Black Americans Are Sharing What It’s Really Like To Navigate Life In A Red State In 2026

(Cont’d) “Living in a red state right now adds another dimension. The fear and anxiety are real. The atmosphere is often unwelcoming, and, increasingly, interactions, whether with Americans or non-Americans, can be more rude, dismissive, or outright hostile toward Black people.”

“What is most unsettling is realizing, in real time, that policies are being designed and implemented to erode our well-being and mental health: the gutting of the Department of Education, shifting SBA policies that make it harder for Black entrepreneurs, and rolling back civil rights protections that widen gaps, such as access to housing and education, instead of closing them. 

Despite these challenges, I am reminded, sometimes by faith alone, that we must keep moving forward. We have always done so. We continue to pray for strength, for clarity, and for hope. We connect, we organize, and we persist.”

——Anonymous, 63, Female, Florida