By State of The People
Photos: YouTube Screenshots
WASHINGTON (March 7, 2025) – “We the people” took on a new meaning as a million tuned into the State of the People address spanning 24 hours and was organized in less than three days to provide alternative programming to the President’s address to a joint session of Congress. The inaugural event convened the nation’s leading voices to discuss the disproportionate, harmful impact of the Trump Administration on the Black community.
“Your pocketbooks will pay for this reality show.” Political commentator and television host Joy Reid kicked off the marathon event by reminding viewers that what is at stake will affect us all. “It’s time to ask what this crisis of democracy means in your actual life…we are not sure if your grandma will get her social security check or if your FAFSA check will clear. When we lose civil servants, it threatens the social services we all benefit from.” The recent actions from the Trump Administration will leave no part of our country untouched. “But we will not be moved, nor deterred as God has not given [us] a spirit of fear,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett reminded us.
Over the 24 hours, more than 100 elected officials, political analysts, issue advocacy experts, journalists and scholars joined the State of the People to dissect the current political landscape for viewers. Panels ranged from business leaders outlining how Trump’s economy hurts Black business owners to voting rights experts sharing how we must safeguard the precious vote. Justice correspondent and columnist Elie Mystal stressed the magnitude of this moment, “We are truly living in unprecedented times. Donald Trump is currently facing 95 separate federal lawsuits stemming from his illegal and unconstitutional executive orders, which he issued in just the first six weeks of his presidency.” Civil rights attorney Ben Crump underscored the gravity of the ongoing constitutional crisis, stating, “What he [President Trump] is doing will test the elasticity of the United States Constitution, and I am not so sure unless we fight like hell that it will ever regain its former dimensions.”
A common thread underscored no matter the issue, the Black community bears the brunt of this administration’s wreckage. Yet, despair did not drive this event—instead, it was hope. Leaders reminded viewers that we have been here before and our ancestors have always overcome. During the final hours of the marathon stream, the collective hosted a Black Leadership Summit to shift focus from the lies during the Joint Congressional Address to answer instead, “Where do we go from here.” We refuse to let our collective efforts over the last two centuries be undone—this is our “urgent responsibility,” as IMPACT Strategies Principal and CEO, Angela Rye stated. “Democracy being at stake means that all our freedom that we have fought for is at stake.”
The State of the People concluded with the lesson that everyone has a crucial role in the fight for justice. Dr. Bernice A. King reminded us of the words of her father, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “Our nettlesome task is to discover how to organize our strength into compelling power so that the government cannot elude our demands.” When we come together and recognize the power of unity, we become greater than the forces that seek to divide us.
State of the People was produced by Rev. Mark Thompson, Make It Plain; Holli Holliday, Sisters Lead Sisters Vote; Hollye Weekes, Digital Weekes; Ashley Allison, Watering Hole Media; and Lolo Smith, Native Land Podcast.
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About State of the People
The official State of the Union was be filled with empty promises and misinformation, but the State of the People is our answer—a 24-hour livestream elevating the voices that truly reflect our community’s needs. Now is the time to take a stand. Join us as we uplift the issues that matter, demand accountability for the harm caused, and chart a path forward where we can thrive. Engage with us and register at stateofthepeople.media.
