by Shawn Nowlin
In addition to scaling back protections for members of the LGBTIQA+ community, President Trump has spent the last three months closing Social Security Administration field offices, firing thousands of federal workers, deporting immigrants and cutting funding for health programs.
History has shown that when marginalized people and their allies feel attacked, many of them will rise up in solidarity.
Last Saturday, more than 1,500 protests across all 50 states erupted in a grand show of solidarity against the Trump administration’s policies that have so far wreaked havoc on not only America but the world.
Indivisible, a nationwide organization committed to fighting back in defense of rights, is a key element behind the massive movement from which the Elmwood Park protest was born.
Ivonne Wallace Fuentes, a leader of Roanoke Indivisible, says it’s important to stand up for what you believe in. “It was so exciting to see people recognize that together, we are stronger and we live as a community with many different needs and requirements,” she said.
For more than two hours, changes were called in education, social security, Medicare, disability rights and much more. Signs held sent powerful messages: “Have A Heart, Protect Medicaid,” “Elon Musk Is A Pathological Liar” and “Wake Up, Trump Is A Fascist.”
Read one placard, “We Don’t Have To Live Like This As Americans.”
While large crowds are difficult to quantify, event organizers say more than 2,000 protesters showed up. Among the guest speakers were Sarah Goodman, Rob Lafon, Robin Snow, Nancy Morris, Jordan Bell and Janet Davis.
“Our children deserve more than political games. They deserve well-funded schools,” Goodman said. “They deserve teachers who are empowered to teach – not silenced by censorship. They deserve leaders who believe in their potential, not ones who see them as pawns in a political agenda.”
Noted Bell, “President Elon Musk, I mean President Trump, believes what they are doing is right. As we all know, Trump likes to talk about making America great again. Well, I am a historian and a Black man and I don’t know when America was ever great for me.”
Musk runs SpaceX, Tesla and X, the social media platform. The detested billionaire is also the current head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Paris Smith says that anger doesn’t begin to describe how she feels knowing that Musk could potentially have access to the personal information of millions of Americans. “Last Saturday was the largest political rally that I’ve ever been part of. If we keep this same energy at the ballot box, Republicans won’t be in power for long,” she said.
Wisconsin voters sent a strong message to Musk when they elected Democratic judge Susan Crawford over Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel, someone he invested millions into.
Maryland native Nicole Wingfield says she was passing through Roanoke to visit her college roommate and decided to join the protest when she saw so many people standing in solidarity.
“Accepting the fact that America would disrespect Kamala Harris to give this criminal another term is one of the hardest things that I’ve ever had to do. Moving forward, my mentality is simple: ‘You can stand up today for what you believe, or it could be taken from you later,’” she said.
As the protests took over the nation, Trump spent the day golfing at a resort he owns in Florida.
Said the White House in a statement: “President Trump’s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats’ stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors.”
Historically, protests don’t mean much if the words are not followed by a strategic plan of action.
For Shante Melendez, she has never been more committed to dethroning Republicans from power. “I can’t wait until the midterms next year. I think a loud, definitive message will be sent,” she said.
