2020 was destined to be a year of change and confidence, at least in my eyes. Then it just seemed like there was one tragic, unexpected moment after the other. I could list them all but the two most impactful were twos pandemics, that aren’t over yet.
COVID-19 and Racism.
COVID-19 will not go away tonight. It won’t go away the minute Biden is in office. It won’t instantly go away because the vaccine is here. Did you know that there is an even worse strain from the UK that’s here in the United States? There is not a vaccine for that one yet. 2021 is not going to be back to normal. To be honest, we will never go back to normal. And if we are really being honest, “normal” isn’t ideal.
Racism has been put in our faces and has been around for a long time. It isn’t new. It has enacted policies that have made Black, Brown and Indigenous communities disadvantaged in so many ways, from mass incarceration to food deserts, to polluted concrete jungles that make living conditions worse with climate change (which contributes to racial disparities in the healthcare system, but that’s another story). All kinds of trauma was shared all over social media this year. It started with viral posts like Ahmaud Arbery and have continued to this day. There were others within communities, like mine (#JusticeforMubi), that haven’t had as much support. As a criminal justice major, it’s painful to see my learning material lived out. I made predictions about the outcome of Breonna Taylor’s grand jury verdict and I am devastated my predictions rang true. My peers and I have viable solutions and opinions that could help solve these issues. But posting a graphic or a video through an echo chamber, like your Instagram story, won’t help much.
Let’s try to actually put in the work and research to help solve problems surrounding racism and socio-economic statuses. Let’s try to educate ourselves about what’s happening around the world and see how we can make connections and make the world a better place, in all possible aspects!
Before we enter 2021, take a moment to grieve all that we lost but celebrate all that we have accomplished. But again, the fight isn’t over yet. Hindsight is definitely 2020 and it is clear where we stand. The question is, where do we go from here?
