A New Reconstruction: Project 2030
Reconstruction was the great unfinished revolution of American history—a moment when the nation had the chance to forge a true democracy but instead surrendered to the forces of white supremacy. We cannot afford to let history repeat itself. We must be ready for our next Reconstruction, and that time is now.
Imagine if, during the first Reconstruction, abolitionists and Black leaders had anticipated the violent backlash and had built deeper alliances, secured economic independence, and ensured lasting federal protections. What if radical Republicans had used their congressional majority more aggressively to reshape American society? What if we had seized those fleeting moments of power to cement progress rather than reacting to its unraveling? History teaches us that hesitation is deadly. Proactivity has been our greatest flaw—and it is up to us to correct it.
Project 2030 is our opportunity to do what should have been done in 1870. This is not just a policy shift; this is a Civil War of ideals, a fight for the soul of this nation, not with violence, but with strategy, organization, and unshakable resolve. We must take a lesson from institutions like the Heritage Foundation, which has spent decades crafting long-term political blueprints, ensuring that when power shifts, their agenda is already locked and loaded. Where is our blueprint? Where is our plan for a future where justice is not just a dream, but a given?
The great leaders of the past were not waiting for permission. Dr. King was only 38 when he left this earth, yet he transformed a nation. The foot soldiers of the Civil Rights Movement—many in their 20s and 30s—toppled segregation, not with hope alone, but with relentless strategy and action. If they could do it then, what excuse do we have now?
Project 2030 means we stop playing defense and start building the future before the next moment of opportunity arrives. It means alternative funding structures to sustain movements beyond election cycles. It means creating self-sufficient community hubs that provide education, legal resources, and economic empowerment, ensuring that no external force can strip away our progress. It means drafting policies today that can be implemented the moment we gain power, so that we are not scrambling when the time comes, but executing a plan that has been decades in the making.
We must borrow the good ideas of the past and fortify them for the future. We must anticipate the inevitable resistance and plan beyond the next election cycle. We must be ready—because the opportunity will come again, and this time, we will not let it slip through our fingers.
If not you, then who? If not now, then when?
Melba Pearson
Chair-Elect, ABA Criminal Justice Section
