
What We Should Do Now!

Sisters,
The past three weekends have been a mix of mostly joy, but some pain. I celebrated a milestone birthday, attended a family gathering to celebrate one of my favorite uncles’ birthdays, and spent time with college friends as we gathered to help one of our ‘crew’ celebrate her daughter’s life after her unexpected transition. The emotional highs and lows have been amplified by the ongoing terror of policymaking taking place here in Washington, D.C. Terror is a word I hear often from WE CAN members and others as they react to the mass deportations and other abandonments of the rule of law.
I had an interesting conversation recently with an elder who scolded me for negative thinking during a low moment. She emphatically stated, “We have been here before, and we’ll be alright.” I argued that we have not been here before. We are living in a new era where not only are our hard-won rights teetering on the edge, but those with the power to protect and advance our rights seem to lack the skill or will to do so.
I’ve said multiple times before we are not helpless, but for many of you, the passage of the big bad bill was the final straw. All hope feels lost. I hope to encourage you today and over the next several weeks, share concrete things WE CAN do now to navigate through this very challenging time.
I won’t sugar coat it; things are bad and will get worse before they get better. ProPublica’s recent article, Dismissed by DEI: Trump’s Purge Made Black Women With Stable Federal Jobs an “Easy Target”, provides data about the disproportionate impact of the Trump administration’s layoffs on Black women. The National Partnership for Women & Families offers similar sobering data, sharing 35 Ways the Trump Administration Has Harmed Women and Families in its First 100 Days. Reading these and other reports made one thing exceedingly clear. There is no cavalry coming to save us. We need to save ourselves. But how?

I believe our first step is to take care of ourselves and one another. A good friend and colleague said, “This is the season of relationship building.” This is where we must set aside petty differences and learn to work together. When produce is too expensive? WE CAN start gardens to produce a bounty of produce for our communities. Daycare still too expensive? WE CAN form childcare co-ops that offer coverage for everyone who needs it. Is the government completely ignoring our needs and actively legislating to make things worse? WE CAN form Action Teams that will be ready to create and advocate for public policies that meet our needs.
I hope you get my point—we MUST come together NOW, close ranks, and protect ourselves and our communities. There’s no denying that it will be hard. We have been trained by capitalistic, white supremacist systems that reward greed and selfishness. WE CAN reject these ideals and do what our foremothers did and help each other.

There are several formal ways of organizing ourselves, such as mutual aid societies and movements, or time banks that leverage advocacy and community care systems. There are informal ways like community gardens and babysitting co-ops where WE CAN help each other!
We Make a Way: Mutual Aid & Time Banks for Women of Color
If you’d like to learn more about mutual aid societies and time banking, please join WE CAN for a free virtual workshop on Thursday, September 18th, from 7:00 – 8:00 pm ET.

Decide TODAY to join in WE CAN efforts to educate our lawmakers about what WE WANT for our communities. In a few weeks, members of the U.S. Congress will be in their home districts for the August recess. This is a GREAT time to make your voice heard by the folks you elected to represent you in Washington, D.C. Of course, you don’t have to wait until August, but if you’re afraid or don’t feel ready yet, WE CAN will help you get there!

Start by sharing your opinion about what issues WE CAN should focus on as we plan for the future. Click here to comment on a 2-minute survey.
WE CAN and we will survive this time in our nation’s history. Why? Because we MUST. How we make it through is entirely up to us. I choose to stand in solidarity with all of you NOW to take care of each other AND work to create systems that don’t make life harder.
WE CAN DO IT—TOGETHER!
In solidarity,
Stephanie