"As the nation's young, limited, and fragile multiracial democracy is tested, fraying under authoritarian executive actions of the Trump administration, the urgency of now makes it difficult to think expansively about the future. As serial emergencies threaten to keep Black people and people of color perpetually off-balance-be it ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) terrorizing our communities, extrajudicial " disappearings," de facto martial law, criminalization of racial equity, and more-history offers grounding by contextualizing the current emergencies."
"The constructs of race, racism, and othering -catalyzed by White supremacist ideology, xenophobia, and colonialism-do not just keep us from an expansive vision of liberation. They fuel a perpetual cycle of redefining who the United States is for. Each time progress is made toward an inclusive, just society with a promise of liberty and justice for all, there follows a new season of retraction."
The United States experiences recurring cycles of progress and backlash rooted in racial constructs fueled by White supremacist ideology, xenophobia, and colonialism. Post-Civil War Reconstruction attempted to grant citizenship and rights to Black Americans but was undermined by Jim Crow and persistent discrimination. Subsequent grassroots civil rights movements advanced rights but faced retrenchment and authoritarian resistance. Current authoritarian executive actions and serial emergencies destabilize marginalized communities through immigration enforcement, extrajudicial disappearances, de facto martial law, and criminalization of racial equity. Achieving a Third Reconstruction requires bold, systemic strategies and courageous action to reclaim and expand democratic inclusion and lasting racial justice.
Read at Nonprofit Quarterly | Civic News. Empowering Nonprofits. Advancing Justice.
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