A Note From Anika Robbins
Founder, Black Votes Matter MN

If you are today years old when you heard about Project 2025, you’re already behind. Read about it in article, Project 2025 - A Modern Mein Kampf.

 

In a recent interview on The Conversation with Al MacFarlane, the question was raised: What are you going to do when they come for you? “We’ve never had a real conversation in our community about how we will handle attacks”, says Al MacFarlane, Publisher of Insight News and the program’s host. Be it harsh policies that undermine human and civil rights, or physical attacks such as we experienced in Minneapolis during protests following George Floyd’s murder - many perpetrated by right wing provocateurs, who traveled to Minnesota to infiltrate peaceful protests - is there a plan to protect Americans…to protect democracy?

 

 

‘That could never happen…Right?’

 

Many scoff at the idea of a mass coordinated effort to overthrow or adopt a new government. Mass deportation, arrests and violence towards people of color, the LGBTQIA community, the removal of environmental protections that would ensure clean air and drinking water - and all other systems of structure and accountability. It’s hard to fathom the idea of an autocratic government. But why? The January 6th insurrection was but a dress rehearsal. The end of affirmative action in college admissions and the reversal of Roe v. Wade, along with the recent ruling suspending the Fearless Fund’s grant program to support Black women founders, are but the tip of the iceberg of a long orchestrated plan to ‘Make America Great Again.’

 

 

So what’s the plan?

 

We know what ‘they” are doing. But what’s the Democratic plan? The Green plan? The Independent plan? Is there a HUMAN plan? Project 2025 began in 2022 - but its author, the Heritage Foundation, was founded in 1973. Organizing nearly 20,000 Sentinel activists and more than 2 million local grassroots activists around the nation to push their agenda. A democratic response was only issued days ago.

 

What’s your plan? Millions poured into the streets in May 2020 during the civil unrest sparked by the murder of George Floyd and others, but those numbers dwindled when the elections rolled around in November the same year. We like to say we are oppressed, but are we oppressed enough to do something about it? Are we oppressed enough to vote?

 

In the February 2024 Primary, 40% voted ‘uncommitted;’ for some, as a protest to the Israeli/Hamas conflict. This tactic may have worked to some degree as the United Nations Security Council passed a U.S.-drafted cease-fire deal aimed to end the Israel-Hamas conflict  in Gaza. But is ‘sitting out’ or voting ‘uncommitted’ a viable strategy for the November 2024 elections?

 

“The issue is the Couch Caucus. Apathy will be the greatest challenge to the vote this year.” says Brett Buckner, Managing Director of OneMN.org. But the trauma of politics is real. Each year, we see growing apathy. Not just among young adults - young Black men, in particular -  who don’t believe their vote counts in a system not designed for them to thrive. Many liberals are growing despondent. Some might say from as far back as the Bush - Gore race in 2000…or Bush - Kerry in 2004; Trump - Clinton in 2016.

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Do Black Votes Matter?

 

Like clockwork, the Black vote is volleyed between the two main parties every presidential cycle, with few gains tracked for the Black community. “Too often, the Black vote is taken for granted as an automatic vote for one party over the other.” says Deebaa Sirdar. “Neither the president nor congress have advanced Reparations Bill (H.R. 40) for African American descendants of slavery on a national level. As a result, Black Americans rightfully believe we are voting for the ‘lesser of two evils’.”

 

Despite blatant racist rhetoric and executive policy action, Trump has gained traction with Black and Latino men. As cultural identification with Democrats wanes, Latinos who tend to lean conservative, have become more willing to “vote their principles and values” by supporting Republicans, says Alfonso Aguilar, in a quote to CNN. Aguilar is the director of Hispanic engagement for the conservative American Principles Project. Since 2016, Republicans have increased their vote among more non-White voters without a college degree than they have among those with advanced education. For Black men, economic security, the appearance of strength, and according to rapper 50 cent (Fiddy), he sees Black men ‘identifying with Trump because they have RICO charges’. This statement echoes recent comments by the former president on increasing support from Black men, because ‘the Black people…have been hurt so badly and discriminated against. They actually viewed me as being discriminated against.’