Protestors use events to condemn White House administration
By Ashleigh Fields
Special to the AFRO
Protestors across the country gathered on July 17 for a national day of action in honor of late Congressman John Lewis (D-Ga.). Organizers from the “Good Trouble Lives On” movement arranged demonstrations in the District, Arlington and Fairfax, Va., among 1,600 broader community efforts.
This year marked the fifth annual John Lewis National Day of Action, which has taken place on July 17 each year since Lewis passed in 2020.
“At events, local leaders, elected officials, activists, and community members will respond to the attacks posed on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration and to remind them that in America, the power lies with the people,” leaders wrote in a statement.
“In memory of former Congressman Lewis, event participants will take to the streets, courthouses and community spaces to carry forward his fight for justice, voting rights and dignity for all,” they added.
The organization said protests were held to demand an end to the Trump administration’s “extreme crackdown on our civil rights – from our right to vote to our right to protest and speak freely,” immigration enforcement policies and plans to cut Medicaid, food stamps, and Social Security benefits.
“John Lewis didn’t wait for permission to demand change — and neither will we,” the Transformative Justice Coalition, one of the organizers, said before groups rallied.
“He taught us that nonviolent direct action is a moral force, and that we must confront injustice wherever it lives,” they added.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a former presidential candidate and civil rights leader, was honored for his commitment to “Good Trouble” at a rally in Chicago, while local lawmakers urged demonstrators to follow in his footsteps at sites across the United States.
“We don’t want to wait. We need this Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and other democracy reforms like the Freedom to Vote Act, the Native American Voting Rights Act, and D.C. statehood,” Leslie Proll, of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said of the rallies.
Many participants touted signs and t-shirts with similar messages echoing her rhetoric to uplift equality inside and outside of the voting booth.
Some of the day’s most vocal participants were from national labor unions advocating on behalf of workers and their families.
“This is more than a protest; it’s a moral reckoning. We took to the streets in D.C. today to speak out against the Trump administration, because as Rep. John Lewis taught us, progress will come, but it will not come on its own!” the Service Employees International Union said in a statement following the District demonstrations. The organization added, “Today, on the anniversary of Rep. John Lewis’ passing, we’re fired up in Alexandria, VA with a clear message: in America, the power lies in the hands of the people!”
Organizations representing educators also weighed in, sharing their outrage for present times and hopes for a brighter future.
“When fear & tyranny threaten our communities, we must be in the streets peacefully fighting back. The hope + light we get from each other will keep this movement vibrant and show the vulnerable among us that we will not let their American Dream be taken away,” Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said in a statement after demonstrations.
Evelyn DeJesus, the American Federation of Teachers’ executive vice president, joined a “Good Trouble Lives On” event in Annapolis, Md.. to combat the 47th president’s new policies and rhetoric.
“The Trump administration is trying to defund education unilaterally through government outreach,” DeJesus said. “The administration does not have the right to starve children because of would-be savings.”
The “big, beautiful bill” signed by the president is set to increase mandatory work requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries and defund other social services, including food stamps. People across the country have opposed the sharp restructuring of government programs, alleging children, who are among the most vulnerable population, will be hurt by new legislation.
