The Work Ahead: Dismantling the Hierarchy

A just society requires structural—not symbolic—change. Reform without transformation leaves the hierarchy intact.

The work ahead is made even harder by the actions of the Trump administration, which intentionally dismantled civil rights protections, weakened federal oversight, restricted diversity initiatives, and undermined the fragile legal tools that had helped move the country—slowly and unevenly—toward racial equity. These rollbacks did not simply pause progress; they strengthened the underlying architecture of anti-Blackness. They empowered states, agencies, and private actors to act with less accountability. And because the racial hierarchy operates across administrations, the damage done during this period will continue to shape policing, education, voting, health care, housing, and immigration long after a different president takes office. The result is a deeper, more entrenched form of anti-Blackness that future administrations will inherit, not erase.

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Call to Action: Transform Institutions

• Transform school discipline systems

• Reimagine public safety

• End exclusionary zoning

• Dismantle healthcare racism

• Build equitable employment structures

• Challenge economic systems tied to racial hierarchy

• Support DAEUS-led organizing and leadership

We have inherited a racial order built on anti-Blackness, but we are not bound to preserve it. Building a humane future requires telling the truth about the past, confronting the institutions that maintain racial inequality, and creating a society where no group’s advancement depends on another’s oppression. These systems were built through human choices, and they can be dismantled the same way—through sustained organizing, honest public memory, and a collective refusal to uphold the racial contract that keeps inequality in place.