With all the fear-mongering, the unjust firings, transfers, name-calling, the profanity-laced rantings, the lying, the mean-spirited actions, the early negative predictions about the Democratic Party and its candidates, one could just give up and ask, “What’s the use of trying to make a difference about anything?”

Well, I’m not on that list of the fearful, nor are many of my friends and associates. All is not lost because Joe Biden may not be the Democratic nominee for president. All black people aren’t suddenly jumping over Joe to get to Michael Bloomberg. Those of us who’ve seen black people rise to the occasion at the voting booth so many times haven’t conceded the November election to Donald Trump.

We continue to hear on the news how important the black vote is. If that’s the case, it’s up to us whether we choose to be the victors for winning where we have such power or whether we choose to be blamed when candidates not in our best interests win.

If we choose to win, why should we be fearful? Those of us who believe have been taught that “God has not given us a spirit of fear.” Second Timothy tells us what the Apostle Paul was saying to his young friend is that his fear was standing in his way of success.

All of us have struggles, but we shouldn’t allow them to control us to the point that we lose faith in our ability to succeed. My friend, Dick Gregory, always said that fear and God do not occupy the same space, and we should not allow fear to block our good. If we put it out there, we’re sabotaging what we claim to want.

Let’s not become paralyzed and do nothing because somebody thinks we’re going to stay home, or we don’t believe we can help to get a new occupant in the White House. Let’s go forward courageously, doing all the things we can to win an election that brings about justice.

God is faithful. Let’s look at the full promise that says, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Instead of fearing the worst, let’s be like the Apostle Paul by mentoring the doubters and the fearful. Instead of criticizing them, let’s help them believe we have the power to make a difference in the coming election. Never allow our friends or families to concede the election to those who mean us no good.

Even if we’re not in need of a hand up, think about children at the border who’ve been kept in cages, children who don’t have nutritious meals, those who don’t have access to a safe home or a useable education. Think about the damage already done to a system some of our ancestors died to make better. Think of the embarrassment we face about our so-called leaders as we travel around the world. Think about the threats faced by Americans who put their jobs and their lives on the line to testify before the House Impeachment Committee. Think about those who were too afraid to testify or to vote against what is evil and un-American.

So many of those who remain silent and try to make us believe they’re pro-Constitution are really traitors because they resisted every effort to be guided by the Constitution in making their decisions about impeachment and conviction of the scoundrel in the White House.

As said in the movie “Black Panther,” we have a duty to protect those we love. So let us never fear being courageous, no matter what the consequences are.

The writer is president of the National Congress of Black Women Inc.