Black Voters Matter and the King Center Unite to Create New Generation of Activists

Now that Donald Trump is back in the White House, he has moved with all deliberate speed to dismantle all the hard-earned Civil Rights, social and economic gains African Americans struggled and fought for over the past 60 years.

He and other members of the regime claim that White Americans; especially White men, are discriminated against, contending that “there’s absolutely a bias against white people.” This is despite data from Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that shows in 2022 anti-Black hate crime was the most common category in the FBI register of reported hate crime.

The anti-Black numbers are at least three times more common than anti-white hate crime. Trump has promised to levy taxes and fines against schools he deems “too woke,” and he has signed a flurry of executive orders during the early days of his administration destroying diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in business, higher education, government and the workplace.

Trump and significant swathes of his MAGA base have also attacked critical race theory (CRT); pressured and bullied anyone who talks or teaches about the presence of persistent and pervasive systemic racism in America. Meanwhile, Republican governors, policymakers and state legislators are busily creating and passing laws erasing and whitewashing Black history in coursework and curricula across the country.

As they always have, Black people are fighting back. In response to these assaults, leadership of Black Voters Matter and the Atlanta-based King Center have announced a new partnership designed to fight against anti-Black policies, Trumpism, and others intent on marginalizing African-Americans.

“This collaboration brings together Black Voters Matter’s grassroots organizing power with The King Center’s rich historical and educational legacy to explore one of the Civil Rights Movement’s most powerful texts,” King Center CEO Dr. Bernice King said in a press release.

In the press release, King said the series – scheduled to begin in May this year – “aims to bring the profound wisdom of Dr. King’s 1963 Letter from Birmingham Jail to a new generation of activists and offer insight into how these teachings can be used to address the critical issues facing Black and marginalized communities today.”

This series will feature both virtual and in-person workshops.

Details of the new initiative was revealed in a media briefing hosted by Black Voters Matter and moderated by former MSNBC anchor Joy Reid.

Cliff Albright, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, said during a recent Zoom call marking the 62nd anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s landmark Letter from a Birmingham Jail and announcing the new initiative that social justice and civil rights activists must consider “new and old tactics for a new and different time where we’re experiencing greater oppression.”

“We are excited to partner with The King Center on the new series, MLK’s Letter from the Birmingham Jail: A Prophetic Guide to Power, Love, Protest, and Liberation,” Albright said. “Sixty-two years later, Dr. King’s powerful message is still relevant and as urgent as ever as the anti-Black policies of extremists threaten to undo progress for Black and marginalized communities. We understand that direct action is a necessary tool to build power for our people.”

The participants shared ways how Black Americans can grab and capitalize this existential political moment.

“This letter isn’t just about the America that was – it’s about the America that we’re still fighting to create. When we teach this letter to a new generation, it’s not just about history; it’s about reimagining an America that truly delivers on its promises for all people,” said BVM co-founder LaTosha Brown. 

Albright, King and Brown said using King’s letter as a framework, the course “will ground participants’ understanding of today’s social justice movement through the exploration of four key themes, including civil disobedience, the distinction between just and unjust laws, the White moderate, and the role of the church within movements for change.”

“This series offers more than a reflection—it offers a blueprint for hope, resilience, and action. The goal of this series is to provide both historical context and practical tools to navigate the ongoing fight for justice,” King added.

She said the course will explore four key themes, including civil disobedience, the distinction between just and unjust laws, the White moderate, and the role of the church within movements for change.

“At this juncture in history, my father’s seminal writing, ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail,’ is both relevant and revelatory. Written in the spirit of Kingian nonviolence, the letter encompasses the mindset and methods necessary for challenging inhumanity, changing practices and policies, and creating a just, humane nation and world. The King Center looks forward to working with Black Voters Matter to host experiences that explore the mindset and methods upon which Daddy expounds in ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail.’ I invite you to join us and encourage you to invite others.”

Rather than seeing the administration’s war against Black people, his anti-Black rhetoric and policies and laws as a setback, Brown said, it should be viewed as an opportunity.

“I’m scared and angry but it’s clear that Black folk aren’t going anywhere,” Brown said. “Folks are organizing, people on the ground are resisting. We are not centering on those who oppress us. This is not a moment to surrender but to reflect [and] protect our people and reimagine what our community should look like, organizing and fortifying our communities.”

Brown said the Civil Rights and Voting Rights acts, DEI and Affirmative Action never fully encompassed the fairness, justice and equity Black people demand.

“Some of us actually believe that what we have has never been enough,” Brown said of DEI and Affirmative Action policies that Trump, Republicans and the US Supreme Court have eviscerated or overturned DEI policies,” said Brown. “The goal has always been more than racial tolerance. We have always been fighting for crumbs at the table,” he said. Instead we “must create the kind of North Star around what it is that we want for our communities.”

King’s non-violent philosophy infuses everything Black Voters Matter is about.

“In a climate already rife with division, it is crucial to focus on policies that address our society’s most pressing issues while upholding the dignity of even our staunchest political adversaries. The current political environment, marked by heightened polarization and frequent personal attacks, calls for a renewed commitment to respectful discourse,” the BVM website said. “As we move forward, we must remember that participating in the democratic process is not merely about casting votes but about reaffirming our commitment to a more just, humane, equitable, and peaceful world. By engaging in constructive dialogue and respecting each other’s personhood, we can work toward solutions that benefit all and strengthen the very fabric of our democracy.”

By focusing on constructive dialogue and respecting one another’s personhood, we can work toward solutions that benefit all and strengthen the very fabric of our democracy, BVM said. “This approach not only addresses the immediate challenges but also fosters a more inclusive and cohesive society in the long term. With this mindset and commitment, we move closer to realizing the Beloved Community.”

Democratic pollster Terrance Woodbury offered post-2024 election data on Black voters’ attitudes about the state of the country and their role in it.

Woodbury, founding partner of research and polling company HIT Strategies, said Black voters following the 2024 presidential elections have little trust in systems that aren’t working for them and are also losing faith in their ability to change them.

“For folks who have had inadequate results from the system–whether that system is democracy, whether that system is politics, whether that system is the financial system, the health care system–people don’t want to defend those systems that have otherwise failed them,” he said.

A December 2024 survey conducted one month after Trump’s re-election reveals a sharp, and what Woodbury characterizes as a historical low among Black voters and the belief that their vote can make a difference in their communities. In 2020, a year that saw national uprisings over racial injustice led by the Black Lives Matter movement, Woodbury said, 73 percent of Black voters believed in the power of their vote. However, by the end of 2024, that number tumbled to 25 percent.

“Black people’s perception of how their political power has dipped to 25 percent. It’s been the lowest since measuring began,” Woodbury explained. “We lost on election day and we’re losing rights and hard-fought freedoms. But resistance is showing up in different ways. Fear is contagious, so is courage.”

One of the best examples of power is a collective movement, Woodbury said, adding that Democrats are unable to communicate with Black people on social-cultural issues and despite public opprobrium for the system, Democrats continue to defend the system and offer no reason for people’s pain.  

In the aftermath of the conversation, Albright and Brown reiterated their belief that despite troubling reverses Black Americans have experienced, this time presents an opportunity to rebuild and expand their political power in ways we haven’t seen. It is crucial for African Americans to resist Trump’s agenda, find ways to close the racial equity gaps and transform American society.

Said Albright, “We embrace non-violent civil disobedience. We are grounding ourselves in these tactics, work, science and tactics of non-violence. We’ll have coalitions, take it to the streets, organize marches and sit-ins.”