In the wake of Donald Trump’s re-election, with promises to gut federal programs like the Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and further harm marginalized communities, many are left asking: How can we fight back?
We are not powerless. Our local elected officials have a lot more power than we think (or than they’d like us to believe) — even in a red state like Tennessee. I would know, having drafted and led successful local efforts to pass policies for social, economic, and environmental justice during the first Trump administration and under an extremist supermajority legislature.
Now more than ever, local leaders must be bold and imaginative. They need to step up and fill the gaps left by any federal neglect.
To address the inflation that will likely worsen under Trump’s leadership, local leaders could implement policies like grocery stipends for low-income residents (especially if GOP legislators once again block efforts to end the regressive grocery tax). With the president-elect signaling an end to key healthcare subsidies, local governments can build and protect healthcare safety nets for our community. We can also find creative ways to navigate restrictive state laws. For instance, while we may not be able to mandate living wages or rent control outright, local leaders can offer incentives to businesses and landlords that voluntarily adopt these policies.
This is our moment for decisive, fearless action to improve our economy, safeguard our environment, and protect the rights of Black and LGBTQ residents, women, and immigrants. If we don’t act now, families will face deeper economic insecurity, more children will go without quality education, and entire communities will feel the brunt of healthcare cuts and environmental devastation. The first months of Trump’s new administration could set us back years unless we prepare local defenses now.
I firmly believe we have more tools at our local policy fingertips than we realize; we just need the political will and creativity to make them a reality. We’ve already seen governors Gavin Newsom, J.B. Pritzker, and others step up, vowing to sue the federal government if they come after their constituents’ rights, protections, and funding. By the way, these states also have their own agencies to aggressively fight climate change that don’t rely on the whims of federal policy (now there’s an idea).
We need more leadership like Memphis City Council Chairman JB Smiley, who led local efforts to push for common-sense gun control, even as the state threatened to strip local sales tax revenue in retaliation for challenging their inaction on gun violence. Chairman Smiley showed us that we don’t have to accept the status quo or bullying; we can challenge it and win.
Rather than accepting the likely response from local leaders that their hands are tied by this incoming administration and our legislature, we should be asking, “What can you do?” We all can, and should, as Michelle Obama told us, “do something.” I’m not talking flashy or bully pulpit politics; it’s about advancing practical policy that addresses the root causes of poverty, violence, lack of healthcare access, and environmental injustice, no matter where you sit.
For community members deeply concerned about the fate of our future: This is our fight, too. Get involved with local organizations that push for impactful legislation and systemic change. You’ve got organizations all across the spectrum to choose from, like Decarcerate Memphis, Just City, Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope, Memphis Community Against Pollution, Memphis For All, Protect Our Aquifer, Stand for Children Tennessee, and the official Black Lives Matter chapter.
Get to know your local elected leaders, too — what they lead on (or don’t) — and hold them accountable. Show up where decisions are made: city council meetings, public hearings, and town halls. This is where elected power is exercised, and where we can witness if their votes align with their promises.
But we must go beyond just demanding action — this is the easy part. We also need to work with our leaders to develop thoughtful, actionable solutions. Those closest to the problems are often closest to the solutions, and they know best what their communities need. Now is the time to push for bold, concrete solutions that directly address the challenges facing our communities.
These local fights matter more than ever. They not only build our capacity for larger-scale work but also set a precedent that can inspire other cities to follow suit.
We all have a role to play, and nothing will change if we don’t believe it can and act accordingly. As organizer Mariame Kaba reminds us, “Hope is a discipline.” It requires commitment to become the very hope we seek. The moral arc of the universe doesn’t bend towards justice on its own; we have to make it so.
Alex Hensley has championed 10-plus justice-centered laws as former special assistant to Mayor Lee Harris and policy chair of Decarcerate Memphis. She is the founder of Co•mentum Strategies, a political and advocacy firm, and the creator of the Strategy Studio, a course for emerging policy advocates. Find her on Instagram @alexhensley.