Don’t Step Back. Redirect Your Power!
Sisters,
I almost don’t know what to say about the sh*t show that our country is right now. The dark side’s goal is to keep us overwhelmed and back on our heels, unsure about what to do. We can’t let that strategy work! I understand the exhaustion. I feel it too.
Ninety-two percent of us voted, organized, phone-banked, and convinced our neighbors and family members to vote for the candidate most likely to govern with our needs in mind. And once again, we watched as too many white Americans—particularly white women—chose differently. The anger you feel, the desire to say “it’s your turn now,” and the desire to step back from the fight are completely valid.
But here’s what I need us to consider: stepping back as a strategy only works if others step up in our absence. And nothing in recent history suggests that it will happen at the scale we need.
This isn’t about what we owe America. This country has never loved us the way we’ve loved it, never protected us the way we’ve protected it. But this is about what we owe ourselves and our communities. The policies coming from this administration will hit us first and hardest—our healthcare, our voting rights, our children’s education, our economic stability. Waiting for white folks to adequately defend our interests means trusting people who have repeatedly shown they won’t prioritize them.
Advocacy isn’t our gift to an ungrateful nation. It’s an exercise of power. When we organize, we’re not doing America a favor—we’re shaping the conditions under which we and our children will live. Stepping back doesn’t punish the people who failed us; it surrenders our influence over our own future.
But maybe the real question isn’t whether we fight, but how and where we direct that energy. We don’t have to keep centering everyone else’s liberation while ours remains incomplete. We can focus on local organizing, mutual aid networks, building BIPOC political and economic power, and mentoring the next generation of BIPOC leaders. We can do work that centers us, that builds our collective strength, that invests in our own communities first.
This country may not deserve our labor. But we deserve to live freely and fully in the place we call home. And that freedom won’t come from hoping others will fight for it on our behalf.
We don’t step back. We redirect. We build our own power. AND WE DO IT FOR US!
Today, that means calling your two U.S. Senators, demanding that they follow the House of Representatives’ lead and pass legislation that will restore the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits that expired on December 31, 2025. Remember these tax credits are CRITICAL to help millions of working families, especially women of color, afford health insurance. These credits expired on December 31, 2025. Without action, millions could face skyrocketing premiums — or lose coverage entirely.
But this bill won’t become law unless the U.S. Senate acts — and right now, every Senator’s vote matters.
- Black, Latina, Native, and Asian American women are disproportionately impacted by the expiration of these credits — we’re more likely to be uninsured, underinsured, or working in jobs without employer coverage.
- These credits aren’t “handouts” — they’re earned supports that help us keep our families healthy and our budgets intact.
- Without them, millions could lose coverage or face unaffordable premiums — especially in states that haven’t expanded Medicaid.
This is not a partisan issue — it’s a human issue.
📞 Call your U.S. Senators TODAY at 202-224-3121 — leave this message:
“My name is [Your First Name], and I’m a constituent from [Your City/Town]. I urge Senator [Last Name] to support the House-passed bill to extend ACA premium tax credits for 3 years. These credits are vital for working families — especially women of color — who rely on them to afford health care. Please vote YES to protect coverage for millions.”
✅ Call both their D.C. office AND local district office (find the numbers HERE).
✅ Leave your message with whoever answers — or on voicemail.
✅ Share this with your networks — especially other women of color who depend on this coverage.
We don’t have the luxury of sitting this one out or waiting for others to act. Let’s stand together—now!
In solidarity,
Dr. Stephanie, WE CAN Founder