Is America being propelled into a Civil Rights 2.0 era?
"Grief is a cruel kind of education.
You learn how ungentle mourning can be,
how full of anger." —Chimamanda Adichie
Will a mirror reflect right-wing hypocrisy?
Two major events occurred on the streets of San Francisco on Saturday, January 24th. It is hard for this writer to make sense of the hundreds gathered in an annual Walk for Life against abortion–deemed to be the killing of a human being–juxtaposed with a later impromptu march by citizens in response to the brutal loss of life that has shaken America. Where were The Lifers in their long-sleeved branded tee-shirts for the Alex Pretti gathering that was held? For this writer, this is very much illustrative of the hypocrisy on The Right.
Are we entering a new Civil Rights era?
With the execution of Alex, on the heels of the killing of Renee Good, the magnitude of anger America is feeling is understandable and warranted. And there is also our grief.
A grief profound that for many doesn’t simply go away in one news cycle. For this writer, it took many years of understanding and guidance to learn that oftentimes out of the bad can also come good. This writer believes as in the murders of Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael (Mickey) Schwerner during the sixties’ Civil Rights struggles, where African-Americans were up against a violent system of oppression, the murders of Good and Pretti will go down in our history books as a turning point for a new Civil Rights era. Where this will lead to exactly; we do not yet know. Some feel revolution; some fear civil war. Regardless of where we land, more and more Americans have woken up, and this is the sacrificial gift Renee and Alex have bestowed upon us. Change is inevitable. It can come in many forms, and as we have already seen in unexpected ways.
Not in vain; their deaths caused a transformation
The deaths of Goodman, Chaney and Schwerner were a catalyst for change. Major public outcry and the pivotal role from media coverage led to passing of the landmark legislation, the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Because of their killings, FBI investigations revealed law enforcement with membership ties to a white supremacist gang, the Ku Klux Klan. It took the intervention of the federal government to not only conduct such investigations, but to also hold accountable perpetrators and protect citizens from violence. And their killing made it clear that volunteers, no matter what race, or background, could also be in danger–their lives at risk–shattering the notion that white folks were safe from harm. (Our January 13th blog piece “Truth, Reality, and the Piercing of White Privilege” brought up that specific point.)
But here lies the biggest opportunity resulting from their deaths. It propelled folks to become civically engaged, become educated of their rights, become informed voters, learn about the voting process, and register to vote. And vote they did!
This writer believes we will be facing a similar dynamic this year for the upcoming mid-term elections and beyond.
The truth is setting America free
During the 2024 Presidential election campaign, Americans were sold a lie, which many of us did not buy into. But too many did. Too many voters were misinformed or uninformed.
Alex was a US citizen, not a gang member, nor a criminal. His demonization comes largely from right-wing propaganda. Even after the horrific silencing of Alex, this Trump Regime and their right-wing media propaganda machine will not stop their lies. Their goal is to stroke fear and division. They silenced Alex but they won’t silence us! A sleeping giant is waking up! 58% of Americans feel the ICE crackdown has gone too far and Trump’s approval rating continues to spiral downward; currently at 38%.
We know the truth. Alex was not a domestic terrorist! Alex was kind. He was a caretaker, who worked as an intensive care unit nurse for Veterans Affairs. His concern for others got him killed in his trying to assist another fellow citizen. Alex cared for and about others. ICE only cared about the win! ICE cared only in meeting their daily quotas!
“...ICE’s use of data-weapons such as ELITE broadens the digital dragnet it uses for indiscriminate arrests in what it calls “target rich” environments. The focus is not actually on detaining “the worst of the worst.” The aim is to bulk up numbers of daily arrests to meet the arbitrary quota of 3,000 set by White House advisor Stephen Miller…”
They will not take away our rights! We will not allow it!
You/we/us - we all have a right to film, right to protest, and speak out! With the threat of more and more violent attacks against peaceful protesters, understand your 1st Amendment rights and how you can best protect yourself. On January 26th, Indivisible National conducted a “Document and Record” online session providing a wealth of important ACLU information. Please do not take it for granted that you know what to do, that you know how to protect yourself as we are up against a new breed of forces showing no respect for our rights nor human life. It is no longer business as usual. Additionally, in an effort, even in small ways, to help save our democracy, we ask you to take a few minutes anyway to review their material, and share it! We need their informative material to be shared far and wide. It could save a life.
We are facing daunting, challenging times. More and more Americans know this and the world knows this. Presently, we are no longer the ‘land of liberty’ and it’s no wonder France wants The Liberty Statue back! And we agree. They should take it back! Keep her safe until we get rid of this fascist Trump Regime.
What we need and expect of our media
- Take a cue from the fearless protesters in Minneapolis. Do not cower to this Trump Regime.
- Be objective and follow the truth wherever it may lead.
- We need the media to follow the excellent example set by the New York Times, in their January 26th visual investigative piece, where they examined dozens of video evidence of the Pretti shooting, with the goal not, “...to establish guilt or innocence. We aren’t a court of law. Instead, we establish what we call ground truth: what happened, how it happened and who might be responsible. We follow the visuals wherever they take us, not to a predetermined conclusion. In doing so, this work can start to establish accountability....”
