Dem
47
GOP
53
The Hands Off! protests a week ago were a great success. They drew millions of white people to rallies all over the country, mostly older white folks. But almost no Black people.
At first glance, you might expect Black people to be there with bells on. After all, given Donald Trump's agenda of destroying DEI, blocking police reform, and ending civil rights protections, they've got a fair bit of skin in this game. And, of course, there's now a generations-old tradition of protest in the Black community. Nevertheless, as several pieces this week have observed, Black folks are staying on the sidelines right now.
There appear to be a few dynamics in play. The first, and most obvious, is personal safety. As Shalise Manza Young observes, there has been very little police presence at the various (mostly white) protests. Add a lot of Black people to the mix, however, and that may change quickly. After all, she notes wryly, "Black people know the laws of this country, including the First Amendment, still don't apply to all its citizens." Nina Smith, a strategist for the Movement for Black Lives, concurred: "The best way I can show up in this moment is to take care of myself." What if Donald Trump decided to deport someone whose family has been in the U.S. since 1850 back to Africa? Would the Supreme Court scream: "You can't do that?" And if they did, would Trump listen?
A second dynamic is, for lack of a better word, timing. Black activists, and in particular Black women activists, went all-in on trying to get Kamala Harris elected (and trying to warn people about what a Trump presidency would look like). Many of them are now tired and/or disheartened, and believe that the next fight will be waged in a year or so, not now. So, they are both licking their wounds and keeping their powder dry.
Finally, many black activist groups are undergoing a leadership transition now. The leaders of the old Civil Rights Movement are either dead or too old to lead. The new ones are not yet sure of what their priorities should be. Back in the 1960s, demanding that Black people in Alabama be allowed to eat at white lunch counters was pretty straightforward compared to the problems new leaders are facing. Many Black activists believe that now is the time for planning, while the future is the time for acting.
We will have one more item on this subject on Friday. (V & Z)