Honoring and Recognizing Black Contributions and Embodiment of the Powerful IDEA

With Black History Month starting this week, we’ve been reflecting on the unbelievably tough Black experience in America and the beautiful resistance and inspirational contributions to our culture and democracy rising from it. It is impossible to unsee so much daily. We’re on a long anti-racist educational journey – and encourage others – especially our white community, to do the same not just this month but every day. We live in a country where one party and a huge part of our population are comfortable with bold racist ideology, policy, and politics.

Just this week alone, we witnessed so much.

One example is the punitive removal of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. It is just blatant anti-Black, anti-Muslim, xenophobic, anti-immigrant behavior by today’s radical Republican party. Watch her speech to see her fierce power in response.

Another is Gov DeSantis attacks Black History education, CRT, and anything connected to LGBTI+ promotion and his growing popularity on the right based on his racist and homophobic actions.

The continual criticism of VP Kamala Harris, largely based on hearsay and other BS, is fueled by those incapable of seeing Black women succeed.

Tyre Nichols’ funeral was an extraordinary event partly because of who showed up. I don’t mean the political dignitaries. What struck me was the turnout and incredible solidarity of other victims’ family members. It was heartbreaking but also energizing. If you haven’t yet, please watch it — especially Rev. Sharpton’s Eulogy

These events and many more are challenging but outrage and anger fuel extraordinary activism.

We are in awe and appreciative of Black leaders’ and organizations’ commitment and dedication to democracy, elections, and electoral and issue advocacy.

At Gain Power, we honor and acknowledge all Black Americans’ contributions, but we’re especially grateful for our this special community of political advocates and changemakers. Our community includes so many that embody what we now call a Powerful IDEA. A small partial List includes:

Please visit them to learn more about their incredible work. We’ll be writing more about the organizations, their leaders, and many more.

We will continue, especially this month but also every day, to acknowledge, uplift, and appreciate these and others and so many individuals who contribute and embody our Powerful IDEA. Our American democracy, Democratic party, progressive movements, culture, and indeed everything about our country would be nothing without Black Americans’ contributions.