COVID-19 and help one another through climate disasters. We are capable of organizing mutual aid and solidarity structures across political and racial divides.

We have leaders who have done this, and new ones will bring fresh energy. Our priority must be to keep as many people as safe as possible until this regime ends. But make no mistake: we must rebuild our coalition so we can fortify our shared democratic future on the other side.

1 “Fourth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle, “A new lie is being sold to us as history,” quoted in Gustavo Esteva and Madhu Suri Prakash, Grassroots Postmodernism: Remaking the Soil of Cultures (New York: Zed Books, 1998), 43.”

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Trump Set to Sign Largest Cut to Medicaid After a Marathon Protest Speech by Leader Jeffries

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The bill also represents the biggest cut in Medicare in history and is a threat to the health care coverage of over 15 million people. The spending in Trump’s signature legislation also opens the door to a second era of over-incarceration in the U.S.

Published

1 week ago

July 3, 2025

Oakland Post

By Lauren Burke

By a vote of 218 to 214, the GOP-controlled U.S. House passed President Trump’s massive budget and spending bill that will add $3.5 trillion to the national debt, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The bill also represents the biggest cut in Medicare in history and is a threat to the health care coverage of over 15 million people. The spending in Trump’s signature legislation also opens the door to a second era of over-incarceration in the U.S. With $175 billion allocated in spending for immigration enforcement, the money for more police officers eclipsed the 2026 budget for the U.S. Marines, which is $57 billion. Almost all of the policy focus from the Trump Administration has focused on deporting immigrants of color from Mexico and Haiti.

The vote occurred as members were pressed to complete their work before the arbitrary deadline of the July 4 holiday set by President Trump. It also occurred after Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries took the House floor for over 8 hours in protest. Leader Jeffries broke the record in the U.S. House for the longest floor speech in history on the House floor. The Senate passed the bill days before and was tied at 50-50, with Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski saying that, “my hope is that the House is gonna look at this and recognize that we’re not there yet.” There were no changes made to the Senate bill by the House. A series of overnight phone calls to Republicans voting against, not changes, was what won over enough Republicans to pass the legislation, even though it adds trillions to the debt. The Trump spending bill also cuts money to Pell grants.

“The Big Ugly Bill steals food out of the hands of starving children, steals medicine from the cabinets of cancer patients, and equips ICE with more funding and more weapons of war than the United States Marine Corps. Is there any question of who those agents will be going to war for, or who they will be going to war against? Beyond these sadistic provisions, Republicans just voted nearly unanimously to close urban and rural hospitals, cripple the child tax credit, and to top it all off, add $3.3 trillion to the ticking time bomb that is the federal deficit – all from a party that embarrassingly pretends to stand for fiscal responsibility and lowering costs,” wrote Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY) in a statement on July 3.

“The Congressional Budget Office predicts that 17 million people will lose their health insurance, including over 322,000 Virginians. It will make college less affordable. Three million people will lose access to food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). And up to 16 million students could lose access to free school meals. The Republican bill does all of this to fund tax breaks for millionaires, billionaires, and corporations,” wrote Education and Workforce Committee ranking member Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) in a statement. The bill’s passage has prompted Democrats to start thinking about 2026 and the next election cycle. With the margins of victory in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate being so narrow, many are convinced that the balance of power and the question of millions being able to enjoy health care come down to only several thousand votes in congressional elections. But currently, Republicans controlled by the MAGA movement control all three branches of government. That reality was never made more stark and more clear than the last seven days of activity in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.

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WATCH: NNPA Publishers Pivot To Survive

7.2.25 via NBC 4 Washington

Published

1 week ago

July 3, 2025

Oakland Post

7.2.25 via NBC 4 Washington

https://youtube.com/watch?v=9oZc5Sz0jQQ&feature=oembed

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#NNPA BlackPress

Congressional Black Caucus Challenges Target on Diversity

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — we found that the explanations offered by the leadership of the Target Corporation fell woefully short of what our communities deserve and of the values of inclusion that Target once touted

Published

1 week ago

July 3, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

Target is grappling with worsening financial and reputational fallout as the national selective buying and public education program launched by the Black Press of America and other national and local leaders continues to erode the retailer’s sales and foot traffic. But a recent meeting that the retailer intended to keep quiet between CEO Brian Cornell and members of the Congressional Black Caucus Diversity Task Force was publicly reported after the Black Press discovered the session, and the CBC later put Target on blast.

“The Congressional Black Caucus met with the leadership of the Target Corporation on Capitol Hill to directly address deep concerns about the impact of the company’s unconscionable decision to end a number of its diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts,” CBC Chair Yvette Clarke stated. “Like many of the coalition leaders and partner organizations that have chosen to boycott their stores across the country, we found that the explanations offered by the leadership of the Target Corporation fell woefully short of what our communities deserve and of the values of inclusion that Target once touted,” Congresswoman emphasized. “Black consumers contribute overwhelmingly to our economy and the Target Corporation’s bottom line. Our communities deserve to shop at businesses that publicly share our values without sacrificing our dignity. It is no longer acceptable to deliver promises to our communities in private without also demonstrating those values publicly.”

Lauren Burke, Capitol Hill correspondent for Black Press of America, was present when Target CEO Cornell and a contingent of Target officials arrived at the U.S. Capitol last month. “It’s always helpful to have meetings like this and get some candid feedback and continue to evolve our thinking,” Cornell told Burke as he exited the meeting. And walked down a long hallway in the Cannon House Office Building. “We look forward to follow-up conversations,” he stated. When asked if the issue of the ongoing boycott was discussed, Cornell’s response was, “That was not a big area of focus — we’re focused on running a great business each and every day. Take care of our teams. Take care of the guests who shop with us and do the right things in our communities.”

A national public education campaign on Target, spearheaded by Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), the NNPA’s board of directors, and with other national African American leaders, has combined consumer education efforts with a call for selective buying. The NNPA is a trade association that represents the more than 220 African American-owned newspapers and media companies known as the Black Press of America, the voice of 50 million African Americans across the nation. The coalition has requested that Target restore and expand its stated commitment to do business with local community-owned businesses inclusive of the Black Press of America, and to significantly increase investment in Black-owned businesses and media, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU, Black-owned Banks, national Black Church denominations, and grassroots and local organizations committed to improving the quality of life of all Americans, and especially those from underserved communities. According to Target’s latest earnings report, net sales for the first quarter of 2025 fell 2.8 percent to $23.85 billion compared to the same period last year. Comparable store sales dropped 3.8 percent, and in-store foot traffic slid 5.7 percent.

Shares of Target have also struggled under the pressure. The company’s stock traded around $103.85 early Wednesday afternoon, down significantly from roughly $145 before the controversy escalated. Analysts note that Target has lost more than $12 billion in market value since the beginning of the year. “We will continue to inform and to mobilize Black consumers in every state in the United States,” Chavis said. “Target today has a profound opportunity to respond with respect and restorative commitment.”