‘They Want Us To Be Afraid’

Editor’s note. This is a speech from the AJC (Austin Justice Coalition) by leader, organizer, and founder, Chas Moore, at a Press Conference on February 5 at the Cherrywood Center in Austin, Texas, about unity in the fight against the war against marginalized people.

Good Morning, Family.

I want to start by acknowledging something real—they want us to be afraid.
Governor Abbott. Donald Trump. Their allies. The police unions. The right-wing
billionaires funding this machine. They want us to feel hopeless. They want us to look around at all this violence, this erasure, this outright fascism, and say, “What’s the point of fighting back?”

But here’s what they don’t understand: we’ve been fighting since the beginning of time.

When they tried to steal our land—we fought. When they tried to enslave our
ancestors—we fought. When they tried to silence us with Jim Crow, with mass
incarceration, with state-sponsored murder—we fought. When they told trans and queer folks that they don’t exist—they lived, loved, and fought anyway.
And today? Right here, right now? We are STILL fighting.

Because we know what this is.

This is not just about policy. This is not just about politics. This is a full-on,
unapologetic war against marginalized people.

Donald Trump is already promising a second presidency fueled by even more hate, violence, and authoritarian rule.

● He has vowed to deport millions of immigrants as soon as he steps back into
office.
● He cheers on genocide in Gaza—mocking the deaths of innocent Palestinians
and calling for more destruction.
● He has pledged to erase trans and queer people from public life, from
schools, from healthcare, from protection under the law.
And Abbott is right behind him, following orders.
We have ICE raids in our neighborhoods, tearing families apart. We have DEI
programs being dismantled, erasing the histories of Black, Brown, and Indigenous people. We have state-sponsored cruelty—against asylum seekers, against LGBTQ+ youth, against anyone who doesn’t fit into their white, Christian nationalist fantasy of America.

But let me be clear:

WE ARE NOT POWERLESS.
WE ARE NOT ALONE.
AND WE ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
OUR RESPONSE: ACTION. ORGANIZING. BUILDING THE FUTURE WE DESERVE.

We are not just resisting—we are building.
And Austin Justice Coalition is meeting this moment head-on.
We are RE-LAUNCHING our Radical Advocacy Program—because the best way
to fight injustice is to reshape the system itself.

● We will continue advocating for progressive, abolitionist policies that protect
the most vulnerable—not the police, not corporations, not those in power.
● We will fight for housing justice, transit equity, and an end to criminalization
in all its forms.
● We will educate our people, mobilize them, and turn this fear into organized,
unstoppable resistance.
We are EXPANDING our Justice Access Support Initiative—because we know the
legal system was never built to protect us.
● Whether you need help navigating the courts, fighting back against a wrongful eviction, facing police brutality, or dealing with immigration issues, we will make sure you are NOT alone in that fight.
● We will connect our people to justice-oriented lawyers, resources, and legal
defense strategies—because the law may not be on our side, but community
power is.
We are doubling down on coalition building—because Abbott and Trump want to divide us.
● They want Black folks blaming immigrants.
● They want Latino communities turning their backs on LGBTQ+ neighbors.
● They want working-class people to fight each other instead of the
billionaires hoarding our wealth.
But we REFUSE to fall for that.
Because it’s not Black vs. Brown. It’s us vs. hate. It’s not straight vs. queer. It’s us vs. genocide. It’s not conservative vs. progressive. It’s us vs. the system designed to keep us all struggling.

And Austin Justice Coalition stands FIRM in solidarity with:

● Every working-class person fighting to survive in this economy.
● Every person of color targeted by state violence.
● Every LGBTQIA+ person being erased from society.
● Every immigrant fighting for dignity.
● Every Palestinian, every oppressed person, fighting for the right to LIVE.
Because a better world is possible—but we will not beg for it.
We will BUILD it.

OUR CALL TO ACTION: SHOW UP, ORGANIZE, RESIST.
So, what do we do?
We show up. We show out. We fight back.
● When they attack DEI? We flood those school boards and fight for our
history.
● When they come for immigrants? We make sure our people know their rights, that they are protected, that we have their backs.
● When they try to divide us? We stand even CLOSER together.

For those who feel tired? Take a breath, but don’t step back. For those who feel
afraid? Lean into community—because we’ve got you. For those who think
we’ve already lost? Understand this: We are just getting started.
And I don’t know about you, but I came here to fight.
So let’s go build the world we deserve—TOGETHER.

Thank you.