Why Diane Guerrero Isn’t Afraid Of “Trump’s America”
Diane Guerrero is not intimidated by Donald Trump nor scared to face the next four years under his administration. Inspired by President Barack Obama’s call-to-action of a farewell speech, the Orange is the New Black actress is ready to dismantle fear in the name of change.
“I feel like a lot of us have been taught to fear. To fear the administration, to fear government, to fear politics, to fear people who are louder than us,” Guerrero said on Bustle. “I remember when I was younger, older folks would say to me, ‘There are three things you don’t talk about at a dinner party: religion, politics, and money.’ But I think the truth is quite the opposite.”
READ: Barack Obama Is Playing Golf And Loving Life Post-Presidency
If anything, the In the Country We Love author believes the 2016 presidential election presented all of the reasons why we need to engage through open dialogue. “We need to talk about what serves us, what offends us, who we are, and why we’re here,” she later continued. “In my opinion, we’re here to be happy; we’re here to work hard; we’re here to do the right thing; and we’re here to save our planet. And I think that we can achieve it.”
Flipping the narrative that power is reserved for a select few, Guerrero affirms that change is possible no matter one’s social standing. “We just have to be vigilant, and do everything that we can in our community. We need to be part of those town hall meetings; we need to be part of those discussions. We need to use whatever power we have — and we have power — for good,” she expressed.
READ: Women’s March Becomes The Largest Inaugural Protest In U.S. History
A proud daughter of Colombian immigrants, Guerrero chose to participate in the Women’s March for reasons close to the heart. “What we’re marching for is an intersectional collage of things that we all believe in,” she explained ahead of the historic event. “You can’t think about a certain group and their equality or their strife or woes without thinking about another’s. I want citizens to mobilize around that idea, the understanding that we are the majority, not the minority. We have so much power when we unite and fight for the same things: dignity, respect, and equality.”
