By: Natiece Ford
On November 5th, 2024, America decided that Donald J. Trump would be the 47th president of the United States. Many wonder what comes next for the country with the looming prospect of Project 2025—a set of individual policy changes that will radically restructure the executive branch. With Republicans likely to hold a majority in both the House and Senate, many of the ideas outlined in Project 2025 will likely be easier to pass.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and a billionaire con- tributor to the Trump campaign, saw a 13% surge in his company’s shares during pre-market trading early Wednesday morning following Trump’s victory. What does this mean? Has capitalism prevailed, or is it a sign that companies now have a clearer path to follow now that the uncertainty of
the election is over?
What does this mean for Black America? In his book, once banned in South Carolina schools, Ta-Nehisi Coates referenced the “destruction of the Black body”—the idea that Black lives are in constant danger. This is a sentiment that many Black Americans can relate to. The constant danger to Black expecting mothers, who die at exponentially higher rates than white mothers; the danger that Black men and women face when encountering police. How will the world change if there is further militarization of the police force?
What happens to Black youth educated in a system that will not teach them their history at the expense of potential white guilt? Who will teach our youth their history when we ourselves do not know it? In many ways, the rhetoric that the Trump campaign ran on—and won with—is what is most daunting. The thought that a group of people have been given a pass to be law- less with our Black bodies is troubling.
It is the duty of Black Amer- ica to understand the needs of our communities and to ensure those needs are met, regardless of candidate or party. The tariffs that Donald Trump has suggested will eliminate federal taxes on tip and overtime wages. These po- tential tax breaks are benefi- cial in the short term but will reduce the funds allocated to Social Security. These are the wages that retired individuals, without 401(k)s, rely on for income after retirement. The question for Black America is: Do we have a savings plan, or do we have funds set aside for a rainy day?
It is our job to educate our- selves, read, and understand what is outlined in Project 2025 and to make our case. We cannot expect anyone or any institution to advocate for our needs if, first, we do not know what those needs are, and second, if we do not organize and strategize. This is the mountain. We have climbed the mountain. We have spoken to the mountain. Now, what is the solution to make the mountain move? Know your needs and start at the local level. Attend community meetings, engage with local politicians, and assess what you may be up against in your own community. Get to know your neighbors, form alliances, and work together toward solutions that uplift us.
