It is a natural instinct as the New Year approaches to look back in time for perspective and to look ahead for possibility.
Many worried in the early 2000’s about Weapons of Mass Destruction, when in 2020 an airborne respiratory virus did exactly that– destroyed countries, families and society as we knew it.
Going back to September 12, 2001, it seems everyone was in shock and distraught, not knowing what was going to happen next. The markets panicked, society panicked, everyone it seems was in survival mode.
The day prior, four planes were hijacked, two flown into the World Trade Center towers, one into the Pentagon and one was thwarted by the brave men and women aboard a flight that landed in a field in Pennsylvania.
Fast forward to early spring 2020, once again the entire globe seemed to freeze. Panic, death, destruction, chaos and hopelessness were the reactions due to an airborne illness that was killing people everywhere.
The ramification from COVID- 19 is still being felt today, with up to 15,000 deaths in the U.S. between August 1 and December 14 of 2024. At the end of 2020, close to 365,000 people died in the U.S. from COVID-19.
To add further confusion and chaos to that year of 2020 was the tension, racism, and killing by law enforcement against citizens of the United States.
In May 2020, George Floyd was gruesomely murdered live on video, while the police officer seemed to express glee on his face. Then numerous murders and killings by police officers were happening all across the United States.
This led to a Black Lives Matters Movement and many other justice movements throughout the United States.
On January 6, 2021, the attack against democracy was performed by radicals who conspired with one another, assembled from all over the country and merged onto the U.S. Capitol. They destroyed federal properties, murdered, threatened violence against elected officials, and attempted to form a coup to overturn election results for the presidency of the United States.
Recently the bird flu is considered a real pandemic threat, as California was recently declared in a state of emergency because of it.
All of these are tragic moments in recent U.S. history point to the future and whether another catastrophic event will cause the country’s leaders to implement different strategies.
The United States is bracing for another Donald Trump presidency with Project 2025 policies threatening massive deportation, policy changes, and an emboldened white supremacy population.
The question is whether the country is prepared for the worst outcomes. And although President Joe Biden recently commuted the death sentences of 37 out of 40 set for execution in this country, the new administration aims to reinvigorate the federal death penalty.
As citizens, we can play a part in recovery and solutions for crises in this country.
I fought in the war against terrorism as an infantry soldier for the U.S. Army. I was on the ground feeding the impoverished, disabled, and less fortunate of Jackson, MS during COVID-19, setting up pop-up testing sites and providing PPE for the communities. During Black Lives Matter marches, many helped set up protections against vandals in Jackson.
Following the spread of COVID-19 and the following surge of violence, the positive impact and influence of community-based organizations and philanthropies working together to take a stand made a difference. The efforts and offerings of resources for so many—particularly Black and brown populations– who have been impacted by systems, violence, society, and racism have been revolutionary.
As transforming as these efforts have been, there are more opportunities to enact true transformative changes that affect the Black and brown communities in the New Year and beyond.
