hopefor2morrow

[hopefor2morrow]

“The most disrespected person in America is the Black Woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black Woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black Woman.”

-Malcolm X (1962)

(Originally found on insta from @ashleighchubbybunny)

[hopefor2morrow]

Living as a teenager in 2020 (digital diary)

Dear Reader, The year 2020 was nothing short of chaotic; with wildfires and global pandemics, the melodrama of being a teenager seem to fade into the background. January 1, 2020, the ball dropped and around the nation people celebrated the start of a new year, unaware of how chaotic this year would unravel to be. However, nothing was really to be celebrated when news channels highlighted the catastrophic amount of damage in Australia as wildfires continued to threaten their way of life. Here in the States, influencers and charities pushed for people to donate money, food, supplies, or whatever they could to help; for the eight months since the fires started 6 percent of the state that homed one-third of Australians had been incinerated, today they are still trying to adjust to life in the wake of the destruction while remaining safe during the pandemic. Meanwhile during January and February teens in the US were returning to school after the holiday season while trying to adjust back to the norm of being in school, personally, life revolved around planning winter homecoming, and looking forward to the rest of the events of the year like Senior Prom. During this time; fans around the world were mourning the loss of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna who unfortunately died in a catastrophic plane crash on January 26. Millions showed support for the family and sat in wonder of why this year was on a decline but unfortunately, it was far from over. When Covid-19 was initially introduced to the United States, many of us devalued how serious it truly was; in my case, in my state and county we were aware of the virus but restrictions weren't in place or enforced in any shape or form. On March 13, 2020, unknowingly to any of my classmates, we said goodbye to one another for spring break not aware we would not return for the remainder of the school year. Many of us went into the intention of spring break with thoughts of finishing out our school year with Prom, class trips, and in my case as a senior, graduation. Adults will always try to swing things positively; many told us that it was an honor and that as the Class of 2020 we would get the privilege of saying we graduated under unbelievable circumstances, but the truth is this is nothing new to us. Most teens who graduated this year, within our lifetime, have seen miracles and tragedies; we were the generation to have the first black president, the generation where school shootings became a normal morning news story, the generation to see the isolation of a nation to stay healthy, and the generation who raised their voice in order to come together in unity to show that equality is a right among all American people. So not being able to cross a stage; although it was not ideal to deprive our families and ourselves of that accomplishment it's not the end of our journey in life, only a beginning. Although 2020 was not going the way most people envisioned it only continued to go downhill.  Social distancing and isolation were a circumstance that many in the States sought to follow; especially during March and April, everyone had the intention of flattening the curve and protect those who were especially susceptible to the virus. However, on May 25, 2020, the wrongful death of George Floyd sparked a nerve in Americans around the country. George Floyd was only one of the many wrongful deaths that happened this year; all of those combined pushed Americans over the edge. The black lives matter movement has been an ongoing struggle that needs attention brought to it, in the simplest terms, it is a movement that should continue until people with authoritative power like the police, judges, lawyers, governors, senators, and our president, step up and realize that equality is not something that should be dictated by skin color, gender, sexuality, etc. Equality is a basic human right, not a right granted to a citizen depending on their legal status or anything else; because once you strip away everything of a person their gender, their skin color, money,  and all the other trivial things; we see underneath it all, we have a heart, mind, and soul. If as human beings we took time to have conversations and not react with such impulsive thoughts we could accomplish great things; of course, I understand that it's easier said than done and that in certain situations it is hard to think before acting but at the end of the day what does fighting accomplish? As a teenager in 2020 I think so many of us are uneducated when it comes to how to handle situations like this, education fails to teach students how to take on the world in matters like these, and due to the role social media plays many of us join on the bandwagon of "Black lives matter" but how does joining in for a moment help a continuous movement? Why is that our media only covers for the majority; protests that went wrong or riots that got out of control, why do the peaceful protest or protest where sheriffs laid down their weapons and joined in on the walk get less attention? As impressionable minds begin to look into helping and joining the cause which one do you want them in on… It's currently only June and I for one am hesitant to see what the rest of the year has planned but one thing for sure we cannot lose our humanity; we all stood united for the most part this year, we must continue to do so or we risk losing it all and crumbling. I am a first-generation high school graduate, one thing they told us at our virtual graduation this year was " Our lives begin to end the minute we become silent to things that matter. Martin Luther King Jr" MLK was a firm believer in a better nation for the future generations to come, I am too and all of the things I've written are not to be taken literally, I write what I can't express out loud. One voice can do so much in a crowd, but one voice on a platform like this can reach out to a few who take their time to listen. 2020 is far from over but you shouldn't have to endure it on your own.  A person's thoughts and emotions can not be expressed all at once and cannot be interpreted in the way anticipated by everyone who hears them or sees them; so please understand if you are offended by anything I have written it is merely my opinion and you do not have to agree with me.

Yours truly, -Hope