From her days on air at MSNBC to her final sign-off, where she encouraged viewers to reflect on the power of resistance, Joy Reid has always taken an unapologetic approach to advocacy. And now the journalist will be joining “The State of the People’s Power Tour,” a nationwide tour and movement rooted in service, solidarity and strategic action within Black communities.
“We’ve always been a community that feels empowered,” Reid said on Get Up Mornings with Erica Campbell. “Even though we’re a smaller percentage of the country, we’ve always been at the forefront of civil rights and human rights. But this past election revealed a level of discouragement we hadn’t seen before.”
Fueled by a deep concern following the result of the 2024 presidential elections, Reid explains how a group of journalists, activists, and community leaders joined forces to create “The State of the People,” which started as a 24-hour live stream in protest of Trump’s State of the Union address to Congress. On a mission to inform Americans, particularly Black Americans of current events, policies, and their actual impact, the coalition launched the “Power Tour” to combat the widespread feeling of disempowerment in Black communities.
“The State of the People POWER Tour is a nationwide call to action; a movement to rally, restore, and reimagine what’s possible for Black communities across the U.S.,” the organization’s website reads. “It’s not an event, it’s a people-powered campaign.”
With plans to visit 12 cities nationwide, the coalition aims “to activate a grassroots movement that amplifies Black voices, demands systematic change and advances a national collective Black agenda rooted in justice and liberation.” In addition to offering a free space for Black communities to gather, the organization has made strides to enact tangible change in the cities it has visited thus far. In Atlanta, a collaborating organization reportedly gave away acres of land. Similarly, at other tour stops, seniors have received grocery deliveries, and families have received up $250 in bill relief in an effort to address the insecurity many Americans are feeling.
The Tour’s next stop is in Richmond,VA, on May 16-17, followed by Detroit (May 21-22) and Jackson, Mississippi (May 30-31), and more before concluding in California with the “State of the People International Assembly” on Juneteenth.
Visit stateoftheppl.com for more information.
