Black voting activists are hitting the ground running to reenergize Black voters post-election with the State of the People POWER Tour.
The nationwide rally comes as President Donald Trump and his administration work to dismantle DEI policies and erase Black history.
The tour was announced during a media briefing organized by Black Voters Matter on April 14. Moderated by former MSNBC Anchor Joy Reid, the briefing brought together media outlets, community organizers, policy leaders, and others to discuss the next steps on how Black Americans should proceed under the current administration.
“I think we all understand the moment that we’re in. We’re facing a really aggressive attempt by the current regime to erase Black history, erase our existence, challenge our presence in federally-funded institutions, challenge the funding of our HBCUs, and even challenge our ability to access federal funds to start businesses,” Reid said on the call.
“This is a moment of crisis, and I think everyone can see that and feel that.”
What Exit Polling Data Say Black Voters Are Feeling
Terrance Woodbury, founding partner and pollster for HIT Strategies, joined the call to brief listeners on the perspectives of Black voters.
HIT Strategies is a public opinion research company that specializes in researching Millennials, People of Color, LGBTQ+, and underserved communities. Woodbury and his team have been conducting on-the-ground research since the presidential election, including weekly focus groups with Black voters.
“There is a fear, frustration, a sense of neglect and [feeling of] ‘who’s fighting for us?’” Woodbury said regarding his conversations with Black voters.
Woodbury said HIT Strategies has followed the most important question: “Regardless of how often you vote, how much power do you think your vote has to make a difference in your community?”
“Since Election Day, HIT Strategies has seen perceptions of power in the Black community drop to the lowest numbers we have seen since recording this metric,” said Woodbury. “What that tells us and what we’re hearing in focus groups, is not only do Black folks feel like we lost on Election Day, they feel like we continue to lose every day.”
HIT Strategies found that Black Americans feel they are losing hard-fought freedoms and rights. From HIT’s research, experts also found that the Democratic party does not seem to understand how to communicate with Black voters on some of the social issues that Republicans are currently using to wedge what Woodbury characterizes as Democrats’ “multiracial coalition.”
“An overwhelming 78% want to see Democrats fight back as much and as visibly as possible” against the Trump administration, Woodbury said.
He said it is imperative that Democrats present a proactive vision and develop a narrative that resonates with and mobilizes Black voters, who are losing faith in the system.
How The State of the People Power Tour Will Energize Black Voters
Black Voters Matters Co-Founder Cliff Albright said a significant strategy Black voters should take in resisting the Trump administration’s agenda is through “nonviolent civil disobedience.”
“We are going to have to take it to the street and use nonviolent direct action. We are going to have to do it in some ways that exceed what we did throughout 2020,” he aids.
The State of the People POWER Tour, organizers say, will mobilize Black voters amid political fatigue.
“State of the People has really become an embodied love letter to Black America. We are working with each other and for each other,” activist Angela Rye announced on the call. “This was birthed out of a marathon that gave our folks an alternative platform to view for 21 hours up to Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress. For those last three hours, we had a Black leadership summit.”
According to Rye, over a million people tuned in across platforms, and since then, the community has asked, ‘OK, what are we doing next?’”
Rye says the State of the People POWER Tour answers that question. The nationwide call to action aims to restore and reimagine what’s possible for Black communities across the U.S.
The tour begins on April 26 and ends on June 6. Each stop will feature two full days of community care, political education, resource sharing, and cultural celebration that build toward a national agenda rooted in liberation, legislation, and authority.
“The only requirement is that you love Black people, you’re for Black people, and you’re willing to work on behalf of Black people,” Rye said.
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