The ‘No Kings’ rally was a good start, but a protest isn’t going to save America

People of color and Black folks are under duress and exhausted. We’re about to find out if white America is willing to do what it takes to save this country.

(A1Cafel via Wikimedia Commons)s

By Carron J. Phillips

White people, as a group, are often surprised by the actions of other white people. Caucasians have always refused to accept how they function as a whole.

It’s why almost all of the folks who took to the streets this weekend mirrored the complexion of the man they protested. They can’t believe that we’ve arrived at this moment, despite having had each part of the plan laid out for them.

Convenient blindness is a symptom of willful ignorance.

According to the Associated Press, last weekend’s “No Kings” protest was the third mass mobilization since Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office in January. The sight of so many people in the streets served as a symbol of unity at a time when the “United” States feels more divided than ever.

However, moments like this are meaningless if they aren’t followed by continuous action and relentless determination.

“We can’t let up,” famed actor Robert De Niro told MSNBC after the protests. “Cannot let up on him because he is not going to leave the White House. He does not want to leave the White House. He will not leave the White House. Anybody thinks he, oh, he’ll do this, he’ll do that, it’s just deluding themselves.”

The thespian’s words came at the end of an eventful day that was the conclusion of an appalling week, as headlines were full of news that reminded us all just how this administration and the Republican Party really feel about American citizens. There were leaked messages from a group chat in which Young Republicans “referred to Black people as monkeys and ‘the watermelon people’ and mused about putting their political opponents in gas chambers. They talked about raping their enemies and driving them to suicide and lauded Republicans who they believed support slavery,” as reported by Politico. The man who allegedly leaked the racist/toxic group chat was reportedly confronted by the White House, while the vice president attempted to downplay the situation, claiming it was merely the behavior of “kids,” despite the individuals involved being fully grown adults.

As if that weren’t enough, the week also featured a podcaster advocating for Christians to affirm the idea that slavery is acceptable. Dozens of journalists walked out of the Pentagon after refusing to agree to government-imposed restrictions on their reporting. We learned that Trump is thinking about changing the refugee program to favor white people. Additionally, Capitol Police had to start an investigation of a swastika displayed in a GOP congressional office, and the United States Supreme Court seems determined to return us to a time in which Black Americans won’t have the right to vote and/or hold political office.

“I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around black folks in the south losing a part of the voting rights we JUST got within my GRANDMOTHER’S lifetime,” tweeted the account @thecindynoir, perfectly capturing the urgency of the situation.

These events are a consequence of America failing to properly punish the Confederacy after the Civil War. And since America didn’t learn from Germany, Americans looked the other way as fascists took root here.

Why does this happen?

Because white people never want to own up to the devastations and malice that are historically attached to whiteness.

Consider Houston Chronicle columnist Chris Tomlinson’s own words: “I was also wrong about Trump’s commitment to white supremacy, especially relevant as Americans mark Juneteenth, a celebration of Black freedom, equity, and inclusion.” And: “I was wrong about Trump’s commitment to mass deportations.”

The decision to use a fellow journalist’s work isn’t one I take lightly. However, it’s a great example of white America’s ability to be hopeful about people, candidates, and policies that were meant to harm, given that their privilege has shielded them from so much for so long. It’s why someone at a “No Kings” protest can say this to the Associated Press, apparently without a second thought: “I was actually OK with everything until I found that the military invasion in Los Angeles and Chicago and Portland—Portland bothered me the most, because I’m from Portland, and I don’t want the military in my cities. That’s scary.” Though the speaker’s race was not identified, her words exemplify how white America has traditionally operated. Despite the advantages of that mentality, it quickly becomes a hindrance when unity is necessary for change.

“I’m pretty sure Black women have resigned from the ‘Save America’ coalition, ‘Save Democracy’ coalition and definitely the ‘Save the Democratic Party’ coalition,” Joy Reid remarked on her show after Election Day, just before MSNBC canceled it. Reid was speaking for Black women and Black people in November, but it explains why so few of us were spotted in photos from the weekend. And if you paid really close attention, you saw who else was missing in action.

“I think that my generation saw the definitive movements of our lifetime—Black Lives Matter, Me Too, The March For Our Lives—and said, ‘Ok, we’re still watching Black boys get murdered by cops. Somebody is getting put up for mayor in New York City who has a dozen credible sexual harassment allegations. We’re still seeing schools get shot up,” Cameron Kasky, a political commentator, explained on MSNBC about the lack of Gen Z attendance at the protests.

Since he came down that escalator in 2015, Trump has inspired multiple national protests, yet he’s still here despite the outrage over his behavior and policies, and what we can only assume is in the Epstein files. The faux shock and awe that happens as the consequences have finally reached the doorstep of the masses at every turn is not only exhausting, but it’s also a slap in the face to the people who warned you that all of this would happen, as the consequences have finally reached the doorstep of the masses.

The “No Kings” protests will be remembered as a waste of time unless some actionable offenses take place, and soon. What’s the next move? Is there a plan for the midterm elections? Are candidates being prepped for 2028? What do we do until then? These are all questions that need to be answered, and that will have much more impact than millions of people walking through the streets on a glorious autumn day across America. The radical Boston Tea Party fit the narrative, as it led to the American Revolution, a rebellion against monarchies and kings.

America has been here before. Let’s see what happens this time and whether this energy translates to the voting booth.

Carron J. Phillips is an award-winning journalist who writes on race, culture, social issues, politics, and sports. He hails from Saginaw, Michigan, and is a graduate of Morehouse College and Syracuse University.

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