Op-ed placement. First published by The Progressive, then syndicated by the Tribune News Service and published in more than ten newspapers including the Seattle Times and NY Daily News.

1. Contact: ​tjacobs@communitychange.org​; 301-325-8687
Read by: Bill, Molly, Allie
PROGRESSIVE MEDIA PROJECT
SLUG: BLACK WOMEN ACTIVISTS- PROGRESSIVE
Black women build in an era of danger
By Trish Tchume
580 words
As we enter traditional halls of power in ​increasing numbers​, black women in Donald Trump’s
America have been put on notice: Be quiet, do not challenge or question authority, and don’t
dare to speak up and defend yourself against an injustice.
The notice is especially clear for black women who have stepped into positions of power. Just
ask U.S. Representatives ​Ilhan Omar​ of Minnesota, ​Maxine Waters​ of California, or journalist
April Ryan​. If you speak out strongly against the Trump administration’s racist policies, question
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders’ truthfulness or wear a Muslim hijab as you work in
Congress, expect to receive attacks.
It also happens all the time in our interactions with police.​ ​In January, instead of receiving
detention for a nonviolent classroom infraction, Chicago teen Dnigma Howard was ​pushed and
dragged​ by police down school steps, then tased. Instead of receiving an apology after the ​video
showing the police infraction went viral in April, prosecutors charged Dnigma with two felonies;
the charges were ​dropped​ after her parents hired lawyers who argued that she was defending
herself against the police.
And sadly, we all know too well—​now from her own point of view​—what happened to Sandra
Bland of Texas when she dared question the rationale behind the traffic stop that ended in her
arrest and death.
Our nation’s history shows us that society keeps black women under a microscope, picking and
monitoring their every move, from black women being used for breeding slaves to tennis
officials’ ​contentious relationship​ with Serena Williams. Trump’s presidency has unleashed

2. racism so dangerous that many black women fear for our safety, whether driving in our cars or
speaking truth to power on the floor of Congress.
Yet history also shows how vital black women have been to the creation of America’s quilt of
safety and justice that extends to all when we stand firm in the face of societal challenges,
whether we are shining light on the horrors of lynching or calling for welfare rights. From
Harriet Tubman​ strategizing during slavery to ​Ida B. Wells​ chronicling our path forward in the
early twentieth century, we showed the country how to change unjust systems.
Today, black women continue to blaze new trails. Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate
Stacey Abrams is using her national popularity to bring more attention to ​voter suppression​ in
communities of color, and will likely be a voice we hear more frequently as the 2020 presidential
campaign progresses.
And local leaders are doing extraordinary work to strengthen communities. People like ​Laura
Martin,​ who is leading efforts in Nevada to fight for social and environmental justice, ​Shanae’
Holman​ of Topeka, Kansas, who is organizing faith communities to push for affordable housing
and ​Jennifer Wells​, who is working to rebuild the collective power of everyday West Virginians
to resist corporate greed-driven poverty and political corruption.
They are among the vast numbers of black women who are changing the material conditions of
the most marginalized in our country in the face of resistance that often results in our own pain
and suffering. Programs like ​Standing in Our Power​, ​Black Women’s Blueprint​, and the
Community Change’s Power 50​ help black women break the old models of sacrificing
everything for communities.
Beyond these resilience-building programs, we call on those who believe in an America where
everyone can thrive to make more space and provide better resources for supporting the
leadership of black women. Our progress as a country depends on it.
Trish Tchume is the director of leadership development at ​Community Change​, a national
nonprofit organization that works to build the power of communities of color. This column was
produced for the ​Progressive Media Project​, which is run by The Progressive magazine, and
distributed by the Tribune News Service.