Beware of the White Moderate

Dr. King warned that the “White moderate” is the greatest obstacle to progress in the fight for racial justice. As we respond to the Trump administration over the coming years, let’s not seek a safe moderate approach, but instead consider the sacrifices that Dr. King told us would be required in the fight for justice.

If your organization funds racial justice initiatives, you’ve probably heard about Trump’s executive order that seeks to scare organizations like yours into ending such funding. What we need in instead is to increase dramatically private support for racial justice work. We should be strategic and not invite regulatory scrutiny or legal action unnecessarily, but we must also have the courage to take on a legal fight if that is what is needed.

If your board members (especially White board members) are afraid of the time commitment or emotional drain of litigation, then maybe consider finding new board members who are willing to take on a fight. I’m happy to be such a person for the right organization. And I’m also happy to provide strategic legal advice that is grounded in a shared value of solidarity with vulnerable communities.