Election 2020: Tomorrow starts today

This one win doesn’t change the system, we change the system. We keep working.

As we have a projected winner for U.S. President, take time to celebrate. Enjoy that the voter suppression did not work. Enjoy that mail-in ballots were counted correctly. Enjoy that the changes to our rollbacks on climate restrictions are going to change. Enjoy that hope and light have won this time.

Enjoy that we may have a person who is dedicated to helping have a plan for the pandemic. Enjoy that there may be plans for affordable healthcare. Enjoy that taxes may be paid at higher rates by corporations. Enjoy many things that you were hopeful for may indeed be able to happen.

But take a moment to realize that the minority vote helped change this country. It helped to push us into a new era. And think about why it is so important that BIPOC and LGBTQ+ were voting as if their lives depended on it. Think about the fact that half of this country is still if not just for, but OK with, racism, hatred, xenophobia, and other negative isms. The work does not stop just because the person in the highest position is now more aligned with the ideals of humanity and morality. The work will be done at the state levels and, more importantly, the community levels.

The people who supported disinformation and ignored empathy and support for each other may now come out swinging. They may feel the same way they did four years ago. The “forgotten.” Our job is to not harass them. Not call them names. Not poke fun or be jerks. Ignore that noise.

We have more important work to focus on. Education, representation, police reform, reproductive rights, wages, health care, racial equality, acceptance, tolerance, climate change, housing equality, jobs, wealth gap, and many others that are important. We don’t do this for just us. We do it for our neighbors, coworkers, our families, our communities, our friends, our children, our future.

So take the time to celebrate this one. It feels good. Be filled with exuberance. But, remember, the disparities are still present. This one win doesn’t change the system, we change the system. We keep working. We work with and for each other. We pick each other up. We carry each other. We let each other rest and we work harder.

The changes are not done. They won’t happen overnight. This is a process. If we stop pushing now, there is a chance we don’t ever accomplish the changes we desire. We cannot become complacent because of one victory. Celebrate this. Enjoy it. Take time to let it sink in. Stay safe. Stay alert. Stay ready. Stay positive.

And while half the country may take this time to complain and demand a recount or threaten legal action, we focus on our goals. We can and will change things. We are more than a country divided. We are dreamers and builders. We are thinkers and doers. We are fighters and healers. We are helpers and guiders. We have the power to remain united or fracture further.

I say I will fight for you and with you. I ask you to do the same. So celebrate now. And when the dust settles, unite together and push for change. To quote John Legend: “The future started yesterday, we’re already late.” So with our work the world will be left better for those who come next.