Strategic Alliances: Why Black Interests Align with MAGA on H-1B Reform
“Black people have no permanent friends, no permanent enemies, just permanent interests”
There is a haunting familiarity to this moment in America. It is the echo of a past we know too well—the powerful exploiting division to preserve their empires. Today, the stage is set in Silicon Valley, where tech billionaires and the MAGA movement find themselves locked in an ideological and economic war. This time, however, Black Americans stand poised not as pawns, but as strategic players in a game that could reshape our future.
The battleground is the H-1B visa program, a policy that allows tech companies to import skilled foreign workers at reduced wages. For the tech elite, the program is a tool to suppress wages and secure compliant labor. For MAGA, it’s a rallying cry against globalization and the erosion of American jobs. But for Black America, this conflict is an opportunity—a chance to assert our interests and demand a seat at the table.
The Ghosts of the Past: H-1B and the Struggle for Economic Justice
The story of the H-1B visa program is not new. It is a reincarnation of policies that have long been used to pit communities against one another while keeping Black Americans locked out of opportunity. From the Chinese Exclusion Act to the Bracero Program, America has a history of importing labor while systematically excluding us from the fruits of our own labor.
The H-1B system today follows this same script. It allows corporations to bypass domestic talent—including highly skilled Black professionals—in favor of cheaper, foreign alternatives. These workers often come from cultures that have not historically aligned with Black interests, creating a managerial class that further entrenches our exclusion.
But the stakes are higher now. Technology is not just a sector; it is the future of work, wealth, and power. Those who control the algorithms will control the narratives, the markets, and the world. If we fail to act, we risk permanent marginalization in a digital age.
Why Aligning with MAGA Is Strategic, Not Surrender
To align with MAGA on this issue is not to embrace its ethos but to exploit its fracture. Politics is not about purity; it is about power. On the question of H-1B reform, MAGA’s demands for wage protection and prioritizing American workers align with our community’s interests. By joining this push, we can challenge tech’s exploitation while advancing our own agenda.
Let us be clear: This is not an endorsement of MAGA’s broader platform. It is a calculated move to ensure that our voices are heard and our interests are prioritized. The tech aristocracy is no friend to Black America. It is better to leverage the momentary alignment of interests than to sit idly by while another layer of exclusion is built above us.
Empowering Black Futures: The Role of HBCUs
Our historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have always been incubators of resilience and innovation. Institutions like North Carolina A&T, Morgan State University, Howard University, and Tuskegee University must now take center stage in preparing Black students not just as workers but as owners, innovators, and leaders in tech.
Invest in Tech Programs: Expand curricula to include cutting-edge fields like artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cybersecurity.
Foster Entrepreneurship: Create incubators and accelerators to help Black students launch startups that challenge the status quo.
Build Partnerships: Partner with Black-owned businesses and tech companies to provide internships, mentorships, and funding.
Advocate for Federal Investment: Push for policies that channel public funds into HBCUs’ STEM programs, ensuring they remain competitive and well-resourced.
We must remind ourselves that we are not merely participants in the tech industry. We are builders of its future. By claiming ownership, we can ensure that our communities benefit from the wealth and power it generates.
A Plan for Strategic Advancement
Black America must approach this moment not as victims but as visionaries. Here’s how we can take advantage of the MAGA-tech conflict to advance our interests:
Engage Politically: Demand that the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and other representatives champion H-1B reform as part of a broader Black economic agenda.
Call for transparency in tech hiring practices.
Push for accountability measures tied to public funding for tech companies.
Mobilize Communities:
Host forums to educate constituents on how H-1B reform impacts Black workers.
Build coalitions across racial and economic lines to amplify our demands.
Leverage Media: Use platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn to raise awareness about the systemic exclusion of Black talent in tech. Share success stories and call for change.
Invest in Our Own: Support Black-owned tech startups, training programs, and businesses. Create pipelines that funnel Black talent directly into high-paying, high-power roles.
Hold Tech Accountable: Advocate for policies that require diversity in leadership and equitable pay across racial lines. Demand representation in decision-making spaces.
Conclusion: Builders of Tomorrow
This is not the first time Black America has faced a crossroads, and it will not be the last. But we have always risen, not by accepting the terms handed to us but by rewriting them. The tech wars of today offer us an unprecedented opportunity to assert our power and shape the future.
Let us align, not out of allegiance, but out of strategy. Let us push our representatives to act boldly, ensuring that the interests of Black America are not an afterthought but a driving force. Let us prepare our students, support our institutions, and build our businesses so that we enter this space not as outsiders but as owners.
The game is changing. It is time to play to win.
