Community advocates and Black Lives Matter advocates gather for a news conference outside Target Corporation’s headquarters Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minn. The news conference responded to Target’s rollback on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)
By George Burrell
From generation to generation, Black leaders’ reality has been “enough is not enough.” By beating the odds, earlier generations advanced Black life and passed batons with momentum. Are static Black demographics for a quarter century a pause or a setback?
As a result of this uncertainty, Trump has declared war on Black people across the economic spectrum, not just the poor and vulnerable.
Former President Bill Clinton in “Citizen” exposes white leaders who, “do some good, but never propose anything that will make a significant difference, because doing so would reduce their wealth and power.”
Black employment, contracts, businesses, education and quality of life are on the chopping block. Black people are now identified as unqualified DEI beneficiaries, cheating white men, even though white women were also beneficiaries by a wide margin. As Dr. King’s birthday and Black History Month are celebrated, King’s generation is the gold standard for coordinating power and transforming Black lives, individually and collectively. Philadelphia’s 1980s Black Political Movement is the local corollary. Black people without elected power, financed by Black people, took power from the party, launching ascending Black power for decades, confident it was the missing link to equitable Black access to the American Dream.
Realizing their intended outcome and protecting the community from being up a creek without a paddle is our responsibility. Keep doing what we’ve been doing, and transformative outcomes escape us — Black people lose. New strategies and determination are imperative.
Black confidence in leadership has declined, and voter turnout is unpredictable — former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Vice President Kamala Harris lost winnable presidential elections, giving us Trump and chaos, largely self-inflicted. Without new game plans and coordinated Black and white political leadership, the elections in 2026 and 2028 will only empower younger white conservatives.
Black leaders need old-school grit. Trump has confidently set the table for a “do-or-die” competition, designed to destroy Black access to the American Dream (no exaggeration). Black people must win, not compromise. Our children and grandchildren’s future, beyond entertainment and athletics, is the ante. Trump’s win should be a call to action.
“An unjust law is no law at all, which means, I have a right, even a duty, to resist with violence or civil disobedience. You should pray I choose the latter.” — actor Denzel Whitaker as James Farmer, Jr. in the movie, “The Great Debaters”
Rev. Freddie Haynes and Solomon Jones both provide offensive and defensive perspectives on the current situation.
“Write a vision, develop a plan, start a movement — be activists, organizers and influencers, and accept assignments bigger than can be achieved by one individual,” Haynes said.
“[There is] no time to feign ignorance, nor be silent,” Jones said. “Accept the mantle of leadership, which means knowing enough about victory to win the battles that are coming. Recommit to the work of our forebears, who did far more than dream. Patronize Black businesses, lean on faith, protect families, and build wealth. Choose this path, because the only correct response to Trump’s divide-and-conquer agenda is uniting, fighting and persevering.”
Black leaders, convene the Chamber, business and institution leaders. In addition to poverty and education solutions, have them define merit-based, race-neutral and how representative Black participation will be achieved in employment and procurement. Given Black participation is not representative and affirmative action is not unconstitutional, how will RFPs be drafted, reviewed and contracts awarded? CEO free will and discretion will decide private sector outcomes more than Trump. Communicate that the Black boiling point is near boycott temperature.
Philanthropy and church ministries stand between life and death for thousands, but do not change the 40% of Black people living in poverty, deep poverty or economic insecurity. Community leaders should meet collectively, identify partners and develop strategies and program modifications that reduce demand for your services and the 40% over the next decade. Black change at scale generally results from leaders and leadership organizations partnering and pulling oars in the same and new directions. The community needs to experience change, not hear or read about intent. That ship has sailed.
Black leaders should establish a Black leader table and power center. The mayor, Council president and Black members should pursue a Black-specific city agenda, because Trump and Congress are attacking Black people with a white male-specific agenda. Black state leaders, press the governor and white leaders to be more Black specific. Black business owners, professionals, and those possessing quiet wealth, increase financial support for politics and leadership organizations, positioning them to be more aggressive advocates. Clergy and labor, replicate the strategies of Bill Gray and Sam Staten, Sr.
Why? California, Washington and Northeast Philadelphia’s recent tragedies picture Trump’s intent for our neighborhoods and futures.
In the movie “The 6888,” — based on the real-life story of Charity Adams, the first Black woman officer in the Women’s Army Corps and commander of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion during WWII — Adams’ “over my dead body” confrontation with a racist general, calling out racism against all Negroes, and not just Negro women, is galvanizing.
Trump sees color, not gender. We all win or all lose, but Black men’s superiority complex — a constant from Jim Crow to VP Harris — must be made history. I know from experience the impatience fueling ambition for emerging leaders. Old heads should, but won’t, get lost. Yet, just like in professional sports, your role should be to improve the team, yet not force out or disrespect performing veterans.
Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the article belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer, The Philadelphia Sunday SUN, the author’s organization, committee or other group or individual.
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