As programs like Medicaid and SNAP face unprecedented cuts and restrictions, one truth rings louder than ever: the answer has always been us.
Black and Brown communities have built systems of care and resistance for centuries, long before government safety nets existed. From Harriet Tubman’s freedom networks to Mary McLeod Bethune’s schools; from the Black Panther Party’s Free Breakfast Program to Black and Indigenous traditions of disability justice, food sharing, and healing rooted in collective care, we have always built what we needed to survive, resist, and thrive.
Today, as public benefits are being decimated under the guise of “waste, fraud and abuse,” it’s time to remember and reclaim the legacies of collective care, traditions where communities built their own safety nets from love and shared responsibility. We’ve always known how to care for one another. We’ve always known how to feed, heal, and protect our communities, even before systems intervened in ways that sought to control or punish us.
But this time, we can’t do it alone. Philanthropy, funders, and allies who claim to be invested in economic justice and Black and Brown communities—this message is for you, too. Community leaders are already reimagining solutions to feed families, expand access to health care, and build networks of safety and belonging. These solutions are born not only from aspiration, but from necessity because communities have had to step in and fill gaps no else can. And they work! But even the greatest ideas need resources to grow.
Philanthropy has the opportunity to fund community-driven solutions rooted in lived experience, cultural context, and real need. This investment matters because it’s the approach that will produce long-lasting, transformative outcomes—and because we cannot continue to rely on government structures that have repeatedly shown that our communities are not a priority. It is time for allies to invest in sustaining the solutions that are keeping families housed, healthy, and whole. This is our chance to act on the change we all want to see. This is the moment to fuel the brilliance already happening on the ground.
Meanwhile, government officials continue to amplify harmful myths about people who rely on benefits, implying that support programs create dependency, warning that “outsiders” are taking resources, or suggesting widespread fraud without any evidence. These stories are not new; they’re crafted to shame, distract, and divide. These lies are rooted in racism—from anti-Blackness to xenophobia—and have long been used to justify control, domination, surveillance, and the policing of Black and Brown bodies. It’s the same old playbook: attack the poor, racialize poverty, and pit communities against one another to justify taking away what little we have.
My message is to my brothers and sisters: please don’t fall into the trap or get distracted by the strategy. Don’t believe the lies. Don’t internalize their narratives. You are worthy of care, dignity, and support. You are more than enough. The continuous failure of this system is no reflection of you or your worth. Keep your head up. And as my granny used to tell me, never let them see you sweat.
And I hope, wherever you are, that you have a village that is willing to step in with unconditional love and support. Lean on your community during these times—because that’s how we’ve always made it through, and it’s how we’ll keep going. And if you’re in a place to do so, be that village for someone else too. Our communities thrive when we fill in the gaps for one another, whether that’s hosting a community dinner, taking turns watching each other’s little ones, or creating a system of care that makes sense for your people.
This message is a reminder and a virtual hug: You got this. You’ve always had this. Because the answer—the only answer—has always been us.
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Teon Hayes is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Center for Law and Social Policy in Washington, D.C., where she focuses on nutrition policy.