New question for ACEs survey: Was Trump your president?

Check out this article on the 100 day plan:

http://www.npr.org/2016/11/10/...100-days-action-plan

Laura and Christine,

Thank you for your comments and acknowledgements. I so appreciate what you both raise around the dangers and risks we tread in this new context.  And I truly believe we have to keep naming this concern, fear, trepidation.  Out loud and with each other.  If we don't we will internalize them and then run the risk of making decisions and choices from fear and silence, which will only burden those  already most burdened.

We have to keep Racing ACEs, even more and even louder.  And be tactical about how we organize ourselves and with each other to do it.  The cuts to funding, loss of access and support are real.  No doubt. That said, we have every right to ask the stewards of these funds - our local, regional, statewide agencies, foundations, etc. - what their understanding and plans are to protect and support this critical and most necessary work. 

We have big and brutal changes ahead of us and we have to organize and mobilize to quell or stop them.  First we need to know what were are taking about and dealing with.  RYSE is going to convene some our local partners to better understand Trump's 100 day plan.  We can share what comes out of that as it will be the base for our response and plan of action.  Perhaps ACEs Connection sites can convene post-election gatherings to discuss the same?

In solidarity and tender determination,

Kanwarpal

You wrote:

"On the one hand, we are afraid to talk about it because it’ll be seen as partisan and will compromise our bi-partisan support or broad community support, especially for those of us in red states. And we need that broad buy-in order to make change...But on the other hand, how can we possibly remain silent when our neighbors and family members and clients and especially our children are feeling the repercussions, and when all of Trump’s policy ideas go directly against the work we try to do?"

I think you ask a really important question. I've been thinking about this a lot. I appreciate your comments and questions and am thinking about these issues as well.

Cissy 

Yes yes yes, Kanwarpal. This is so deeply traumatic, and I am so scared for all those I know and love, and all those I don't know, who are such greater risk to their physical safety and well-being when white supremacy and misogyny and xenophobia and violence are elevated to this level of power. 

One of the questions I want to talk about with others who are leading this work in their communities on a broad scale is this: 

How do we as coalitions (or individual professionals in this field) talk about the obvious trauma that is inflicted on all marginalized communities when the majority of voters (in particular, the majority of white voters) have voted for Trump, a man who represents every kind of trauma we work against? On the one hand, we are afraid to talk about it because it’ll be seen as partisan and will compromise our bi-partisan support or broad community support, especially for those of us in red states. And we need that broad buy-in order to make change...But on the other hand, how can we possibly remain silent when our neighbors and family members and clients and especially our children are feeling the repercussions, and when all of Trump’s policy ideas go directly against the work we try to do? I want to know what other coalitions are doing. I haven't posted about it on our Facebook page, I guess because I am afraid of losing funding or broad following and being written off in my red state, and yet it feels unconscionable not to do so. This is a trauma, plain and simple. 

That Q of how to talk about it is one part. The other is what does this mean for the work? What do we need to organize for and against right now and in the next few years so that all the gains we've made are not rolled back, and so that our ACEs work actively combats the traumas of this political climate, which will surely fall disproportionately on people of color and all marginalized communities? And also, how will this political climate change the funding climate for this work? What do we need to prepare for so our work doesn't grind to a halt?