The arrests of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort should alarm us all

The targeted arrests of Black journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort by the Department of Justice represent yet another escalation in the current administration’s attack on our rights and freedoms. There is a reason that freedom of the press, along with the freedom of speech, is a part of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

A free press has always been necessary to hold unchecked power accountable. Lemon and Fort were covering a community-led protest at a Minnesota church in response to the government’s disruptive operation in the Twin Cities.

The Black press has a long and storied history in this country. From Ida B. Wells and Marvel Cooke to Wilmington’s Daily Record, the Black press has been essential to OUR fight for fundamental human rights and freedoms. They have told the stories that power would rather bury. They have held the line when institutions failed us.

The arrests of journalists. Federal raids on our communities. Threats and violence against citizens documenting government abuses. These are not isolated incidents–they are coordinated efforts to isolate us and cut us off from our ability to organize, to witness, and to demand change.

If they go after Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, the rest of us are in the crosshairs. It’s also no coincidence that these arrests come as a new drop of Epstein files was released.

This Sunday also marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month — a century of commemorating Black resistance, resilience, and the ongoing struggle for freedom. It also marks the anniversary of the Greensboro sit-ins, a defining moment when ordinary people took extraordinary risks to confront injustice.

Commemorating this history amid the current attacks presents a clear charge for Black communities and those who claim to stand with us.

Moments like this require more than outrage. It requires individuals committed to justice and to OUR communities. But more than that, it requires a broader ecosystem — organizations, networks, and movements that collectively build to raise the alarm, protect one another, and provide for OUR people when the government fails us.

Advance Carolina stands with Black journalists. We stand with those who document the truth. And we will continue building the political and economic power OUR communities need to resist what’s coming.