There are glimmers of hope beginning to shine through as the new year rings in a new U.S. administration, and vaccines slowly become more widely accessible. These glimmers offer us only a sight of what could be and still leave many wondering if things will really get better. 

One of the attitudes that seems to have been adopted by a majority of people is that 2020 was the lowest point in our lifetime. This attitude is reflected and showcased in the media through countless commercials that mention how the past year was terrible, but this new year will magically fix everything.

This attitude is delusional at best and brings up major concerns regarding what it means to move forward as a local, national and international community.

The year 2020 highlighted numerous social and economic issues. After the tragic and horrific deaths of Black citizens like Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement underwent a massive change as the fight to end systemic racism was brought into the limelight. This resulted in serious national divisions and contributed to a number of peaceful protests but also a number of racist displays and unruly riots. While the new U.S. administration offers hope to many, this issue still very much exists and permeates our society. Companies and franchises donating money to the cause to end systemic racism does very little without active fighters for the cause. A new administration means nothing if it is not held accountable for the promises it has preached, and throwing money around does even less if there are no people to use it. 

While it is entirely possible that this new administration will offer solutions and advocate for the social justice issues as it has promised to, having the attitude that 2020 is over and done with will severely damage this cause. Just because there is less media coverage highlighting an issue, this does not mean that the issue no longer exists.

Similarly, the vaccination for COVID-19 has now reached countries globally, as the first and second doses have already been administered to many healthcare officials and other public servants. 

For many Americans, it is not a concern whether or not this vaccine will be accessible to them, but for just as many others, there is a serious concern whether they will have an opportunity to receive the vaccine. The debate between getting the vaccine and not is entirely irrelevant in this scenario, as this is an issue that highlights how social economic status influences healthcare and the ability for many to receive vital medication. While the U.S. is fortunate to have received and produced some of the vaccinations, there are still many global countries that have not had the resources to vaccinate their citizens. 

COVID-19 did not simply cease to exist the minute it became 2021. It will also not cease to exist once every willing American gets vaccinated. It is a privileged attitude to believe that issues do not and will not exist simply because they no longer affect the daily lives of many. 

Systemic racism exists, healthcare injustices exist. They have in the past year and will continue to affect the lives of many unless something is actively done to change it. The battle of 2020 is not yet over and will continue well into 2021. 

Photo from Flickr