Malcolm X famously argued that “revolution is about land” in his 1963 speech “Message to the Grass Roots.” Today’s No Kings protests are notably whiter and older than the racial justice protests of 2020. Many politicians are distancing themselves from the rhetoric and policy proposals championed by the Black Lives Matter movement. In 2026, Black farms have become one of the primary places to find revolutionary energy that centers Black people.
The change in the tone of the political discourse coincides with statistics across the board showing that Black communities have been disproportionately negatively impacted under the second Trump Administration. For example, Black Oregonians experienced unemployment at rates twice as high as their white counterparts (8.8% compared to 4.4%) in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
In the face of systemic inequity and worsening poverty statistics that disproportionately affect Black Oregonians, Black farms are on the frontlines of feeding and empowering Black communities…