Austin, TX – Following last week’s election results, many folks in our communities are rightfully scared, unsure of what’s next, and afraid of what will happen to their neighbors and loved ones. MOVE Texas is here to say it will not back down in the face of any leadership to demand a true democracy that works for all of us.
Claudia Yoli Ferla, Executive Director of MOVE Texas Action Fund, issued the following statement:
“The truth this election has revealed is indisputable; this is not a government that works for us. The fault of a political loss never lies with those who repeatedly have laid out how to win their support – through progressive, working-class values and bold action for our future that allows communities to thrive. The roots of this loss lie directly with the preservation of an inherently broken system entrenched in fear and violence, that ultimately serves only its own interests. But the burden of the aftermath lies with us – young, Black and brown people who always pay the heaviest toll for the incompetence of leaders who quickly forget about us outside of election years.
“Texans have learned that with every loss comes a lesson. Election results serve as a roadmap to center our people and our issues. In Texas, campaigns we supported like Prop R in the city of Dallas won decriminalization of marijuana, and Amarillo voted against abortion travel bans effectively protecting people’s right to choose. Moreover, across the nation progressive ballot propositions and pro-Palestine leaders won by centering the issues we care about and taking meaningful action towards them. These wins are proof that young people are not apathetic voters, they are simply apathetic to the politics of harm that have become commonplace in election cycles. They want to be engaged by elected officials on the issues they care about, not simply on identity or on a platform of “not Donald Trump”.
“Investing in the issues and organizing our communities, especially young people, care about is the only way forward. And as other states look to Texas as trailblazers for resistance and progress under extremist leadership, we’re here and ready to lead them. We must stay resolute in our commitment to protect each other from the fascist future that Trump and his loyalists plan to materialize. MOVE Texas is ready to take bold, public action to stand by anyone threatened by Trump’s fascist policies. Our people have been here once before. We know what it takes to organize, build power and strategize and we are undeterred in our fight to defend our communities. Elections are just a moment, but young people are the movement—we are the antidote to Trump’s threats and the force that will shape our future. ”
