Black Ministers, Civic Leaders Host Presidents Day Rally To Protest Trump Policies

The event will address plans of action primarily against Trump's anti-DEI legislation.

Black ministers will host a Presidents Day rally alongside ACLU leaders and their congregation to protest against the Trump Administration.

One of the officials leading the DC-based event will be Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, the newly appointed Presiding Prelate of the Second Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. According to a press release obtained by BLACK ENTERPRISE, Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, CEO and co-founder of Skinner Leadership Institute, and Sherrilyn Ifill, former president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, among other religious leaders, will help host the rally, taking place at Metropolitan AME church.

The event will address President Trump’s ongoing and harmful policies that are thwarting the progress of the Black community. Specifically, Trump’s anti-DEI legislation will become the topic of discussion. Speakers will encourage Black America to unite against this “chaos” sparked by the president.

Dr. Jamal Bryant, current lead pastor of Metro Atlanta’s Newbirth Baptist Church, will also speak at the rally. Bryant recently called for a 40-day spending fast from Target over its cutback on DEI initiatives. He intends to provide an update on the boycott at the event.

Bishop Jackson also shared a statement emphasizing the need for a unifying rally. He hopes to inspire the Black community not to succumb to despair but to spark change through faith and collective action.

“In less than a month, the Trump Administration has sought to end DEI and the teachings of Black History; has reprioritized the Justice Department Division of Civil Rights, weakening the fight against bias and discrimination; and has instead prioritized the implementation of Project 2025, such as negating the 1964 Civil Rights Bill and shutting down the Department of Education, which oversees a multitude of programs which benefit Blacks and people of color,” stated Bishop Jackson. “The chaos and actions of hate by Donald Trump and his administration should not surprise any of us. The wannabe dictator is a true racist, and the African American community will be joining together on President’s Day to make it clear we are not afraid, that faith and fear do not go together, and in the words of the black spiritual, ain’t nobody gonna turn us around.”

The event’s location also symbolizes justice for the community. Metropolitan AME Church made headlines earlier this year for a judgment that included the rights to and awarding of $2.8 million against the hate extremist group “Proud Boys,” whose members vandalized the religious establishment in 2020.

As for Bishop Jackson, the religious leader also has a background in rallying his congregation toward civic action. Ahead of his appointment as the 132nd elected Bishop to AME’s second district, he led a Get Out The Vote operation that sparked a historic Black voter turnout while serving as Bishop over Georgia’s sixth district. Now, Bishop Jackson aims to promote civic engagement that opposes the Trump administration and its regressive policies.

The rally begins at 11 a.m. on the U.S. federal holiday.