On the heels of the “State of the People“— a 24-hour livestream marathon that served as a powerful counter to Donald Trump’s congressional address and drew more than 1 million viewers — the movement is going on the road. This “State of the People POWER Tour“, an ambitious and unapologetically Black effort to organize communities, uplift voices and shape a national Black agenda will launch this month.
As attacks on democracy, diversity, and truth-telling mount — from the rollback of DEI to the erasure of Black history — organizers say it’s time to shift from defense to offense. The tour is designed to tap into the brilliance, vision and determination of Black communities across the country and channel that energy into collective action.
However, as Angela Rye, well-known attorney and one of the social justice advocates behind the tour and “State of the People” livestream, makes clear, this isn’t a response to Trump.
“This tour is about our devotion to Black people,” she says. “It is about our commitment to our survival and our everlasting commitment to our ability to thrive. So it’s about our power.”
Launching April 26 in Atlanta, the “State of the People POWER Tour” will travel to 10 states — most of them in the South, where the majority of Black Americans reside. Stops include Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Virginia, Missouri, New Jersey and California.
At every stop, the tour will feature two full days of programming: community rallies, town halls and service-oriented events like food and clothing drives. It’s a mix of inspiration, action and healing, aiming to reawaken civic engagement and spark new momentum in places where political fatigue and injustice have left many feeling powerless.
Civil rights activist and tour co-organizer Tamika Mallory says that’s exactly who this movement is for: the ones who are tired.
“There’s a lot of people who are tired, exhausted — and folks do deserve to have a moment to recalibrate,” Mallory says. “But I think this tour will help people to say, ‘Okay, these are my people. Let me jump in where I fit. Let me figure out what I’m going to bring to the table and how I can re-engage.’ And so I think the tour is perfect for the tired folks, because it pulls them off the sidewalks and back into the streets — but in a different way,” she adds.
That shift — from reaction to intention, from protest to purpose — is central to the tour’s mission.
“We cannot continue to stay in this space where the fullness of our humanity is not appreciated and valued,” says Black Voters Matter founder and co-organizer, LaTosha Brown.
“What makes it different for me is this idea… that Black people are coming together, and we’re bringing our brilliance — not just in service of each other — but that we’re radically reimagining… new ideas and new ways of thinking and even new solutions for ourselves and for our communities and for the world.”
It’s a reminder that Black liberation doesn’t require permission or validation from the powers that be.
“We can’t keep centering whiteness in Black advancement…what this moment is requiring of us is to engage in a paradigm shift, which means we have to put ourselves first,” says Rye. “We are putting on our own oxygen mask. Yes, we’re doing that communally. We are a communal, cooperative people — it is in our blood.” And it should come as no surprise that Black women are once again leading the charge — organizing, protecting, strategizing and imagining new paths forward.
“We’re seeing once again, how Black women stand in the gap and pool all of us to work collectively on a model that really is around self-determination,” says Brown.
But, Rye notes, Black women also deserve space to breathe.
“There’s a middle-of-the-road approach,” she says. “That doesn’t mean you can’t put your little under-eye mask on and drink your tea at night time, but in the day, we are awake and we’re working. And that’s because your life depends on it. Your freedom depends on it. Your people are depending on you to utilize your gifts.”
The “State of the People POWER Tour” will culminate with the Juneteenth General Assembly, after which more cities will be added to the tour. For more information on tour stops and how to take part, visit https://stateoftheppl.com/.
