February 2021

Friends, 

Where do we go from here?  
 
The hope that now sparks in our nation is our 46^th President, Joseph R. Biden, and his Vice President Kamala D. Harris.  These two leaders took their oaths of office at the appointed time of high noon on Wednesday, January 20, 2021.  The site for this auspicious open air ceremony was the very same place, the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building, where just two weeks before a coalition of supporters of the previous President had attempted a violent overthrow of the nation.  They did not succeed.

Two particularly inspiring moments during this ceremony stood out for me.  One was when Amanda Gorman, the 2021 Inaugural Poet read her poem, “The Hill We Climb.”  Many of us found the voice, spirit, insights, passions, and the confident sense of presence of this 23 year old woman to be a sign that we should not be afraid.  The future is not lost.  With Gorman as a torchbearer, we were able to see that the road ahead remains filled with potential for excellence, honor, and good.  Our obligation, as she says, is to be courageous enough to listen to our better selves; to act with social responsibility, ethical responsibility, and cultural sensitivity; and to work vigilantly with others to create a better world.  She stated:

A second moment of inspiration was when our fellow Georgian Andrea Hall, Captain of the South Fulton Fire Department, delivered the Pledge of Allegiance.  Not only did Captain Hall recite the Pledge in spoken word, she demonstrated that she is bilingual.  She also recited it simultaneously in American Sign Language, paying homage to the deaf and hard of hearing, and, in doing so, also to her father who was deaf.  The moment filled many hearts, including my own, with admiration for her commitment to inclusiveness, and also with pride in bearing witness to the commanding way that she represented her family, our community, and her fellow firefighters with truth and honor.
 
Another spark of hope is that we now have two vaccines for COVID-19 (from Pfizer and Moderna) currently being distributed across the nation.  In addition to these two, we have a third vaccine from Johnson & Johnson in the pipeline.  Last week, this group submitted their application to the Federal Government for emergency approval.  Moreover, other companies are in line right behind these three.  So, there is hope and great expectation that these medical assets will provide much needed leverage for getting the nation and the world through the horrors of this pandemic tunnel.  To be sure, while it will be months before we can actually manage this disease, light really is here, if we are persistent in using the tools that are available to us. 
 
What we still must pay attention to, however, is the inescapable fact of differential access for people of color—and in broader scope for poorer nations.  In the United States, the challenge is not that people in communities of color might resist taking the vaccine—as indeed some initially might do and with good reason.  The more evident issue is how do the huge numbers of people of color who want to take the vaccine or might be convinced to take the vaccine gain access to the inoculations as they become available.  As always, historically marginalized groups face barriers to access, from not having access to good information, or vaccine delivery sites in or near our neighborhoods, or transportation to sites in other neighborhoods, or access to the internet, not to mention having the very basic savviness that enables registration on line for appointments. 
 
In light of a full range of challenges, what we know for sure is that success in overcoming a pandemic can not be isolated or limited to those who are most powerful or privileged.  Solutions, and most certainly with an airborne disease—must be implemented nationwide—for all, worldwide—for all, with positive benefits for everyone in order for anyone to be secure.  There is no place to hide.  The bottom line, then, is that we have a way to go on several levels before we can take the deep cleansing breath that we all so keenly desire.  Fundamentally, our charge is to ready ourselves for a long haul.  We all need to be persistent in looking for information with an eye on the credibility of the sources.  When we determine that information is useful and of good quality, we need to share it, as we are doing below.  When we have good information in hand, we have to take advantage of whatever opportunities are available—despite the barriers that we may face, as we work simultaneously with political leaders to change the conditions of disparity and to reduce far more substantially its discriminating effects.  The goal, after all, is to do all that we can for ourselves and others so that we can live, work, take care of our families, and sustain our communities—in peace and prosperity. 
 
So, where do we go from here?  Forward.  As Amanda Gorman stated in her Inaugural poem:
 

                                    
In moving forward, we can fortify our spirits through the annual month of reflection on and celebration of African American history and culture—Black History Month.  Listed below are some of the special events that can help all of us to see and more fully understand that African American experiences and contributions are indeed quite core to the American experience generally.  Listed, as well, are special opportunities and announcements that you may find of interest. Also, it’s February!  During these trying times, we should always remember to take just a few moments to celebrate Valentine’s Day and let the people in our lives whom we care about know that they matter to us and that we appreciate them. 

As we make our pathways ahead, we can take comfort in knowing that we are a resilient people.  We are, in fact, a resilient nation.  As has always been the case, we have the chance to make the world a better place than it is now.  My hope is that we will choose to do the work that will make it so.  
 
Ever onward,Jackie Royster