Just hours after Donald Trump was announced president of the United States on Wednesday morning, the city fell silent.
People cried on the subway during their morning commute and walked down the street lost in thought, their expressions blank. In denial, people desperately checked their phones, hoping for an alert or announcement that would let us all know that the election of Trump was some kind of joke that someone would soon apologize for taking too far.
But this was the reality.
America has spoken, and much of America has chosen in favor of racism, homophobia, xenophobia, misogyny, and what can easily be called the first steps towards fascism. Trump is not conservative, but a radical intent on building a regime with outrageous and detrimental policies that fit into his oppressive vision for America.
Clinton’s concession speech didn’t help. She told Americans that we owe Trump “an open mind and a chance to lead.” This felt like the twist of a knife punctured into one’s stomach, a betrayal and denial of reality.
Insecurities and emotions of the day the were not eased by the resurfacing of Trump’s plan for his first 100 days in office– the same outline he spoke about back in October in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. More talk about the border and the wall and canceling every “unconstitutional” executive action, memorandum, and order issued by President Obama. This is the stuff that nightmares are made of.
Some of the frightened, sobbing New School students who managed to come to school despite the nightmare, sat in a circle on the fifth floor of the university center in the social justice hub for a coping session organized by the school. Several students and faculty members gathered to share their stories, give their support, and provide possible solutions or ideas of what we as students can do, or where we can go from here.
The answer still remains unclear.
It’s the fear of who is roaming the streets feeling entitled and empowered under a Trump ascendency. Fears of family members being deported, human bodies taken advantage of, and threats of violence made and even realized.
In other words, many minorities living in America feel betrayed, undervalued, and like they don’t matter – as if they are somehow undeserving of basic human rights or a president who cares about the issues that directly affect them, like the Black Lives Matter movement, abortion, sexual assault and harassment laws, as well as discrimination and hate crimes.
The election of Trump feels like a declaration of war against people of color; gay, queer, and transgender communities; women; muslims, and immigrants of all kinds.
Despite the fact that many of us now just want to hate the Republican Party and those who voted for Trump, it’s actually more important than ever now that we not lose ourselves to hate but rather gear ourselves up for the fight to come. This is especially true for millennials. As people are always telling us, we’re the future of America.
Donate to Planned Parenthood, volunteer at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center on West 13th Street or with the New York Immigrant Coalition. Subscribe and get updates from Communities United for Police Reform. Attend the love rally in Washington Square Park on Friday and meet like-minded people trying to conduct change, make art and post it to your social media accounts to start and facilitate a conversation. Continue to go to protests and other rallies, and continue to be pissed because your emotions are valid, and you have every right to feel angry and hurt. But let those feelings fuel your fire and ignite your desire to fight. Do something and anything that strikes you, but no matter what, don’t stay despondent and don’t stay silent — our country needs us right now.
Our current situation is not our final destination, and Trump isn’t the change this country needs. Let’s make our America great again. The America that fought for civil rights, women’s rights, marriage equality, and workers’ right. The America that isn’t Trump’s.
Truman is the Editor-in-Chief for The New School Free Press and a senior in the Journalism + Design program at Lang. He has also contributed online content for both Interview Magazine and V Magazine, talking with musicians, directors and a variety of other artists. Born in raised in Oakland, California, he now lives in Bed Stuy with a witchy roommate who is always down to burn some candles with him.
