Reflecting and Looking Ahead

One year ago, we “welcomed” a new administration, and in that time, life has fundamentally changed for most of us. For some, the last 365 days have been the first time they’ve experienced true adversity.  

Affordability is impacting every facet of our daily lives, ​families have been torn apart, political violence is on the rise, and it’s difficult for many of us to see a positive end in sight. 

Recently, I heard someone express that they wish they could change the “we only have to endure the next four years” rhetoric that was prominent post the 2016 election, and I’ve been chewing on that a lot. We’re still dealing with consequences of Reagan Era policies, so the thought that everything will go back to “okay” – while acknowledging that things have not been “okay” in this country for a long time, even when Democrats were in charge – once the clock strikes midnight on January 20th, 2029 (Inauguration Day) does seem a bit…naive.   

I often joke that I’m not sure if I’m a pessimist or a realist, and it feels like there’s not really much of a difference between the two these days. We all know the importance of remaining hopeful, especially for the sake of our mental and physical health, but I think we also have to be realistic and acknowledge that things are hard right now. And that there’s a very real likelihood that things will get worse before they get better.

To listen to elders who lived through the Civil Rights movement in this country and through perilous times in other countries, feel heartbroken and fearful at the current state of our nation, really gives insight into the damage, some of it irreparable, that has been done in a relatively short time.    

Despite *all* of that, I promise, I do have hope.

Today, we welcome a new administration here in New Jersey, as Mikie Sherill becomes governor, our neighbors in New York welcomed a new administration with Mayor Mamdani earlier this month, and we’ve seen leftist and progressive leaders take office throughout the country. 

However, getting people elected is not and cannot be the end-all be-all. So I challenge us all to look past elected officials to be the stewards of the systemic changes that need to be made. Let’s support grassroots organizations doing boots-on-the-ground work. Let’s educate ourselves on legislation and policies. Let’s share resources and strategies with each other. We have the power. We all know that we do. So let’s use it.

In Solidarity,