The Fog Is Lifting and Protests Have Started as Americans Respond to Trump’s Audacity

Donald Trump’s shock and awe campaign stunned Americans of all races – what many consider his unabashed disregard for the rule of law making headlines around the globe. But as the astonishment wears off, Black Americans – along with many others – are organizing to fight back.

From coast to coast, the 50501 Project earlier this week sent thousands to their state capitals in all 50 states for at least 50 protestsl in one day.

One of the organizers of the mass protests said, “People need something to connect to.”

FOLLOW THE MONEY 

Plans to boycott major retailers like Walmart, Target and Starbucks for abandoning their DEI initiatives is gaining traction. And companies that continue to honor their commitment to equitable opportunities are seeing a groundswell of support. Apple, Microsoft and Home Depot – among others – have stayed the course.

In New York, Rev. Al Sharpton and members of his National Action Network chose Costco as the recipient of their financial support by holding a “buy-in” to demonstrate appreciation of Costco’s adherence to DEI.

“We are not going to allow him to turn back the clock on our rights,” Sharpton said.

But 19 state Attorneys General have warned Costco and threatened to sue the retailer for its plans to maintain DEI programs.

As Trump and his billionaire friend Elon Musk turn the federal government topsy-turvy by firing some federal employees and offering buyouts to 40,000 others, Gwynne Wilcox has filed a lawsuit against Trump and Marvin Kaplan who Trump installed as the chairman of the National Labor Relations Board.

Wilcox has been a member of the NLRB since 2021 and was selected as its chair by former President Joe Biden in 2023. She says her firing was “a blatant violation of the law.” 

According to Wilcox’s lawsuit, her firing “defies ninety years of Supreme Court precedent that has ensured the independence of critical government agencies.” The filing also says the president failed to cite examples of “neglect of duty or malfeasance in office”, as required when firing the agency’s board members.

Through a flurry of executive orders and subsequent injunctions issued by federal judges, Trump has ushered in a chaotic and tense period of governance that even some members of the Republican-controlled Congress have suggested is an audacious power grab.