Jackson’s words raise a timely and urgent question: What does freedom mean today, in a nation where many of the core values that have made local governments laboratories for democracy are now under assault? In the post–George Floyd era, city officials must do more than balance budgets, fix potholes and maintain safety. They must also defend their cities as sanctuaries for equal opportunity, justice and inclusion — ideals that are increasingly being threatened.
I owe much of my own freedom from poverty to visionaries like Jackson, who helped make Atlanta a place where a poor kid from Columbia, Mo., could not only survive but thrive. My story mirrors that of many others who refused to be defined by the circumstances of their birth. I am a product of equal opportunity programs — efforts led by local governments, educational institutions and progressive businesses across the country to level playing fields and open access to meritorious citizens.
But cities’ programs are now under siege. The freedom to self-govern and to exercise local control are in jeopardy as never before. The Trump administration’s attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs pose direct threats to the minority, female and small-business initiatives pioneered in cities like Atlanta and replicated nationwide. In court rulings and presidential executive actions, the legality of such initiatives is being questioned. But these programs are critical to economic and social justice.
This is why local officials must not cede ground. They must continue to defend the values that define cities as engines of progress and equal opportunity. That doesn’t mean picking unnecessary fights, but it does mean standing firm in the face of federal pressure, as California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass recently did when President Donald Trump deployed California National Guard troops and Marines to the city without the consent of local officials.
The overarching question is whether local governments will continue to be free to define themselves as they choose. They can build support by helping residents understand the local benefits of programs like diversity, equity and inclusion. After all, small and minority-owned businesses employ more local workers than big national companies do. That’s a direct return on public investment. Cities should consider rebranding their minority business enterprise programs as “small and local business” initiatives. The beneficiaries will still overwhelmingly be women and people of color, but this broader framing could reduce political backlash while preserving the mission. If cabinet-level local leaders do not reflect or champion diversity, then mayors and county executives must hold them accountable — or replace them. They don’t need an affirmative action program to do so.
The kind of overreach into local prerogatives that we're seeing from higher levels of government hasn’t been limited to attacking diversity initiatives. Federal and state efforts to block sanctuary city policies, for example, undermine local officials’ ability to protect vulnerable immigrant communities from aggressive enforcement tactics, especially when local police are required to hold individuals for deportation after arrests for minor offenses. Many city leaders refuse to cooperate, believing that those policies tear apart families and erode community trust. It’s encouraging that we’re seeing some erosion of public support for Trump's immigration policies and actions.
All of this is playing out as growing financial pressures on local governments are being exacerbated by federal fiscal policies, making it harder for cities to find the money for programs that protect their most vulnerable residents and create conditions for small-business entrepreneurs to thrive. Among other federal impacts, local governments are having to cope with freezes to grants related to public safety, emergency management, housing assistance and climate initiatives. And no one knows what impact tariffs and changes in federal tax codes will have on local budgets and the supply chains that emerging and established businesses rely on.
Our cities now stand at a crossroads. If we don’t intentionally preserve the opportunity, equity and sense of belonging that leaders like Jackson built, we risk losing it all. We must continue the struggle — not only to be free, but to stay free — and to ensure that our cities remain sanctuaries for democracy in the truest sense. Let Juneteenth be a reminder not just of what freedom once required but what it demands today.
Governing’s opinion columns reflect the views of their authors and not necessarily those of Governing’s editors or management.
