If you don’t see the roadmap being laid out to take America back to a post-Reconstruction era, you are living under a rock.
The assault on Black progress is calculated and multi-tiered. First, they erased our history and heritage from classrooms. Second, they dismantled the programs designed to help Black students reach higher education. Third, they turned “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” into dirty words, slamming the door on fair public and private contracts. Finally, they are redrawing maps to dilute our political power and ensure the status quo remains untouched.
They aren’t finished. This is a 21st-century genocide of opportunity, and complaining on social media won’t stop it. Voting is our only weapon. As we approach the May Runoff Election (Early Voting starts May 18, 2026; Election Day is May 26), you must take action. If we don’t take this seriously now, the scenario in November might look very different.
Follow the money: The battle for District 18
The race for Congressional District 18 between Christian Menefee and Al Green has become a bitter proxy war over industry influence. The primary catalyst? Cryptocurrency. Menefee is backed by millions in outside spending from the Protect Progress PAC, which supports candidates favorable to the crypto industry. Conversely, Al Green—a veteran of the House Financial Services Committee—has championed stricter regulation of the industry, making him a target for these deep-pocketed Super PACs.
Campaign finance snapshot (as of March 31, 2026)
| Christian Menefee (D) | Amount/Type | Al Green (D) | Amount/Type |
| Protect Progress PAC | $1,660,000 | PAC to the Future | PAC Contribution |
| Leaders We Deserve | $287,000 | Carrin Patman | Individual |
| Cong. Progressive Caucus | $100,000 | Bill Miller | Individual |
| Amber Mostyn | Individual | Tahir Javed | Individual |
| John Arnold | Individual | Benjamin Hall III | Individual |
| Equality PAC | PAC | Chet Edwards | Individual |
| Our Revolution | Org Support | SEIU Texas | Union PAC |
| Houston Fed. of Teachers | Endorsement | CWA District 6 | Union PAC |
| LGBTQ+ Victory Fund | PAC | Financial Services PACs | Committee PACs |
| Black Girls Who Brunch | Local Support | Houston NAACP Network | Base Donors |
| Total Raised | $3,262,577 | Total Raised | $1,184,699 |
| Outside Spending | $2,050,000 | Outside Spending | $0 |
Show me some respect
Projections are circulating that, based on recent court rulings, the number of Black U.S. Congress members could be slashed by one-third. The effort to diminish Black elected officials locally is looming. Yet, a mystery persists: why do Black politicians rarely spend their campaign dollars with Black media? When the general market ignores our issues, the Black Press sustains them. Advertising in the Defender is a rifle approach to reaching the Black electorate, while electronic media is a shotgun approach—merely hoping to hit the mark. While a handful of officials respect us with their dollars, we need more than words. To continue our mission, your support is needed year-round—during Black History Month, Juneteenth, and beyond. It’s time Black politicians recognize that supporting the Black Press is an investment in the community that keeps them in office.
