On Tuesday February 28 at 7 pm a Community Rally entitled “Resisting the Policies of Donald Trump – No! In the Name of Humanity Refuse Fascism – Faith Community and City Wide Coalition”, is being held at Ward A.M.E. Church in South Central Los Angeles.
A member of Ward A.M.E who learned about Refuse Fascism in early January initiated this important event. She has been taking out the Call to Action of Refuse Fascism, and Refuse Fascism posters and stickers to her community. This experience in Los Angeles demonstrates the kind of initiative that can be taken up in all kinds of institutions and settings.
She was also inspired by the Episcopal Statement issued by the Council of Bishops of the American African Methodist Church on January 31, 2017. A.M.E. bishops issued this statement: “in response to the views and actions of President Donald Trump since his inauguration on January 20 2017”. It calls on A.M.E. churches not just to talk about Trumps views and actions, but to “act accordingly”.
Based on both these statements, she approached her Pastor who supported her call for the rally. She feels that the Black community must step out and refuse to accept a fascist America. Other groups and politicians have been invited to attend. An announcement was made during their Sunday service, flyers for the rally were distributed to the congregation after church along with the Refuse Fascism Call to Action. She has also emailed it out to others and these materials were also distributed to another A.M.E. church in South Central. Selections from the Statement from the Council of Bishops will be read and Refuse Fascism will be making a statement as well developing plans off of the rally.
Refuse Fascism’s new Call can and must become a more powerful social force and guide to action for millions of people across the entire country, in every sphere of society. The four resolutions the Call ends with provide an orientation and framework that can bring together millions into an urgently needed, powerful and sustained outpouring: [1] Our single unifying mission must be to Drive Out the Trump/Pence Regime. [2] We must manifest the power of NO! everywhere: on signs, billboards, walls, social media and the news. NO! In the Name of Humanity, We REFUSE To Accept a Fascist America must resound. [3] Every outrage committed by this regime must be met with greater and greater resistance.[4] We must ORGANIZE: working with all our creativity and determination toward the time when millions of people can be moved to fill the streets of cities and towns day after day and night after night, declaring this whole regime illegitimate – Demanding, and Not Stopping, Until the Trump/Pence Regime Is Driven from Power.