On Monday, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States of America. Many people are experiencing deep pain, sadness, and fear. These emotions are understandable, as we do not know for certain what the future holds and the present looks increasingly dire. In just a few days, Trump has created untold hardship for people in the US and around the world. But one thing we must not do is fall into despair. We cannot allow fear to take hold of us and control us. 

As I look back on our nation’s history, I feel optimistic, not because our history is positive and not because our present is good, but because I see the mountains we have scaled and overcome. I have faith that we can come together and confront our challenges, because they did not start with Donald Trump and will not end with his presidency.

Today, we wake up in a familiar America, an America where the number-one cause of bankruptcy is medical debt, where 68,000 people die each year due to the lack of healthcare, where the leading cause of death for children is gun violence, where the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, where the rate of those sleeping on the streets is increasing by record numbers each year, where the voice of the people is drowned out politically by the ruling class.

Our mission has not changed. Our fight to ensure working-class Americans from all backgrounds have their basic needs met and have the ability to live a good life has not changed. The ruling class who buy elected officials has not changed. Therefore, our pursuit and commitment to just causes have not changed. Our mission remains the same.

Moving forward is key. We must not allow ourselves to be overcome by disdain for any one individual. We must love those we are fighting for more than we dislike who we are fighting against. President Donald Trump was sworn in on the same day our nation recognizes the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Some saw the convergence of these two events as ironic. I saw it as a searing foreshadowing for those of us willing to take up the mantle of Dr. King’s work to create a beloved community. Despite the venom and anti-Black hatred that was directed toward him and the civil rights movement, he never lost sight of the goal. He once declared, “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

We should live by those words. Collectively, our love for our humanity and the humanity of those around us is a far more powerful force than the collective hatred for one man.

Our elected officials and political institutions on the right side of justice and freedom must commit to representing us, not the ruling class. Our demand has not changed. Our love for humanity has not changed. We must not waver.

I remain hopeful for the future. We all should.

As a Black woman in America, I think about how our ancestors liberated themselves from chattel slavery. Our ancestors defeated Jim Crow laws. We, too, shall overcome.

The words of Harriet Tubman weigh heavily with me in this moment: “If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If there’s shouting after you, keep going. Don’t ever stop.”

We owe it to our forebears, our families, our communities, and future generations to not stop.

We must keep going.