The road ahead is still foggy despite watching the U.S. slowly recover from a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. My anxiety level remains high despite knowing that most of my friends, family and colleagues are fully vaccinated.
I can recognize that we are on the rebound to chart our new standard of post-pandemic living. However, it also feels like I am living in a paradox or some parallel reality – while I can see the sunshine at the end of the tunnel, the path forward remains cloudy.
My dreams won’t allow me to erase the images of the Jan. 6 insurrection. I can’t seem to shake the photo of the man carrying a large Confederate battle flag into the halls of the U.S. Capitol.
It saddens me that the class of 2021 did not get a chance to experience the highs and joys of achieving a monumental milestone in the community. I remain troubled by the assault on the LGBTQ community, particularly my trans siblings. The bizarre attack on trans kids is particularly troublesome – they want to play sports and learn the joys of being part of something larger than themselves, but their government denies them that right.
I am disappointed that despite the realities of our collective circumstances and President Biden’s best efforts, the U.S. political apparatus continues to move at a glacial pace. I would say that I am shocked by the political stalemate, but impasse is my generation’s political reality.
I recently logged into a Zoom lecture to watch my old political science professor, Dr. Bill Felice, deliver his final address. His audience included hundreds of friends, colleagues and students that spanned his magnificent 30-year tenure at my alma mater, Eckerd College.
His message was clear, fundamental and spoke directly to me with an eerily clear familiarity, “we must always live in our truth, and our personal moral convictions should carry the day.” We are at a crossroads with truth, and because of it, we are at risk of losing our moral convictions.
Dr. Felice reminded me that I do have personal agency to demand better for myself and my community. I call upon all of you to lean inward and grab those nuggets of truth and showcase them proudly in the daylight.
The world is opening back up, and many of us are returning to work and life, but the pandemic has caused us to reimagine what our work and life should be.
Workers around the country are demanding better conditions and higher wages. Employees are opting to keep their work from home flexibility. Employers are adjusting to meet the demands of our new normal and the outcomes look promising.
The gantlet that we just experienced forced all of us to slow down, and because we slowed down, we began to reflect on a future we all want and, more importantly, deserve.
During the pandemic, we learned that government could do amazing things to step forward and take care of the American people. Through medical and technological innovation, we were able to manufacture an effective vaccine, and the U.S. is well on its way to obtaining herd immunity. If you haven’t done so already, go and get your COVID-19 vaccine.
We learned that the government could meet the needs of its citizens by issuing pandemic stimulus payments for most Americans. They expanded food security aid by opening up SNAP benefits. We saw assistance to small businesses, moratoriums on housing expenses and more. Despite the darkness of the past year, we are navigating a societal evolution and revolution.
The naysayers on the political right are foolishly suggesting that the American workforce is lazy and wants government giveaways now that the country is opening back up. But the reality is that the American workforce understands our value.
The days of poverty, wages and poor working conditions are over! The promise of an American future is within our grasp if we find the political will to demand it.
The Biden Administration has an extensive plan with significant legislation to tackle everything from childcare and climate change to infrastructure and policy reforms. There is also a big push to sure up our democracy to expanding voting protections. We can get the country we deserve by demanding our leaders act with the same urgency they did during the height of the pandemic.
If Washington politics is too much for your political taste, remember the phrase coined by Speaker Tip O’Neil, “all politics is local.” Local leaders were the driving force of pandemic response.
School boards had to launch virtual learning, the mayor’s office had to coordinate health responses, city councils and county commissions issued executive orders and directives. All of these leaders directly impacted our daily lives. Take time to invest in the politics of your local community.
We have seen a glimpse of our future; we know that our lives can and should be better. The parallel universe that the Jan. 6 insurrectionists wanted to introduce does not exist. Better days are ahead of us. That is the political reality.
Johnny Boykins is a Democratic Strategist in Pinellas County, a husband, bow tie aficionado, amateur chef and U.S. Coast Guard veteran. He also serves as Director of Outreach with the Pinellas Democratic Party. Learn more at PinellasDemocrats.org.
