DETROIT — For Detroit-based organization Mothering Justice, whose mission is rooted in advocating for mothers of color and low-income families, President Donald Trump signing of the Republican megabill that extends tax breaks and cuts spending marks a moment of renewed urgency.

In a wide-ranging conversation, Michigan Advance Editor-in-Chief Jon King spoke with Mothering Justice Executive Director Danielle Atkinson to explore what implementing the new law will actually mean.

From the cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, to the cascading effects on mental health care and family stability, Atkinson says that while the legislative process may have concluded, the real work–educating, mobilizing, and supporting those most affected–is only beginning. That’s especially true for those who will bear the brunt of the fallout: marginalized communities, particularly mothers of color.

What follows is a conversation that has been edited for length and clarity. Advance questions are in bold, and Atkinson’s responses are in regular type.

There was so much buildup toward the signing of the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” For you and the organization you lead, which has been working to get the word out about what the bill would do, how do you shift now from informing people about what it could do, to educating them about what it is going to do?

The work of Mothering Justice is very much about breaking down the internalized oppression that people feel when they are faced with policies that don’t reflect what they need or their values. And so we’re not a direct service organization, but we are friends with a lot of them, and I think in the months and years to come, we will have to have a stronger relationship with the United Ways of the world to make sure that people have what they need. But then, after they have what they need–after they get some handle on their basic needs–the next step is being really active in sharing their stories and sharing the facts of policy.

And so we are continuously asking folks, ‘Tell us your Medicaid story. Tell us your SNAP story. Tell us how you made ends meet and how it’s impossible now. Tell us about the afterschool programs that help with your parenting.’ We’re all just really bracing ourselves for what the actual reality is. And in the meantime, letting folks know the connection between a drastic reduction in funding and the things that we take for granted.

We’re going to see a reduction in preventative care. Folks are going to have fewer abilities to just maintain their health. Programs that address mental health and physical health are going to take a cut. And when we see a reduction in preventative care, we see an increase and strain on our emergency system, so we’ll see longer lines at the places that are already overrun and people receiving curative care instead of preventative care.

We’re looking to see food instability. We’re going to see cuts to programs that make sure children get fed all day long, and also in the summer. I am not an economist, but we know that this is going to have an effect at the grocery stores as well. SNAP put millions of dollars into our local economy, so when people are not able to buy food, grocery stores are going to see a hit at the bottom line.

So yes, it’s going to affect us disproportionately. It’s going to affect the most marginalized the most. But it’s also going to make our entire system look and operate differently.

It really feels like we’re living in two different societies and that divide has really come to the forefront in response to this bill. There seems to be a whole group of people who, whenever any negative effects are brought up, just dismiss it all as “fraud.” They assume any cut is good and don’t want to consider the real impacts. That seems rooted in privilege, though people without privilege will also be hurt by this–like rural communities, where hospital closures are a real possibility. Have you experienced that kind of denial? How do you respond to it?

The disconnect is very real. And even when you point out the connection–even when something closes down–we’ve seen reports of people going, ‘No, but this is not because of what Trump has done.’ So we just have to continue to beat that drum and make those connections for people. And even folks that are on the receiving end of some sort of privilege–they have relatives, they have friends, they have cousins. Everyone will be touched by the effects, and it’s on us–the media and the advocates–to continue to make those connections, to consider ourselves educators in this time so that people can see.

But I also think another component of it is being proactive. When you’re just bringing doom and gloom to folks, it’s very hard for people to be like, ‘Yes, I want to be on that struggle bus with you.’ But when we’re talking about building the world that we can be in and using our political energy and tools to create the world that we want, that’s a place where we can build together, I think, a little bit easier.

It’s been said in many ways, but in many crises, there’s also opportunity. Maybe one positive is that more people seem to be waking up to the importance of income inequality. Do you get that sense too?

Yes. I do think people are understanding that. It’s a problem, but it’s also a benefit – the amount of information we have access to. We can really just compare, right? We have our parents saying, ‘I worked hard and I put myself through college, and I was able to do two vacations a year. I don’t understand. You’re just lazy.’ But let’s just look at the numbers. People are just not making as much. Fewer people are in this so-called middle class. And so it is different. Hard work amounts to less than it did before. And we have to redesign our society to reflect that and to reflect the needs. And I think people are waking up to that reality.

We see all these people on the street corners with their signs. And there is a real anger. And it is important in this moment that there are organizations and entities that are able to capture that enthusiasm and that frustration and to channel it into a proactive agenda and opportunities.

What’s next for Mothering Justice, whether in response to this bill or more broadly?

So with what relates to the cuts in this bill to the social safety net, we are making people aware. We are making sure people understand what pain is going to come as much as we can. We’re also making sure that the Legislature knows that it is on them. We elected them to make sure that we are taken care of. So it is on them to make sure that they are prioritizing the most marginalized, that they are finding solutions, that they are using the money that we give them and pay taxes to make sure that we have health care and food and places to go for our children.

And there are the mechanisms and the resources. It’s a matter of prioritization. So we are using that energy and the frustration and the outrage of folks to drive that conversation–and also bringing hope, right? Making sure that people have a place to go and that they are with like-minded individuals.

So the Legislature now has to deal with the consequences of this bill. But beyond that, it seems like people are focusing more on the communities they live in and belong to–maintaining and strengthening those ties as everything above them gets more chaotic.

Yes, it’s really important. And it’s also important–like you said–so people obviously, big target on DC. And then people look to Lansing. But also in your communities and in your counties. Before the election, I started talking to county commissioners about the childcare crisis. And I had a Republican from Macomb County saying that she’s getting calls from her constituents about how complicated the process is in order to get resources for childcare. And it has her looking for solutions. Those are the opportunities.

So when folks are feeling that there is no hope, just know that continuing to put pressure on your legislators and your elected officials creates opportunities for groups to then say, ‘Hey, here’s a solution.’ And so as we’re organizing city commissioners and city councilmembers and county commissioners, we’re also saying, ‘Hey, there are local solutions that we can not only use to relieve the burden–we can have it as an example for the state and the federal government.’ That then, in turn, enables those lawmakers to point to their states and be like, ‘Well, this is happening in Oakland County. Why can’t it happen across the country?’ So I just encourage people to continue to raise their voice–however much it hurts and in spite of any perceived embarrassment–because it does matter and it does make a difference.