By Sophie Corbett, TIWP Student, College Program
Right now we are in the midst of a global pandemic and a war on racial inequality. People are suffering, dying, and angry. However, these challenging times have created an interesting dichotomy. While the world seems to be erupting into chaos, there is also a sense of peace and community that has restored my faith in humanity. Neighbors are looking out for one another, offering to buy groceries and sending messages of encouragement. People of all backgrounds across the globe are protesting in the streets, united in the belief that we are all equal. Even through social distancing, we have come together to support our neighbors and fight for justice.
Being quarantined has sparked a sense of rejuvenation where we have re-prioritized what is actually important. Without this pandemic, would we be as compassionate to our essential workers? Without the horrible actions of police, would we have come together to create real change? I don’t believe the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Coronavirus patients or those of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, or Breonna Taylor are justified. But they happened. We can’t stop horrible things from happening but we can choose how to react and what we will take away from the situation.
I believe what we have learned from this pandemic and the fight against inequality is ultimately for the greater good of society. When this pandemic is over and normalcy slowly returns to our lives, we will have learned to be a little kinder, hug our friends and family a little tighter, and we will know how to come together as a community and fight for what is right.
