Jim Crow Returns
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
“Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people…” — Isaiah 10:1–2
There are moments in history when clarity pierces through the fog—we are living in one of them. The Trump administration’s invasion of Washington, D.C., and its threats to extend military occupation to other cities are not just a political stunt.1 They are a moral emergency.
Look closely at the pattern: every city on the target list has a Black mayor. Federal agents are not stationed where crime is highest; they are deployed where white neighborhoods are “protected” while Black and Brown neighborhoods are subjected to surveillance and arrest. Those arrested are overwhelmingly people of color. This is not about public safety—it is about public control. It is the machinery of white supremacy in motion.2
We see the same logic in Texas, where newly drawn maps will silence African-American voices by cutting the number of districts where voters of color can reliably elect their preferred candidate from 13 to 8. In a state with the largest African-American population in the country, this is not an accident. It is disenfranchisement by design.3
This is Jim Crow reborn. If we do not stand against it now, while its power is still gathering, we will find it far harder to resist later. Injustice always tests the boundaries first—it knocks early, looking for silence, hesitation, or division. What we allow now will shape what becomes possible tomorrow.
Let’s be clear: No. No, we will not take advantage of and harm minority communities. No, we will not use militarized police to intimidate and illegally arrest our neighbors. No, we will not accept tyranny parading as law and order.
This is the work of the prophets—to speak truth into the teeth of injustice. But it is also the work of shepherds—to guard the flock, to keep us grounded in the long, slow, faithful labor of repair. We are not powerless. We have each other. We have our voice. And we have the unshakable truth that every human being bears the image of God.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
What rises in you when you see patterns of racial targeting in political and policing decisions?
Where in your own city or state do you see this same logic at work?
How can you act in ways that are both immediate and strategic, so your resistance endures?
A Prayer for the Day
Give Us the Strength to Say No
God of justice and mercy, You have told us what is good: to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with You. We confess that in times like these, our hearts can feel overwhelmed. But we remember: You gave courage to Moses before Pharaoh, to Esther before the king, to Jesus before the powers of his day. Give us that same courage now. Plant in us a fierce and unyielding “No” to racism and oppression, and a deep and steadfast “Yes” to Your dream of justice and love. Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Rooted Resistance
Today, before you read the news or scroll your phone, take three deep breaths.
Place your hand on your heart and remember one truth that cannot be shaken:
Every person is made in the image of God.
Let that truth become the soil you stand in before you respond to anything you read or hear.
Then ask: From this rooted place, what is mine to do today?
Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…
September 4, 5:30pm ET - I will be collaborating with the Anderson Forum for Progressive Theology to host a conversation with Thomas Jay Oord on Open and Relational theology. It’s a FREE event. Register here.
October 15-18, 2025 - Converging 2025: Sing Truth Conference (all musicians invited!) at Northwest Christian Church in Columbus, OH. Register here!
October 23, 30, November 13, 20 2025, 7pm ET - In Search of a New Story: Reimagining What Comes Next, A 4-Part Online Series with Dr. Matthew Fox, Cameron Trimble, Ilia Delio, Diana Butler Bass, Caroline Myss and other Special Guests. We are living through the unraveling of many old stories—about who we are, why we’re here, and how we are meant to live together on this Earth. As these inherited narratives collapse under the weight of climate crisis, social fragmentation, and spiritual disconnection, the question becomes clear: What story will guide us now? REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
I drafted a Strategic Framework for Congregations as we move into the coming years of increased authoritarianism around the world. If interested, you can download it here.
If you are a leader or member of a congregation looking for consulting support in visioning, planning, hiring or staffing, please consider Convergence.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/17/democratic-cities-trump-la-dc
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/05/texas-republican-redistricting-maps-latinos
Thanks for the link to Joy Reid! Yes, she sees it plainly. Didn't realise about the South African mafia now ruling the US.
White supremacy ended its reign when this country decided to build itself on the backs of slave labor. The last to wake up to this truth are those still trying to keep it alive.