After a moment of reflection, we are comforted by the strength, resilience, and unconquerable nature of the equity movement. We are also clear on our next steps. Our purpose —  just and fair inclusion into a society in which all can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential — was the right purpose before November 8, and it will remain the right purpose until we unlock the promise of the nation by unleashing the promise in us all. To this end:

WE ARE RESISTING! We are fighting to defend and advance hard-fought gains to design an equitable economy, build healthy communities of opportunity, and create a just and fair society. We must keep the momentum going on police reform and expanding opportunity for women, boys and girls of color, and the LGBTQ community. The immediate targets of the incoming administration will likely be Muslims and Mexicans. If that happens, we will stand together and mount a forceful and sustained resistance. When one is attacked or reviled, we all are.

WE ARE CREATING OUR OWN HOPE! We draw sustenance from the Equity Manifesto, which urges us to join together, believing in the potency of inclusion and building from a common bond. We will continue partnering with local leaders to build an equitable economy where everyone benefits. We will dismantle oppressive, racist systems, and we will steadfastly advocate for policies that benefit those who are being left behind, who some describe as the "forgotten." We have never forgotten our tribal, rural, and urban brothers and sisters who are struggling to get by. In fact, PolicyLink was founded to lift up their voice, wisdom, and experience and to translate their hopes and aspirations into policy. We will not allow them to be exploited and divided by pitting one group’s pain against the pain of others. We will use our summits and daily walkabouts to redouble our efforts to create safer and more inclusive spaces for our economically struggling White brothers and sisters to see themselves as an essential part, and beneficiary of, the equity movement. We find hope in knowing that we will not participate in small plans and feckless actions. We are going to get results that are commensurate with the scale of our nation’s challenges.

WE WILL HEAL IN OUR OWN TIME! Talk of healing is premature. We cannot heal until the pain inflicted ceases, is acknowledged, and reconciliation occurs. Calls to be patient and calm fall on deaf ears. Even though we do not expect a genuine effort to repair the breach, we will move forward with the determination and grace that our ancestors expect, and the dignity that this moment requires. James Baldwin wrote: “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” We will face this moment with urgency and steely resolve. We will persist in the struggle for freedom, dignity, and equity. And with the nation’s children as our witnesses, we will prevail and make America great — for All, for the first time. 

In solidarity,
The PolicyLink Family