They Call It ‘Black Power,’ We Call It Representation
✉️ THE MORNING TRAP – May 22, 2025 | SPONSORED BY: The Greater Columbus Arts Council - Columbus Arts Festival June 6-8, 2025 in Downtown, Columbus, OH.
KinFam, Welcome Home!
GOOD MORNING, FAMILY —
They told us to wait our turn. Then told us we were unqualified.
Now that we’re in the room, they’re calling the feds.
This ain’t just about Brandon Johnson. This is about who gets to govern Black cities—and what happens when we demand more than photo ops and trickle-down justice.
Today, we’re breaking down how a Black mayor, a far-right reporter, and the Department of Justice just turned a hiring conversation into a civil rights showdown.
But trust—we got the receipts, the rhythm, and the rallying cry.
Because we know: When they criminalize Black leadership, they’re afraid of what it unlocks.
Welcome to The Morning Trap.
Let’s get into it.
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🎯 TOP TRAP – They Call It ‘Black Power,’ We Call It Representation
“Why are you a racist?” — That’s the question a far-right reporter hurled at Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson for hiring Black people in a Black city.
📌 Quick Recap:
The DOJ launched a civil rights investigation into Chicago’s hiring practices under Mayor Johnson, allegedly prompted by his public praise of Black leadership.
At a press conference, right-wing provocateur William J. Kelly accused Johnson of “Black power rhetoric” and asked him why he was “a racist.”
This all stems from Johnson's unapologetic stance that Chicago should look like its people—Black, working-class, and rooted in equity.
🗣️ Trap Quote of the Day:
“Since when is hiring Black people a federal offense.”
THE TRAP BREAKDOWN – “Black Leadership Ain’t a Crime”
🎤Intro Take:
Chicago’s mayor is under fire not for corruption, not for cronyism, but for giving Black folks a seat at the damn table. And now, the Department of Justice is knocking, asking if inclusion itself is discrimination.
📚Backstory:
Let’s get this straight—Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits hiring based on race. It was designed to protect Black folks, not to be weaponized against us. But ever since Black Power became Black policy, the backlash has been swift and calculated—from affirmative action bans to DEI rollbacks.
💸 The Players:
William J. Kelly: MAGA-aligned ex-mayoral candidate turned clout-chasing reporter.
DOJ Civil Rights Division: Now led by a right-leaning appointee, Harmeet Dhillon, who’s made moves aligning with conservative priorities.
Mayor Brandon Johnson: Progressive, Black, and catching hell for building a team that reflects Chicago’s Black majority.
🔁 The Pattern:
This ain’t just about Chicago. It’s part of a nationwide right-wing crusade to paint Black leadership as reverse racism. They did it to Black judges, Black professors, and now Black mayors. Power-sharing scares them more than power abuse ever did.
📣 Kinfolk Need to Know:
They don’t hate racism—they hate when it’s not working in their favor.
♻️ TRAP TALK: Screenshots That Slap
Viral quote:
“Your Black power rhetoric is bringing the city backwards.”
📊 Stat That Hits:
34% of Johnson’s staff is Black in a city that’s 30% Black.
🧾 Receipt That Flips It:
The same week the feds investigate a Black mayor for “Black hiring,” they said nothing about corporations scrapping DEI roles by the hundreds. Silence is consent—and consent ain’t neutral.
A Love Cut Short: Louisiana Couple Dies in Separate Crashes Hours Apart, Leaving Behind 4-Year-Old Son
In a heartbreaking sequence of events, a young Louisiana couple's dreams were tragically shattered. Alexus Lee, 25, and her fiancé John “JR” Collins, 35, died in separate car accidents just hours apart on the same early morning, leaving their 4-year-old son, Gabriel, without his parents.
🔨 DO SOMETHING – Today’s Move
✅ Direct Action:
Call Out The DOJ
Let the Civil Rights Division know Black hiring is not discrimination—it’s overdue reparative justice.
💬 Caption:
Post this in your fam group chat right now:
The feds are investigating Black leadership. We got receipts. We got responses. We need your voice.
✊🏽 CULTURE REWIND – Don't Just Inform, Inspire (IGNITE!)
🖼️ Memory:
“The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman.” — Malcolm X
💼Spotlight:
BlackRoots Alliance is a frontline Chicago organization building Black political power, not just for the moment—but for the long haul. Born out of the recognition that Black liberation requires more than just resistance, they work to transform the systems that have historically kept Black communities at the margins.
They’re not a nonprofit in name only—they're a people’s HQ for justice, community defense, and strategic organizing.
What They Do:
Policy & Power Building: From city hall to the block, BlackRoots is developing policy campaigns that are rooted in abolitionist values and led by everyday Chicagoans.
Mutual Aid + Safety Work: They organize alternatives to policing that center healing, not punishment, and are part of citywide coalitions reimagining public safety without state violence.
Political Education: Through teach-ins, leadership development, and radical curriculum, they raise political consciousness rooted in Black radical traditions.
Organizing the Organizers: Many of the most effective organizers in the city have come through BlackRoots. They’re not gatekeeping movement work—they’re multiplying it.
🎤 Pull-Out Line:
Equity is not exclusion. It’s correction.
They want us quiet, compliant, and grateful for crumbs.
But we ain’t just eating—we’re building the table, picking the menu, and inviting our people to lead.
Brandon Johnson didn’t get attacked for breaking the law—he got attacked for breaking the mold.
And if that makes them nervous? Good.
That means the power’s shifting.
So whether you organize in Jordans or church shoes, in cubicles or community halls—keep pushing.
Keep receipts. Keep calling it what it is.
And don’t let them rewrite the rules while we’re finally in the game.
📲 Post the action. 🗣️ Share the trap. ✊🏾 Stand in truth.
We don’t whisper through oppression—we amplify through it.
Catch you tomorrow, same time, same fight.
This is The Morning Trap—the people’s mic.
We out. 🎛️
