This is an entry in the Akashic record.

This Is What I Predict Could Happen If USRAP Shuts Down and Federal Grants Are Blocked.

The first domino has already fallen—the panic of January 28th. That’s what I want to call it because that’s the day we were told that all medical research was frozen. It was set to take effect within a couple of days. This was before the judge blocked it, but I got a lot of calls that day. It was terrible. I heard from scientists, doctors, friends, patients, and workers. It was just a mess.The Medicaid sites were also down, nationwide, and nobody knew if that was intentional. No one knew if everything was shut down. We didn’t know if housing was going to be affected. The White House, in its usual way of creating chaos, was sending out memos saying that things like farm subsidies and housing were okay. Clearly, the calls were coming in, and they were trying to respond, but it was total chaos.

Now, let’s talk about DEI. I work with a lot of DEI professionals. I consider myself a DEI professional on some level because I’ve worked with diversity in clinical trials at my company, a pharmaceutical company. I’ve also been part of DEI initiatives in trying to create a new employee resource group (ERG) for Jewish employees. It remains a community group and has not yet become an official ERG, but it has around 300 members, and we’ve developed a holiday calendar that’s part of the diversity calendar.

I also work with someone who is a DEI professional, and one of our acts of resistance is creating a makerspace on the South Side of Chicago, which is a predominantly Black area. It was created for women of color, lesbian, single mothers, and people who need free training and education. That effort is called Soul Crafted. She is raising money and focusing on doing something positive instead of just chasing the orange monster around for four years.

At the pharmaceutical company where I work, I strongly believe we should celebrate Black History Month, especially in light of the recent shutdown of federal diversity initiatives and today’s ban on holidays. As of a week ago, all diversity-related programming has been shut down—Chinese New Year celebrations, Black History Month events, all of it.

One thing I feel strongly about—personally, not on behalf of my company—is that diversity in clinical trials is not just a DEI issue. Caucasians make up about 15% of the global population. If you spend $2 billion making a drug that only works for 15% of the planet, you don’t have a viable business model. The idea that “we are all identical under the skin” isn’t entirely true. For example, cystic fibrosis is almost nonexistent among Asians.

It is believed to have evolved as a response to the Black Plague—those with more mucus survived it. This is an example of how certain genetic traits are more common in specific ethnic groups.

Diversity in clinical trials isn’t just about recruiting more Black participants. It’s about addressing the deep mistrust that many people of color have toward the system. It also highlights broader issues with clinical trial recruitment. My belief is that if we compensated patients better, we would save millions on recruitment.

Now, moving on to my predictions.

USRAP (the United States Refugee Admissions Program) was one of the first programs shut down by the new administration through an executive order. Along with mass deportations, this means that refugees will no longer be coming to the U.S. The only people who can enter legally are those approved by USRAP. The family I work with has relatives who were supposed to come to Denver, but we now don’t expect them to arrive for at least four years unless something changes.

Mass deportations are getting a lot of publicity, so there is attention on the issue. However, there is concern that these deportations will become indiscriminate, with entire buildings being emptied out. Anyone who claims to know the future is lying because it’s just chaos. And that chaos is intentional. This is part of the new administration’s agenda, along with Project 2025. Trump’s unique spin on it is to create so much confusion that people are left scrambling just to figure out the basics.

USAID is another example. It’s a multi-billion-dollar program, and its funding has been cut. Elon Musk sent everyone home. That’s a bell that can’t be unrung. People working at various organizations might know where their direct funding comes from, but they often don’t know where that money originates at a higher level. Take the International Rescue Committee (IRC), for example. It gets funding from the government, but which part? And will that funding stop? If it does, the IRC shuts down, and suddenly thousands of people lose their jobs.

If the administration follows through with its planned budget cuts, we’re going to see mass unemployment, fear, and a stock market crash. Africa is the farthest thing from anyone’s mind right now, but the impact on humanitarian aid will be catastrophic.

Nobody will care because it’s Africa.

When we talk about activism, we need to remember that resistance movements have historically happened during times of crisis. Women’s suffrage advanced during World War I despite being told it was “bad timing.” The same logic applies here—now is the time. The National Science Foundation doesn’t know what’s going to happen. Farmers, particularly MAGA-supporting farmers, need to realize that the subsidies they rely on are likely to be cut. The Democrats have done a terrible job of communicating with rural communities, and policies like shipping corn to Africa make no sense. But in the end, it’s the corn farmers who will suffer. School lunches, discounted daycare, and Medicaid are also at risk.

The system went down on January 28th, which I call the “January 28th Panic.” I attended a protest yesterday (2/5/25)—thousands of people gathered at the Denver Capitol. The march was seven blocks long and included immigrants, trans people, and others who oppose Project 2025 and the new administration.

So what are my solutions?

I hope they stop Elon Musk before he causes more damage. If they don’t, the stock market will crash. Many people who think this doesn’t affect them will soon realize it does when their 401(k) becomes worthless, and they lose their jobs.

Shalom and I are working on systems that we know already work. If we can get money directly to people through their phones, we can bypass the inefficiencies and waste of middle-person organizations. In Africa, people just need a smartphone, money for internet access, investments in more cell towers, and apps that empower them. That’s where it starts. I wrote a story called Dushime and the Magic Smartphone, which connects to the concept of the Magic Rainbow Butterfly Phone. This phone is a “weapon of peace.” It helps people escape, bribe guards, find safety, access emergency services, connect with a life coach, get career counseling, and receive instant income benefits. It will also be incredibly effective at identifying available aid and benefits. As systems collapse, we should look at where the funding used to go and why it didn’t reach people. Even with a fraction of that funding, we can send it directly to those in need.

We want to work with companies like Google, Microsoft, and Mastercard. People should be compensated for their data—language data and DNA samples could provide significant income, potentially acting as a form of universal basic income. Speaking of data collection, the Dinka people—whom we were considering for our National Science Foundation grant—are incredibly unique. Some Dinka individuals are over seven feet tall, and they have a written language that resembles hieroglyphics. The computational research on their language is fascinating, and we hope to find funding for it. We’ve also partnered with a security team that provided $9,000 in free rescue services when Shalom was stuck in Dubai.

For future trips, all details will be behind a privacy wall. Only donors and influencers who sign confidentiality agreements will have access to information to ensure Shalom’s safety.

The upcoming fashion show, LGBT Fashion Is Resistance, will operate similarly to a Taylor Swift tour—no one will know in advance what African city/refugee camp it will be in. You can follow Shalom on Instagram at lom_veille and Kathryn at kathryn071.

The hashtag is #FashionIsResistance.