November marks one year since the
2024 presidential election. Many people
were disappointed with the results, while others celebrated. There have been countless analyses by pundits
and practitioners who profess to know about all things political as to why the
results were as they were. The simple
fact is that there were people who would not suppress their prejudices and
biases, and would not vote for a Black woman.
While looking back will not change
the results, I invite you to think about the enthusiasm that gripped the nation
when Vice President Harris began her campaign.
There was energy in the people as
they considered the possibilities. Her qualifications
were clear, her ideas were diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A lot of supporters, and even non-supporters
could see the basis for a brighter future.
Even the mainstream media, as much as they tried, could not diminish the
enthusiasm. Reflect for a moment on the Democratic
National Convention in August, 2024. People
that I talked to said they’d never witnessed such an enthusiastic,
entertaining, and inclusive political convention. Many of those same people were all but
certain that on January 20th, 2025, President Harris would be sworn in,
and the United States of America would continue the journey towards a more
prosperous union for all of its citizens.
It didn’t happen, and the last ten
months have been filled with chaos, confusion, corruption, and
incompetence. Prices are higher and opportunities
are fewer. Hard-working people are
losing their homes and hard-working farmers are losing their livelihoods. Again, revisiting the election won’t change
any of that, but for just a moment it’s okay to think about where we could be
if the results had been different.
So, what do we do? We keep moving forward. I hear too many people try to comfort
themselves by suggesting, “We only got to put up with this for three more years.”
or “Things will change after the mid-term elections.” In reality, we have no idea what The Universe
has planned. We don’t know when change
will come, but the Universe guarantees that it will. That doesn’t mean you just sit back and wait
until it does. Instead, like-minded
people have to continue to work together to create a society where people are
kind and considerate to each other; where diversity is understood and valued; where
equal opportunity returns to both the C-Suites and the college classrooms; where
all children have access to quality education, sufficient nutrition, and
effective health care. The Hope and Faith
that was the catalyst for the enthusiasm before the election, has to be the
same Hope and Faith that continually regenerates that enthusiasm until the
change comes.
The stress that people feel is
real. They wonder if, or when things
will get better. There is a spiritual
written by R. Nathaniel Dett that the Elders used to sing named “I’m So
Glad”. The first line of the song is, “I’m
so glad that trouble don’t last always.”
The song was written in 1924.
Think about all the trouble that has come and gone since
then.
Change is coming. The Universe assures it. Keep working.
