We Are Many, They Are Few
Ohio National Guardsmen assemble on the Kent State University campus near the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) building as it burns. Image courtesy of Howard Ruffner/Getty Images
On May 4, 1970, thirteen white students were shot at long range by Ohio National Guardsmen during an anti-war protest at Kent State University. Four died. Ten days later, fourteen Black students were shot by police at a protest at Jackson State University, an HBCU in Mississippi. Two were killed. None of the shooters did any jail time.
Photos of the Kent State shooting became iconic images at a turning point in the antiwar movement. The shootings in Mississippi soon faded from the public consciousness. I was a young anti-war activist at the time, and both incidents shook me to my core.
Today we find ourselves in a similar situation. Minneapolis is becoming the epicenter of government violence against Black, brown, and now white people. The White House strategy to attack our Constitution and all our institutions at once has been disorienting and often demoralizing. The arrest of Don Lemon and other journalists simply reporting what they see in Minneapolis shows us how ruthless this administration is. Now the White House is even talking about taking over the midterms and eliminating birthright citizenship. It seems they want to convince Americans that resistance is futile.
What’s missing now is the optimism of the ‘60s and early ‘70s. Today the news media feed into demoralization. They promote the narrative that the country is evenly divided into just two camps: angry Democrats on the defensive and powerful Republicans devoted to the president. Fortunately, it’s not as simple as that.
According to the well-respected polling organization Gallup, 27% of registered voters identified as Republicans and 27% as Democrats in 2025. But 45% considered themselves independents. More importantly we see that roughly only half of Republicans identified as MAGA. In other words, that’s a little less than 14% of all registered voters giving the current administration their fullthroated support.
For me the takeaway is this: we are many, they are few. It’s natural to feel exhausted by the tsunami of bad news. Sometimes I have to take a break from the world’s troubles to protect my mental health. But the world has a way of finding us all, whether we want it to or not.
Phillip Gibbs, a Jackson State prelaw major, and James Earl Green, a Jim Hill High School Student, were killed by police gunfire on the campus of Jackson State College on May 15, 1970. Image Courtesy of Jackson State University
Although Minneapolis gets most of the media attention, ICE is here, upending the lives of residents in Southwest Detroit. Many are imprisoned in their homes by the fear of being detained. They’re afraid to go to work or school, or even to the grocery store.
The old slogan from the labor movement -- “An injury to one is an injury to all” -- keeps coming back to me. Eventually this administration’s enforcers will come for all those the president calls “the enemy within.” That includes us. They’ve already shredded the social programs that so many Detroiters depend on. What’s next?
In November, two Venezuelan students at Western International High School, who were legally seeking asylum here, were taken from their homes and sent to a Texas detention center. State Senator Stephanie Chang has an update on them and others who’ve been detained by ICE in our area.
What gives me hope is the millions of Americans standing up to the attacks on our nation. Think of the 50,000 people braving below-zero temperatures in Minneapolis, or the hundreds of Detroit high school students walking out of class to protest the detention of their fellow students. Consider the work of Indivisible, 50501, MoveOn, ACLU, and labor unions like SEIU. Last October they rallied about seven million people in 2,700 locations around the country to say “No Kings!” We will rally again on March 28.
I recently helped assemble whistle kits that included information about immigrants’ rights to be distributed door-to-door. Working and sharing stories with about 50 young activists left me feeling exhilarated. The torch is being passed. I’m also inspired by the thousands of young people who’ve turned TikTok and other social media platforms into their virtual town square.
It’s okay if not everyone is prepared to be out in the streets right now. No one can do everything, but everyone can do one thing. Consider your own skills, interests, risk tolerance, and personal circumstances. Find a way to make your voice heard. It can be something as simple as calling elected representatives to let them know how you feel about an issue. Remind them they’re accountable to us. The organization 5Calls has an app that makes it really easy.
Or volunteer your help. The People’s Assembly, for example, helps immigrants in Southwest Detroit with daily needs like transportation and shopping. This helps them avoid ICE by staying off the streets and out of sight. Freedom House is another longstanding institution serving immigrants. They can certainly use your time and donations of any amount. If immigration isn’t a compelling issue for you, find one that is.
