Many of us are still processing the results of the 2024 presidential election. We’ve seen an attack on justice, truth, diversity and the very ideals that many of us hold sacred.

We want to make it clear that we never believed elections alone would fully change things. Only our collective work in our communities can do that. Our fight remains the same. The mandate is still the mandate. 

Mary Hooks laid out our work clearly, “The mandate for Black people in this time – to avenge the suffering of our ancestors, earn the respect of future generations, and be willing to be transformed in the service of the work.”

We also invite you to reflect on these quotes from other movement leaders, past and present.

• “I want to live the rest of my life, however long or short, with as much sweetness as I can decently manage, loving all the people I love, and doing as much as I can of the work I still have to do… Until it’s every breath I breathe. I’m going to go out like a fucking meteor!” -Audre Lorde

• “We, too, on land are often navigating contexts that seem impossible for us to breathe in, and yet we must.” -Alexis Pauline Gumbs 

• “Black women are inherently valuable, that our liberation is a necessity not as an adjunct to somebody else’s may because of our need as human persons for autonomy.” -Combahee River Collective 

• “We know that we have a very definite revolutionary task to perform, and we are ready for the lifetime of work and struggle before us.” -Mariame Kaba

•  “Let this radicalize you rather than lead you to despair.” -Mariame Kaba

• “What we believe to be true matters for our movements. What we believe impacts how we move in the world, what we imagine is possible, what we choose to fight for, and what we fight against. But believing in something is never enough. We must turn our beliefs into collective action.” -Charlene Carruthers

• “Resilience is our birthright.” -Prentis Hemphill 

• “We must fight for your life as though it were our own—which it is—and render impassable with our bodies the corridor to the gas chamber. For, if they take you in the morning, they will be coming for us that night.” -James Baldwin 

It is okay to grieve, reflect, and try to make sense of this moment. We also encourage you to lean on each other during this time, because being in community with one another will help us all get through this. 

However, let us hold on to the powerful words of Assata Shakur, “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and protect each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”