Friend,

I was preparing to celebrate with you today. And while the stroke of a pen will never deter Jobs With Justice, I’m asking you instead to acknowledge the critical moment we find ourselves in.

This past week we were in Atlanta, GA launching a hub for reimagining an economic path to democracy through the lens of southern workers at Clark Atlanta University. The Labor Institute for Advancing Black Strategists, a first-of-its-kind labor center at a Historically Black College and University, will cultivate a national network of leaders through comprehensive research, seminars, internships, and field experiences that are centered on southern worker organizing, especially among Black workers.

Emphasizing the experiences of those embedded in the most exploitative regions of the country is crucial in this moment as we navigate how to build a majority movement for democracy.

Yet, today, President Donald Trump has called for a “return to truth and sanity”, signing an executive order to erase centuries of the nation’s multiracial experience and whitewash the complicated yet resilient history of this country. We will resist attempts to revise our shared history in service to a powerful and wealthy few. Workers have always confronted White Supremacy and systems of oppression head on, leading the cultural, political, and labor victories of the past and present.

If the president is seeking “truth”, I’d like to offer:

Despite popular misconceptions, some of the most exciting and militant efforts to take on multinational corporations are happening in southern states—many led by working people from communities of color. These fights are not simply focused on narrow economic self interests, but towards our shared prosperity.

Democracy is worth fighting for. And it is not just a system of political practices. It must be applied to participation and decision-making in all aspects of our economic lives as well. We will build collective bargaining power to expand democracy across our workplaces and the economy.

Do not come for us unless we call for you. It is you who will be on the wrong side of history. Because we will ultimately win.

I know you’ll join me in resisting this and future attacks by celebrating the launch of our Labor Institute today. Sign up to learn more about our long-term commitment and investment in labor leaders across the southern United States.

In Solidarity & Gratitude,

Erica Smiley

Executive Director

Jobs With Justice