Each generation has two key responsibilities

Let me ask you a question: What is progress? What do you believe progress is? Now I get that what I think of as progress, you may think completely opposite. So I understand those nuances. But let’s see if we can agree on a couple.

There was a time in this country when diversity, inclusion was accepted as a positive, that was progress. When we could understand each other, when we could work together, when we could put differences aside and engage in the spirit of compromise, that was called progress. It is no longer called progress. Today it is called weak or woke, which by the way, is a positive word, not a negative. Because if you woke, that means you’re not asleep. But I digress.

We have made strides, we have made gains in this country, to only see them unraveled primarily by Republicans. Look at the legislation. Roe v. Wade overturned a woman’s right to choose fundamental rights about a woman and her own body and medical decision has once again been assaulted by primarily White conservative males. Okay. That was progress, and now you have reverted back to non-progress.

What about affirmative action? I know it has a negative connotation to meaning, because they assume things that are not true. Number one, affirmative action does not qualify someone who is not qualified in the first place. A lot of people didn’t realize that when you go to a college campus and submit your application for admissions, if you happen to be a person that did qualify for affirmative action, they simply meant the university looked at you. They actually took a look at you. But if you did not qualify under normal circumstances, it did not magically qualify. That has been overturned by the conservative Supreme Court.

What about voting? In the state of Georgia, when long lines would occur, we had churches and nonprofit organizations, credible nonprofit organizations that would give elderly voters water, no campaigning, that’s illegal, no electioneering in the line, that’s illegal. But the State of Georgia made that a misdemeanor, and over 90% of the long line precincts are Black community. This is not progress.

Trump coming out recently saying that he will indemnify all police officers federally, that’s not progress. You’re accountable for the actions you commit if you go outside of the boundaries. That’s what law and order is about. To talk in these terms, and people celebrate, is seemingly an assault on democracy. But all of these gains are only gains if you can hold it. You see every generation is responsible for two things: To maintain the gains made by those before them, and to enhance them.