Big ‘Beautiful’ Bill a big, ugly lie for OUR communities

RALEIGH, N.C. — Over the past several weeks, we’ve witnessed elected officials who supported what was the One Big Beautiful Bill Act frame it as once-in-a-lifetime legislation that makes a bold step toward our future. But for our Black communities and most vulnerable populations, this feels like a huge step back from our hard-fought progress. The new legislation perpetuates outdated systems of oppression, displacement and exclusion, all under the guise of economic control.

To be clear, the Big “Beautiful” Bill — it’s law now, but the conflicting nomenclature provides a useful reminder — is not a benefit to North Carolina’s communities. The legislation, including language such as “investment” and “access,” is a facade to draw attention away from its true intent. For example, the approach to development laid out in the document provides a green light for increased instances of gentrification, particularly here in Raleigh, as well as other urban areas across the state. Raleigh’s southeast region, especially, is fertile ground for the rapid construction of multi-story homes next to small, historic homes that have been in the community for almost a century. The new builds are valued at over half a million dollars, compared to the older homes listing at around $100,000. The new federal legislation worsens gentrification in North Carolina and will push out more longtime residents, especially seniors and low-income families.

As for the health care aspect of the Big “Beautiful” Bill, the legislation will unravel the progress North Carolina has made to expand health care access and defend against food insecurity. Programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid are critical to the well-being of Black, Brown and rural communities. North Carolina alone has an estimated 3 million people who rely on Medicaid coverage, with the 2023 expansion adding an additional 600,000. It creates access to affordable care and realistic copays. The reductions in the SNAP program will exacerbate hunger and food access in North Carolina — a state, mind you, that prides itself on being a leader in agriculture yet cannot provide safe and healthy food for all of its communities. It leaves North Carolina families with the burden of navigating higher food costs and reduces access to healthy foods. The legislation will also close even more of the state’s rural hospitals at a time when we’ve already seen consistent divestment in our rural health facilities over the last 10 to 20 years. Twelve rural hospitals have closed in the last two decades in this state, and the Big “Beautiful” Bill adds the risk of five more closing their doors. The lack of care, coupled with the ongoing environmental injustice and climate impacts our state faces on a frequent basis, is a recipe for disaster.

Then there’s public education. The Big “Beautiful” Bill originally included funding freezes that directly impacted Title IV afterschool programming and Title III English-learner programming. In North Carolina, we have 99 afterschool and summer-learning programs. Since the end of July, as a result of the efforts of North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, $36 million of that has been secured for release within the state. As we celebrate this victory, we must remember that $130 million is still in limbo, which is critical funding for additional workforce, English-learner programs, professional-development initiatives for educators and the reduction of crowded class sizes. Our state’s public education has been repeatedly underfunded every biennial, with Leandro funding still unreleased 31 years later. Additional cuts to our public education will create more strain on educators and students, reducing the quality of education in the state even more.

What we cannot ignore is the fact that the same persons who authored and supported the Big “Beautiful” Bill are the same persons who also fought fervently against equitable voting rights, reproductive justice and funding for public education. The new legislation is their Trojan horse — packaging corporate giveaways, displacement and lack of care as “progress” while hoping we aren’t paying attention. Our communities have seen enough of the impacts of harmful legislation and deserve policy that protects them and their well-being. As we continue to march toward that end, one thing we can name now is the Big “Beautiful” Bill has nothing to do with the progress of our communities.