It’s time to put ourselves first.
According to Essence, after a successful “State of the People” livestream marathon that drew in close to six million views nationwide, the movement is going on the road.
This “State of the People Power Tour,” led by Angela Rye, Tamika Mallory, and LaTosha Brown, is an “ambitious and unapologetic Black effort to organize communities, uplift voices and shape a national Black agenda.”
However, unlike Senator Cory Booker’s history-making speech, this tour isn’t a response to Trump.
Instead, it is designed to tap into the brilliance, vision, and determination of Black communities across the U.S. and channel that energy into collective action.
“This tour is about our devotion to Black People,” social justice advocate Angela Rye told the outlet. “It is about our commitment to our survival and our everlasting commitment to our ability to thrive. So, it’s about our power.”
It is also about inspiring rest, action, and healing—and reawakening civic engagement and reigniting momentum in communities where political fatigue and injustice have left many feeling powerless.
“There’s a lot of people who are tired, exhausted— and folks do deserve to have a moment to recalibrate,” civil rights activist Tamika Mallory told Essence.
“But I think this tour will help people to say, ‘Okay, these are my people. Let me jump in where I fit. Let me figure out what I’m going to bring to the table and how I can re-engage.’ And so, I think the tour is perfect for the tired folks, because it pulls them off the sidewalks and back into the streets — but in a different way.”
That shift from protest to purpose, reaction to intention, is the essence of the “State of the People Power Tour.”
“We cannot continue to stay in this space where the fullness of our humanity is not appreciated and valued,” Black Voters Matter founder and political strategist LaTosha Brown said.
“What makes it different for me is this idea… that Black people are coming together, and we’re bringing our brilliance — not just in service of each other — but that we’re radically reimagining… new ideas and new ways of thinking and even new solutions for ourselves and for our communities and for the world.”
It is a powerful reminder and defiant affirmation that Black liberation is our birthright, and we need no permission or validation from the powers that be.
“We can’t keep centering whiteness in Black advancement…this moment is requiring of us is to engage in a paradigm shift, which means we have to put ourselves first,” Angela Rye added.
“We are putting on our own oxygen mask. Yes, we’re doing that communally. We are a communal, cooperative people — it is in our blood.”
And it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Black women are once again leading the charge, organizing, strategizing, and reimagining our path forward.
In any case; Black women are the tide that raises all ships.
But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t carve out space to breathe. Black women’s rest is law.
“There’s a middle-of-the-road approach,” Rye said. “That doesn’t mean you can’t put your little under-eye mask on and drink your tea at nighttime.”
“But in the day, we are awake and we’re working. And that’s because your life depends on it. Your freedom depends on it. Your people are depending on you to utilize your gifts.”
The “State of the People Power Tour” is set to launch on April 26 in Atlanta and will visit 10 states, most of which are in the South, where most Black Americans reside.
The tour stops will include Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Virginia, Missouri, New Jersey, and California.
Each location will host two full days of events, including community rallies, town halls, and service-oriented events such as food and clothing drives.
For more information and how to take part, visit https://stateoftheppl.com/.
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