Durham residents gathered at the Farmers' Market Sunday morning to protest President-elect Donald Trump’s victory.
The rally, organized by Durham in Defiance, follows in the footsteps of like-minded demonstrators nationwide following Trump’s win Tuesday. Durham in Defiance, a new coalition formed in the aftermath of the election results, was joined by many other organizations including Durham Artists Movement, Durham for All, Durham Beyond Policing, Fight for $15, Black Youth Project100 and the Faculty Forward Network in North Carolina.
The peaceful demonstration included energetic singing and chanting, inspirational speeches, reflective conversations among the audience as well as an arts-and-crafts booth. Aaron Bryant, a member of Durham in Defiance, explained that the rally aims to build a community and provide a safe space for people who are hurting after the elections.
“There have been millions of people since the elections who have lost hope and are in despair, and because of that there's been hundreds of thousands of people who have gone into the streets based on anger and frustration," Bryant said. "So this rally is trying to bring both people who feel alone and upset and people who are full of love in a common space to express all their emotions and figure out how we can move forward as a community."
Saba Taj, a Muslim mixed-media visual artist and activist whose work explores Islamophobia and sexism, noted that many Durham residents are feeling “galvanized and activated” and that the rally provides a platform to express their energy.
“These conversations that are being facilitated and the activities that are happening here are part of coming together in a moment of trauma," she said. "I really hope that the folks here make connections with people they haven't known before as well as some of these local organizations present here.”
Since election day, there has reportedly been a spike in hate crimes especially against people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, Muslims, Jews and women. Although Taj said she has not experienced any negative backlash herself, she related how she is now more mindful of the way she is perceived in public and fearful of racism that might be directed toward her.
"I don't wear the Hijab all the time since Trump was elected, although it's something that I used to wear every day," Taj said. "I also do question how people are seeing and viewing me as a queer, Muslim woman of color."
Ali Rodriguez, a Hispanic Durham native, shared how her friends in other states have suffered discrimination due to both their gender and religion.
“One of my friends, a female, got grabbed on the subway in New York, and another friend told me that his friend had her Hijab ripped off her head in Florida,” Rodriguez said.
Bryant noted that he has also been a victim of verbal abuse because of his race, such as when someone yelled "Go back to Africa" at him.
Chelsea Earls, a white Durham native, said she feels she has always “lived in a Durham bubble” and that this election has woken her up to the dangers of white supremacy. Earls, who has a 9-year-old daughter on the autism spectrum, expressed worries about Trump’s proposal to overhaul or cut back funding on Medicaid and struggling public schools.
In the eyes of many, the U.S. has become deeply polarized after the elections, with public figures such as President Obama, Hillary Clinton and Trump calling for unity. Despite Trump's promise, many doubt his ability to reunite the nation once he takes office.
Bryant shared how he feels “it is not in Trump’s political interest to bridge this divide in America.” Bennett Carpenter, a current fourth-year graduate student at Duke and a member of Durham in Defiance, shared the same sentiments.
“I don't think we can rely on Trump to bring this country together," he said. "I think that he has consistently campaigned on values of divisiveness, hatred and fear, and that's not where reconciliation and true progress can come from."
Moving forward, Bryant said he believes that the U.S. population should continue to stand up against Trump.
“It is our responsibility to make sure he does not succeed in the continued vilification of women, the continued hatred of queer and trans people and the continued destruction of the working class people,” he said.
Patrick Snipes, a member of the Workers World Party, said he believes that more people should join in the nationwide protest movement against Trump.
However, others like Earls expressed wishes for a restoration of peace in Durham.
“I hope that we'll learn to be a community that can learn to take care of each other and provide for each other in ways that we haven't in the past,” she said.
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