We are at war.
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Masked agents are terrorizing our communities, kidnapping children, harassing nonviolent protestors and arresting civilians in order to consolidate authoritarian power in the United States. The shooting deaths of Keith Porter Jr., Renee Good, and Alex Pretti expose the heinous agenda of this administration to destroy democracy by installing a white supremacist “Christian” nationalist state.
What we are witnessing is the continuation of the U.S. Capitol insurrection that erupted on Jan. 6, 2021. Our collective failure to hold President Donald Trump accountable for his attempt to overthrow American democracy has emboldened him to return to power and complete the work he began. From the systematic dismantling of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to the erosion of a rules-based world order, our nation is becoming unrecognizable.
Republicans in Congress have capitulated to this agenda, funding a massive deportation campaign through the so-called “Big Ugly Bill,” transforming U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) into one of the largest and most well-funded armed forces in the world.
Yet even in this moment, hope refuses to die.
The blood of our ancestors cries out from the ground, urging us to remain faithful in the fight against fascism. We have been here before. Through the power of resistance, we struggled against slavery, Jim Crow, and segregation. Against all odds, we dared to build a new America, rooted not in fear, but in justice and dignity. That same moral courage is required of us today.
The courageous resistance of the people of Minneapolis has shown the world what it looks like to confront fascism with radical love in action. Faith leaders and organizers, including the prophetic leadership of Minister JaNaé Bates of ISAIAH, convened “A Day of Truth and Freedom,” mobilizing thousands for nonviolent action.
That day culminated in the arrest of more than 100 faith leaders at the Minneapolis–St. Paul Airport who put their bodies on the line to declare that there is no moral justification for terrorizing the vulnerable. Their courageous witness reminds us that strategic nonviolence remains one of the most powerful tools we have to abolish ICE and hold federal agents accountable.
The struggle for multiracial democracy will require our deep commitment to nonviolent moral action. As we enter Black History Month, I stand with faith leaders nationwide in the No Room for ICE campaign, calling for a boycott of corporations with continued, documented support for ICE. We must dismantle the pillars that prop up fascism by withholding our collective resources. Through the power of strategic nonviolence, we can redeem the soul of America, again.
Rev. Stephen A. Green is Senior Pastor of The Greater Allen AME Cathedral of New York. He’s the creator and host of the podcast “The Pastor’s Pod,” through which he engages thought leaders and change agents on critical issues shaping society.
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