There has been a passage from a song in the musical Hamilton playing in my head today.
In the eye of a hurricane There is quiet For just a moment A yellow sky
This year has felt like being pummelled by a hurricane. The thunderous cries of people no longer willing to be silenced have filled the air. Waves of rain and hailstorms built on the eruption of discontent and a battle for the lives of millions, against virus and politics and corruption and a thousand other issues, have bombarded our senses for so long that the world seems to have collectively hit burnout with no relief in sight.
The decisions of this election do not stop the storm. They do not instantly solve the massive structural and cultural issues faced by those who have refused to go quietly into the night. The fight continues, the call for a changing world continues, the civil activism that has boiled over this year, this wave of change that shakes the world we know to its core, continues. It rightly should. We should never stop striving for a better world.
But to me, at least, these results offer a moment of peace to regroup and prepare for the hard fights ahead. I will continue to educate myself, donate where I can, sign petitions, research protests and activism I can engage in, and do whatever I can to make the changes I want to see happen. But today, I will allow myself a moment to celebrate a win, knowing that I am privileged to do so.
There is far more storm to weather, but this glimpse of yellow sky is a sorely needed moment of respite.
Here are some places you can find more information and make a difference:
Information about and resources for the Black Lives Matter movement: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
Information about and resources for voting in the United States:
Information about and resources for environmental activism:
Information about and resources for LGBT+ allyship and activism:
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