The lecture hall was abuzz with applause as the young scholar closed their final slide. The room, filled with professors, students, and industry scouts, brimmed with the hum of approval. This was the culmination of years of relentless work—an innovative thesis that blended ancestral wisdom with cutting-edge technology to address healthcare inequities. It was, without a doubt, a masterpiece.

In September 2020, Dr. T. Hasan Johnson, a scholar and advocate for Black male empowerment, unveiled the Black Male Political Agenda—an 18-point framework designed to address the systemic challenges that Black men face across various aspects of society. This agenda is not merely the work of one man but the product of collective effort. Dr. Johnson engaged with a broad and diverse community of Black men to craft, refine, and prioritize this comprehensive roadmap. Together, they envisioned a future where Black men could thrive, supported by policies that address their unique realities.

There is a quiet movement rising—a network of Black professionals, visionaries, and builders who have decided that the future of our community will not be dictated by the whims of those outside of it. This is not a movement for public consumption, not a hashtag or a campaign. It is an underground railroad of modern times, a Wakanda of Black spaces networked together, hidden in plain sight but operating with singular purpose: to create a self-sustaining ecosystem for Black people to thrive.

The history of Black America is a history of paradox. Every attempt to suppress us has been met with innovation. Every policy designed to harm us has sown the seeds of our collective resistance and renewal. We are a people forged in the crucible of hardship, tempered by ingenuity, and propelled by an unyielding belief in our own humanity. Trump’s reelection will not be the death knell of Black progress—it will be yet another opportunity to turn pain into purpose, as we have done so many times before.

During the “good” times of Democratic administrations, Black America often found itself basking in a sense of symbolic progress. Representation in the highest offices of the land, increased access to mainstream spaces, and a rhetoric of inclusion made us feel like we had arrived. But beneath this veneer of success lies a stark reality: complacency. We’ve traded the advancement of the Black family and community for individual advancement.