The Black American Leadership Alliance (BALA) took to its social media outlets last weekend to announce the “We Are America Tour.” The “tour” will actually be a series of rallies all held on September 7.
BALA organizer Paul Arnold noted on Facebook that the rallies were originally conceived to target the districts of Republican House leaders in four states. However, after anti-immigrant activists in Arizona volunteered to organize an event in their state, BALA rebranded the tour as a “nationwide” event – similar to Remember 1986’s largely ineffective “S. 744 National Press Day” in May – and began encouraging others hold rallies in their respective states.
A list of talking points to utilize during the anti-immigrant rallies was drafted by BALA Founder Leah Durant also began circulating over the weekend. Unsurprisingly, they echo the flawed messaging that was so prominent at last month’s DC March for Jobs. So far, rallies in the districts of Reps. John Boehner (R-OH), Eric Cantor (R-VA), Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Paul Ryan (R-WI), and Pete Sessions (R-TX) are planned in addition to the event occurring in Arizona. Whether BALA can organize events to advance their purposefully divisive agenda in other states remains to be seen.