This past year was many things. Every menacing adjective has been used to describe the novelty of this year, which was unlike any ever seen by most generations who care for this planet.

Many lines have been drawn throughout the course of this pandemic. The ones between young and old, sick and well, them and us, and notable for this meditation, essential and inessential.

Challenging racism is exhausting. For Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian communities, in particular, the pandemic has further unveiled racial disparities and systemic injustices in the United States. People of Color are often operating within spaces that uphold values rooted in white supremacy while being called upon to help solve diversity and equity issues. All of this, while dealing with their own personal, social, and cultural traumas… during a pandemic.

While Radee Hammett was incarcerated, he witnessed a tragic act of violence that shifted his perspective on the value of his life. He is now a community leader, who uses his experience with incarceration to bridge the gap between prison life and the outside.

Our capitalist-driven culture has promoted productivity, competition, and individual achievements as signifiers of success. We’ve been told, “if you want something done, do it yourself” and, “pull yourself up by your bootstraps.” We were taught that our ability to compete and achieve was where our self-worth lied. Then we realized we were dying inside.