To have been a member or friend of Poets Against Racism & Hate USA the past year is to have been distraught daily as blatant racism and hate became standard practices in our country, implemented and condoned by those at the nation’s highest levels.
Examples seem superfluous by now, but here goes. In early 2025, the Trump administration blocked federal funding to Native American groups; the relevant order was quickly rescinded but uncertainty surrounding continuation of such funding remains today, and a clear message was sent regarding disdain for the nation’s legally established obligation to Native Americans. In an ongoing assault on Black Americans, Trump banned DEI initiatives, promoted racially based legislative redistricting, deployed the military to cities with significant Black populations, implemented policies that have led to increases in Black unemployment, strived to erase both the tragedies and the triumphs of African American history, and on and on. He has personally attacked both Jewish and Muslim leaders, using slurs such as “shylocks” and “garbage.” Executive orders have decimated health, safety, and dignity prospects for those in the trans community. Following campaign rhetoric indicating immigration policy would target “the worst of the worst,” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reveled in unconstitutional and immoral endeavors such as zip-tying, detaining, and deporting U.S. citizens of color—including children. And among the most recent of the administration’s anti-immigrant acts? A poet standing against racism and hate was killed by ICE and condemned by our government as a domestic terrorist before one second of investigation could occur.
In the face of dramatic, top-down pressure to normalize racism and hate, our mission at PARH USA can feel overwhelming. Our efforts can seem small. But we continually hear from all corners that what our poets contribute to this moment is anything but small. And so we press on. In 2025, we added over 50 new members, giving us a presence in 24 states from Maine to California; published 21 powerful works on our Featured Poem page—many of which relate to ongoing current events; and published blog posts intended to inspire social justice poets during these trying times. Our events and workshops reflected the prevailing political climate as well. These included a protest singalong/poetry reading, our annual In This Together event addressing systemic racism, workshops intended to help social justice poets convene in community and depart with strategies for applying the forceful tool that is their art, and injecting poetry into a fundraiser to save public media following elimination of federal funding. We also held our first in-person reading in Indiana, partnering with the state’s poet laureate, Curtis Crisler. And we returned to a theme from 2024 by participating in a Juneteenth celebration and a community event focused on the intricacies and impacts of the Underground Railroad.
It is now a new year. And it’s our belief that we poets who tackle social injustices know at our cores that change can happen; otherwise, why would we bother? Immediately after poet Renee Good was killed by an ICE agent, spontaneous protests broke out across the country. In the following days, hundreds more occurred. Tens of thousands of people walked the streets, outraged by the death of a poet standing against racism and hate. Let us all be inspired by Renee Good’s commitment to change by trying harder than ever to use the power of poetry to confront racism, bigotry, and hate. That is our aim at PARH USA as we enter 2026.
Sources
Danner, C. (2025, May 3). All the U.S. citizens who’ve been caught up in Trump’s immigration crackdown. Intelligencer. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/tracking-us-citizens-children-detained-deported-ice-trump-updates.html.
Donald Trump in his own words—the year in racism and misogyny. (2025, December 29). The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/29/donald-trump-racism-dei-misogyny-2025-review.
Gaynor, G. K. (2025, December 23). 10 actions from Trump in 2025 that critically impacted Black Americans. The Grio. https://thegrio.com/2025/12/23/10-actions-from-trump-in-2025-that-have-critically-impacted-black-americans/.
Hesse, A. OMB Memo M-25-13 rescinded: What it means for tribal nations. (n.d.). Indigenous Pact. https://www.indigenouspact.com/omb-memo-m-25-13-rescinded-what-it-means-for-tribal-nations-4/. Accessed January 11, 2026.
Immigrant Legal Resource Center condemns egregious use of power by ICE. (2026, January 8). Immigrant Legal Resource Center. https://www.ilrc.org/press/immigrant-legal-resource-center-condemns-egregious-use-power-ice#:~:text=ICE%2C%20Trump%20Administration%20Must%20be,showcases%20their%20lack%20of%20credibility.
Jones, J. (2025, June 28). Trump’s second term is giving a green light to blatant racism. MS NOW. https://www.ms.now/top-stories/latest/trump-racism-bigotry-ogles-zohran-mamdani-maga-rcna215644.
Pfannenstiel, K. (2025, October 22). FBI backtracks on denying children were zip tied in Idaho raid, saying instead no “young” kids were. Idaho Capital Sun. https://idahocapitalsun.com/2025/10/22/fbi-backtracks-on-denying-children-were-zip-tied-in-idaho-raid-saying-instead-no-young-kids-were/.
Trump, immigration, trans rights: The stories that shaped 2025. (2025, December 28). American Civil Liberties Union. https://www.aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/trump-immigration-trans-rights-the-stories-that-shaped-2025.
Tucker, E. (2026, January 10). More than 1,000 protests are planned across the country this weekend. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/minneapolis-ice-shooting-immigration-crackdown-01-10-26?post-id=cmk878y7100003b609t2xvrjf.
U.S. must fulfill obligations by protecting programs. (2026, January 5). Native American Rights Fund. https://narf.org/amicus-federal-funding-freeze-2025/.