Big Mama Said:
Commentary by Terry Allen,
Special to shades Magazine
“The stakes are too high for government
to be a spectator sport.”
~ The late Rep. Barbara Jordan, first African American woman from Texas elected to Congress
Lucille “Big Mama ” Allen would’ve nodded in agreement, adding, “Baby, you can’t just sit on the porch and watch the storm. You better get up and do something about it.”
That means we must do more than just vote and boycott — we must stay engaged, speak out, and demand that democracy serves the people, not the powerful.
Big Mama knew something about making change happen. My grandmother wasn’t just a voice in the kitchen — she was a force in the community. She believed in holding leaders accountable and never let injustice slide. She taught us that real power isn’t just in boycotts — it’s in the sustained pressure we apply through protest, lobbying and community collaboration to remove unqualified leaders and push for the changes we need.
We see the signs today: Illegal government maneuvers, attacks on voting rights and leaders who serve special groups instead of the people. We cannot sit back and allow democracy to be dismantled while we watch from the sidelines.
Photo credit: Congress.gov
- We must protest. — Not just in the streets, but in courtrooms, city halls and school board meetings.
- We must lobby. — We need to commit to demanding policies that protect our rights and calling out those who try to take them away.
- We must collaborate. — By uniting across communities, across issues and across political lines to stop the erosion of our democracy.
Big Mama would say, “If they ain’t listening, make ‘em listen. And if they refuse, replace ‘em.”
We don’t just have the right to change the game — we have the responsibility. It’s time to cross all the aisles, link arms and fight back. The stakes are simply too high.
Contact Terry Allen at Terryallenpr@gmail.com.