The Buzz: The Future is On Us

As I sat basking in the glow of the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Madam Vice President Kamala Harris, I felt hopeful for the future. The last four years of the Trump presidency were nothing but traumatic, exhausting and infuriating. 

But that day, I was hopeful. 

I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized I can now refer to Joe Biden as our President. After four long years, decency and compassion had finally returned to the White House. 

I cried, thinking of women and girls of color — as well as immigrant communities — seeing Madam Vice President Kamala Harris sworn in. What an incredible example of resilience. 

I smiled as I saw Doug Emhoff take his place as Second Gentleman, supporting his wife as she stepped into the highest office in the land. I think boys and men everywhere can learn from his example.

I thought of all of my former Latinx students when Jennifer Lopez spoke in Spanish. How powerful it is for them to hear their first language.

I felt inspired seeing influential women such as Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Dr. Jill Biden and Amanda Gorman, all looking like they run the world. [Cue Beyoncé’s “Run the World (Girls).”]

I looked at members of the U.S. Congress and saw the diversity of race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender and religion. What a picture of the America we say we are!

Representation is important: it means that people can see themselves in someone else and believe that they, too, can break glass ceilings and defy societal norms. But what good is representation if not every person can exist in spaces that allow for their flourishing?

In order to achieve a more perfect union, with justice for all, it is essential that each of us—and I mean every person—does the hard work of unpacking and unlearning the ways we may unknowingly uphold, perpetuate and benefit from systems of oppression. Those of us who benefit from privilege of any kind have to be willing to do our part to make way for historically marginalized communities. Some of us are likely unaware of our privilege and the ways we can cause harm, and we need other people to help us see.

The hope I had on Inauguration Day cannot end with my happy tears and joyful celebration; my hope for this nation, for my family, future children, and friends, must be carried out in my actions. As a young, white, cisgender, heterosexual, middle-class, able-bodied, Christian woman who is a citizen of the United States, I have much power and privilege, and it is necessary for me to learn from those who do not share these intersecting identities. This process requires humility to continually engage with myself and others, and courage to dismantle oppressive systems of all forms. 

Kimberlé Crenshaw, who coined the term “intersectionality,” posits the importance of learning about our identities in relation to power. This relationship impacts and influences the way we take up space in the world. Depending on how you leverage your power and privilege, it can either be a force for justice, or a force for destruction. For the latter, simply look at the percentage of white evangelicals who voted for Trump, and have touted racist, nationalistic and Christian symbols in their churches and at the insurrection on January 6th.

While racism and white supremacy may be the most obvious, oppressive systems also include ageism, cisgenderism, heterosexism, classism, ableism, Christian dominance, sexism and nationalism. It is up to those who hold any sort of societal power and privilege to examine our ideologies and biases, and to make space for and elevate those who do not have the same advantages. For example, it is the responsibility of white people to end racism, just as it is the responsibility of men to end sexism. And if you identify as both, you have double the work to do… and so on and so forth. 

As Amanda Gorman so beautifully said in her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” on Inauguration Day, “…being American is more than a pride we inherit, it’s the past we step into and how we repair it…” This repairing takes all of us. So, while there is a sense of relief that a misogynistic, xenophobic, white supremacist is out of the Oval Office, we cannot stop doing this good and necessary work of justice. We have to educate ourselves, listen to and center marginalized voices, advocate and engage so we can be leaders who create spaces of equity and belonging for all people. 

A month into the Biden presidency and he’s already being touted as the equity president, issuing executive orders advancing equity initiatives, putting together the most diverse cabinet ever, and calling for an increase of the minimum wage to $15, amongst other things.  

This is a great start.  

Now we need to keep the momentum going. 

I believe I will always have areas of opportunity in my awareness, and I’m thankful to my friends and family who call me out on my ignorance and hold me accountable. But we can take steps every day to be lifelong learners and to create a more inclusive world in whatever sphere of influence we find ourselves in. We have to let hope for the future propel us into uncomfortable conversations so that we can foster in ourselves humility, openness, curiosity and courage.