What do you think is possible? Consider the possibilities for this moment in history. Chances are you are living within the limits of your potential.
I can ask this question and make predictions about your response because I've been there. Some days, I am still there in that sweet spot of comfort. I also know that our perspectives of reality restrict opportunities.
Let's shift the view from us to where most citizens in the US are this week. Next Tuesday, a critical election will occur. Through the democratic process, the people and the collective electoral college will vote for the next president.
Do you think a Black woman can hold the highest political office in the country? Yes, she and others are capable and more than qualified. Yet, the intersectional markers of race and gender make this question difficult to answer confidently.
Before Obama was elected, I didn't believe a country plagued by racism could vote a Black man into office.
Individual and systemic racist practices did not vanish with Obama, but he beat the political odds and made strides in the direction of freedom. Whether he moved inches or miles is debatable, but he did influence changes.
We have another chance to make history with Kamala Harris. Will she continue where Obama left off and add to the legacy of Black presidents? It’s possible.
If elected, I imagine she will put a dent in the structures of oppression.
Unfortunately, we also must consider the possibility of a Trump repeat. Before 2016, I didn't think he could sit in the Oval Office. Like Obama, I had more faith in the American people.
We were wrong.
You experienced it more firsthand than I did because I moved from the States in October of 2016. When I received word in Mexico of the US election results, I shook my head in disbelief, looked around, and gave thanks for living abroad. I observed his disgraceful administration's antics south of the wall he proposed to erect and later surrounded by water in Antigua.
Xenophobia remains central to his “Great Again” campaign. We've listened to his ridiculous claims about Haitian immigrants and their appetites for pets.
America is not great. It has challenges like other nations, but it's better off without a Commander-in-chief advancing a militaristic agenda of hate.
We must love ourselves enough to avoid returning to 2016-2020. Forward is better.
My family is likely to relocate to the States in 2025. I hope we will connect with a community of social justice supporters. However, we must also embrace the fear of returning home to hostility.
Bliss and sadness are always possible. We choose how to transform situations and emotions into actions. Conditions can inspire or defeat us.
My virtual vote will go to Harris. Is she the perfect candidate? No.
Yes, I have concerns about her criminal justice history and the priority of disrupting mass incarceration practices. The prison industrial complex is a business, and private companies have an interest in its continual success. Where her loyalties reside is suspect, but I support her without much reserve to serve as the next President of the United States.
Whether Harris or Trump moves into the White House, let’s remember to push beyond conventional limitations and reach for the impossible. Below, see this month's vlog episode for more encouragement.
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