Hope for Resistance

The following words are reflections, explorations, questions, and communal conversations with sibling-friends whose careers in academia, Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, faith-based nonprofits, and religious institutions have been eliminated, abandoned, and falsely identified as disseminating a “woke” racist ideology against white Americans. The truth is my sister-siblings are being impacted the most by the Trump administration, “Black women are facing the highest unemployment rates in years as federal job cuts, DEI rollbacks, and return-to-office mandates reshape the labor market with ripple effects for families and communities nationwide.”

My sibling-friends and I gather regularly in person or virtually to support each other, because growing up with various shades of melanin-rich skin tones, we were fed and believed in the messages that would propel us into living good lives while pursuing the American Dream. We all set out to pursue and attain multiple degrees in fields that would pay our student loans, household bills, and then work in places with missions that promoted visions of advancement, inclusivity, diversity, equity, belonging, liberation, and justice for all.

We worked three times as hard as our white classmates and colleagues because many of the institutions we graduated from and worked for were founded on racist beliefs towards persons of color. The founders, funders, supporters, and board members implemented policies, bylaws, and covenants with mindsets that we—people of culture and color—weren’t supposed to be there in the first place. Racism, sexism, nonbinary, and LGBTQAI homophobia stereotypes created obstacles because those leading the institutions and corporations were taught to believe that we—God’s very good creation—were not capable of the academic rigor and employment standards—code for “‘our institutions were created for white folks with historical connections, advantages, and access.”’

Some of my sibling-friends graduated summa cum laude, others attained Ph.D.’s, MDivs, CEO, COO, CFO, and other leadership roles. We were built for positions of leadership within every area and sphere of business and academia.

Our time together was a Hush Harbor, sacred and safe space to strengthen and support each other, pray, give thanks to our God, and call on our abolitionist ancestors for wisdom, clarity, stamina, and support.

Fast forward to 2026. As my sibling-friends and I prepared to end our vigil of comfort with each other there was sadness and broken hearts and spirits along with joy knowing we would remain in the work towards liberation and justice for all.

Some of my beloveds were wounded from being underpaid, unemployed, treated like chattel, yet we wanted to keep each other aware and share with others what we were witnessing: the death of nations and the ongoing confederacy injustices aka plantation politics happening in our hometowns. “Plantation Politics is the ancient Southern habit of structuring power so that one group rules while another remains politically contained. It no longer requires plantations, overseers, poll taxes, or literacy tests. It can now be done with legislative maps, legal language, court rulings, and the clean bureaucratic phrase “redistricting.”

Our call to action is to remain vigilant and informed, to pay attention and watch world leaders whose sole purpose is an accelerated global expansion of colonialism. It is imperative to pay attention to how neoconservatives spread erroneous narratives misrepresenting Christianity that lead folks to believe their false claims meant to eradicate Jesus’s theological teachings of love for humanity, attentive stewardship of God’s creation—creatures and the environment, liberation for the oppressed, and justice for all.  Some leaders in our nation and globally are leaning toward a religious crusade to resurrect domination supported by the Doctrine of Discovery intended to erasing large populations of people of non-European descents.

Dear sibling-friends be a witness for justice. Remain in the struggle. Be on the frontlines with those who are pushing back on policies and practices of globally expanding colonialism, racism, sexism, and legislation prohibiting voting rights, freedom of expression and speech. Commit to an ecumenical engagement with people of diverse faith traditions who believe God is still speaking into creation and with God’s human family.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The Rev. Dr. Velda Love serves as the Minister of Racial Justice for the United Church of Christ.

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