America has always been a nation that has the highest ideals but hasn't always lived up to them, especially as it has denigrated its black citizens for centuries. I used to feel that race was individual, that people were individually racist. But now I understand the systematic nature of race and dispossession. These last 4 years have only uncovered more clearly these ongoing trends.

I have witnessed my hometown become a battleground over different visions of what the future should like based on a fight around literal relics of the past. The Unite the Right rally, centered around the statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, brought these debates about race, history, and representation to the fore. I channeled my growing desire for a more racially and economically equitable society through my doctoral studies around black Muslim youth in the US. I feel as though the fight for true equity is a cause that I will pursue alongside my community for the rest of my life.

I want us to remember how long we had to wait to elect President Biden and the sheer number of people (75 million+) who voted. This is the most amount of voters in the history of US elections. I want us to consider mail in ballots for future elections because it increases voter turnout (because not everyone can take a Tuesday off from work to vote). I want us to remember that we voted during a pandemic and during a time when black lives continue to be slain. I want us to remember that we are the cusp of electing the first woman vice-president, and that this woman, Vice President Elect Kamala Harris, is a black and South Asian woman. I want us to be beware of electing would be despots because of how hard it is to return to a democratic system afterwards. The return of power after a free and fair election is a hallmark of America's constitutional ideas. It falls on the common people to uphold the ideals of America. It is hard work to maintain a true democracy, and black voters have once again served as the conscience of the nature, reminding us to be better. I want us to remember all the common people who showed up as volunteers, poll workers, vote counters, and as voters. I want us to remember the herculean efforts of Stacey Abrams and her team in organizing in Georgia, even after she lost her own bid for governor in 2018. I want us to remember that most of the Georgia Democratic votes came from recently-deceased John Lewis's district. I want us to remember Cindy McCain campaigning for her departed husband John McCain and making Arizona a battleground. I want us to remember the thousands of other folks I don't have names for who showed up for this election. I want my niece to remember that people fought hard for her rights as an American of Bangladeshi Muslim origin. She will take up the torch in the next generation.

Education, Black Lives Matter, Healthcare, Immigration

I hope we can have an end to this pandemic and make policy changes that actually prioritizes the poor and common people.