- Be tenacious with your fact-checking and respond immediately, pushing back against lies–especially during live pressers and interviews. For example, during your attendance at White House pressers.
- We demand more in your questioning and don’t let this Trump Regime get away with shutting reporters up with insults, with dismissive, gaslighting and untruthful responses.
- Organize with colleagues and conduct more collective resistance efforts. Show a unified front. We rely on you to be part of the resistance!
- Think of other ways to boycott this Trump Regime. He thrives on media coverage. Here’s an idea: for a good week, do not give him a platform to spread his lies, in essence silencing him instead, focus on the lives of other persons who have been killed by ICE.
- And lastly, like the Epstein files, do not let us be distracted from what has happened by some other chaotic event or by some looney statement Trump makes.
An update for Indivisible SF members: Media Accountability has changed our name to clarify and better reflect our focus areas, we are now the Media, Messaging and 1st Amendment group. Join our Slack and help us with our work. One major focus this new year are projects related to 2026 Campaign Messaging Initiatives. We need writers, illustrators and folks with video production skills to help us with our work to help save our democracy!
Resources
Thousands of abortion rights opponents march in San Francisco for 22nd Walk For Life West Coast
22nd Walk For Life West Coast: Thousands of abortion rights opponents march in San Francisco
Bay Area protesters rally after ICU nurse Alex Pretti fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis
https://abc7news.com/post/alex-pretti-bay-area-protesters-rally-san-francisco-icu-nurse-fatally-shot-federal-agents-minneapolis/18467818/
Man shot dead by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis
https://www.npr.org/2026/01/24/nx-s1-5687276/man-shot-dead-minneapolis
Renee Good was shot three times, autopsy into Minneapolis ICE killing finds
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/22/renee-good-autopsy-ice-minneapolis#:~:text=Minnesota%20ICE%20shootings-,Renee%20Good%20was%20shot%20three%20times%2C%20autopsy%20into%20Minneapolis%20ICE,Read%20more
Opinion | In Minnesota, grief is a collective task
There is no road map for this kind of pain, only the choice to stay present.
https://www.startribune.com/opinion-in-minnesota-grief-is-a-collective-task/601568062
Murder in Mississippi
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/freedomsummer-murder/
The Civil Rights Movement and The Media
https://surface.syr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1082&context=chronos
The Civil Rights Act of 1964: A Long Struggle for Freedom
https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/civil-rights-act/epilogue.html
Truth, Reality, and the Piercing of White Privilege
https://indivisiblesf.org/blog/2026/1/13/truth-reality-and-the-piercing-of-white-privilege
The real reason Trump and MAGA are so quick to blame Minneapolis shooting victims
https://www.ms.now/opinion/minneapolis-shooting-alex-pretti-renee-good-border-patrol-ice-trump
US witnessed many ICE-related deaths in 2026. Here are their stories
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/27/us-witnessed-many-ice-related-deaths-in-2026-here-are-their-stories
Trump's immigration approval drops to record low, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-immigration-approval-drops-record-low-reutersipsos-poll-finds-2026-01-26/
Who was Alex Pretti, the intensive care nurse shot dead in Minneapolis?
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62r4g590wqo
ICE’s New Data Weapon Threatens Surge in Warrantless Arrests
https://americancommunitymedia.org/immigration/ices-new-data-weapon-threatens-surge-in-warrantless-arrests/
American Dragnet: Data-driven deportation in the 21st Century
https://americandragnet.org/
Minnesota proved MAGA wrong
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/the-neighbors-defending-minnesota-from-ice/685769/
News Organizations Are Bowing to Trump. This Small Magazine Knows How to Resist.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/12/01/lessons-on-surviving-autocracy-from-one-small-indian-magazine-00667380
Journalists turn in access badges, exit Pentagon rather than agree to new reporting rules
https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-press-access-hegseth-trump-restrictions-5d9c2a63e4e03b91fc1546bb09ffbf12
How We Determined That Minneapolis Videos Contradicted Federal Officials
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/insider/minneapolis-ice-shooting-videos-investigation.html
Protesters’s Rights
The First Amendment protects your right to assemble and express your views through protests
https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights
Does the U.S. deserve the Statue of Liberty? Not anymore, one French politician says
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/18/nx-s1-5332084/statue-of-liberty-france-return
A minute-by-minute timeline of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti involving federal agents
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/minute-minute-timeline-fatal-shooting-alex-pretti-federal/story?id=129547199
New ICE arrest data show the power of state and local governments to curtail mass deportations
Using fresh data on ICE arrests through mid-October from the Deportation Data Project, we examine how jails continue to facilitate mass deportation, spotlighting important opportunities for resistance at the state and local levels
https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2025/12/11/ice-jails-update/
What should Americans do now? https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/minneapolis-ice-protests-democracy/685778/