By Dr. John E. Warren
This Saturday, Mar. 28, 2026, millions of Americans will come out to participate in the third major No Kings Day Protest against the presidency of Donald Trump. The last event drew more than 7 million people across this great land, exceeding more than 3,000 separate demonstrations.
As important as these events are in making the statement that we are still a nation of democracy and are not willing to abandon our government of checks and balances for an authoritarian king, none of this matters if our protest is not matched with our voter participation in the upcoming primary and general elections across the country. There are two key points to be made here: One is that Blacks, who have not participated in great numbers, come out and be counted among those demonstrating. We are the victims of the “No Diversity, Equality and Inclusion” (DEI) campaign the President has launched against our programs and culture. We must remember that the protest we now see, started with “us’” during the civil rights movement; we are responsible for the Voting Rights Act; we have been the leading force for all protest movements since 1965, as others have sought to follow our example with their causes seeking government changes and inclusion.
We must make our presence known and reclaim our political significance. We can not wait until November. For those of us in California and a number of other states, Primary Elections are coming within the next 90 days. If we are not registered, we can not vote. How we register is not the issue, whether Democrat, Republican or Independent. Only our voting participation can stop Donald Trump and his efforts to make America like Russia and Hungary with authoritarian leadership instead of a democracy.
We must let our neighbors and opponents know that we still count. We still vote and we can still make a difference in any election. No more excuses, just participation, starting this weekend with the “No Kings Day”.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the AFRO.