For Trump’s first State of the Union, Black Lives Matter and “resistance” leaders stage clapbacks

Impact

Voices from the Black Lives Matter movement and other “resistance” groups are planning to issue epic clapbacks after President Donald Trump’s first State of the Union address Tuesday night.

Members of Congress, gubernatorial candidates and #MeToo activists are among those headlining a handful of televised and livestream events. The biggest planned response is a women-led event dubbed “The State of Our Union,” featuring BLM Global Network co-founder Alicia Garza, #MeToo founder Tarana Burke, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and R&B singer Ledisi, among several others.

The response begins at 8 p.m. Eastern, according to the event website, and will be hosted at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

“The Trump administration and many of our elected officials are trying to divide us — by race, by gender, by religion, by class and by immigration status,” organizers said in a statement of unity. “We, as women, see and experience the truth every single day and this is the state of our union.”

On Monday, the White House didn’t offer much specificity about the scope of Trump’s address, to be delivered before a joint session of Congress. But the responses afterward will undoubtedly include clapbacks to Trump’s remarks about Haitians and African nations, his statements about black athletes, celebrities and military families and his misleading claims about the record-low black unemployment rate.

Andres Kudacki/AP

Also on Monday, celebrities and activists in New York City got a head start in responding to Trump’s speech. Actors Mark Ruffalo, Kathy Najimy and John Leguizamo joined Mayor Bill de Blasio and performers Common and Andra Day for “The People’s State of the Union,” at Manhattan’s Town Hall,” the Associated Press reported.

The event’s hosts included organizers from the Women’s March and Planned Parenthood.

Here are more details about SOTU response events set for Tuesday night:

“State of OUR Union”

Host organizations: National Domestic Workers Alliance, Caring Across Generations. Girls for Gender Equity, #MeToo movement, Planned Parenthood, National Farmworker Women’s Alliance, MomsRising and Color of Change.

Featured speakers: Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Judy Chu of California (D-Calif.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Grammy Award-winning R&B singer Ledisi, BLM co-founder Alicia Garza, Tarana Burke of the #MeToo movement, among others.

Time: 8 pm. Eastern

Livestream: thestateofourunion.org

“Angela Rye’s State of the Union”

Host: Angela Rye

Featured speakers: Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, Color of Change executive director Rashad Robinson and BLM co-founder Opal Tometi, among others.

Time: 10 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday

Broadcast: BET (check local listings).

“The People’s Response”

Host: Brittany Packnett

Featured speakers: W. Kamau Bell, Patton Oswalt, Sam Sinyangwe, Vanita Gupta and Sarah Silverman, among others.

Time: 10:15 p.m. Eastern

Livestream: NowThisNews