Voting for Change is needed to "Build Back Better"

Today I listened to President Obama speaking at a community event on Systemic Racism in Philadelphia. His objective was to engage young Black voters to vote in the upcoming election. He metaphorically compared disenfranchisement of non-voters to those of us who exercise and don't see immediate results.  The gut trend may be to give up and stop exercising.  The better response would be to acknowledge that although you don't see immediate results you are developing a pattern for good health if you continue to exercise.

Voting is a right that we all need to exercise.  Although we may not see immediate results we must voice our opinions and speak up to further the conversation.  Change doesn't happen immediately.   Like exercise we often won't see immediate results but if you don't get involved or give up you won't see any results.  Change takes a long time and can only happen when it is pursued.  It requires cultivating a pattern of long term habits.  

We need the mindset of becoming involved and agreeing to make change.  If we model and get our peers to do the same we will gain further engagement.  We need to look forward to the long term and continue to exercise our rights to make change. As an advocate for change I have been drawn to the Biden/Harris campaign as I do believe they share a platform of humanity and decency that is needed desperately for our country.   

Coincidentally early this afternoon,  I had a long conversation with a new Facebook friend T. Michael Thomas.  He is the founder of a program called "The Peoples Academy".  This is the first program of its kind in the Boston area with the goal of engaging young and at risk youth to learn trade skills.   Students are taught to hold "hammers" and BUILD instead of holding "guns".  T. Michael had started this program in his home and has been working on it for over 15 years.  TPA recently broke ground to build a permanent school in Boston. This is a prime example of "Building Back Better".  He was recently featured on WCVB below and is working hard to make a difference in his community.  

Building programs such as TPA create opportunities that enhance all of our communities.  This is evidenced with the mission of the Mass Cultural Council, where I have been involved for over 10 years.  Communities grow and become safer havens when culture and innovation are brought to the local area.  This creates better economic opportunity for all of us at the grass roots level.  

Voting makes a difference.  Passion and perseverance make a difference.  We all benefit if we can work hard to vote for change and build back a better America.  We have the opportunity right now to make some changes.  Joe Biden's latest campaign ad illustrates this and the goal of becoming one America again.  We have to all exercise our voices and get everyone we know to vote.  Please join me in using your privilege to vote in the upcoming election.  We need each and every vote to count.  We all need to Build, Back, Better.  

Wendy is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker.  She has also been serving as  the Chairperson for the Dover Cultural Council for her third term.  She greatest passion is working with and providing resources for her family, friends and clients to help make the world a better place.  

A New Awakening to the Sad Realities of Today's America

The same story is repeated again and again.   I encourage everyone to watch the video by Doc Rivers above in reaction to the shooting of Jacob Blake.  It is quite powerful.  A white police officer suspects a black man of being a threat based on his image.  The man is held captive and shot. The white officer goes home and the black victim (Jacob Blake this week) is either seriously injured and rushed to the hospital or killed on the spot.  There are no immediate consequences for the shooter.  

Why does this keep happening?   I never truly understood the underlying roots of systematic racism until recent years and became much more aware of this since the rally in Charlottesville.  Living in a safety bubble it appeared that these incidents were isolated.  I now regretfully realize how naive I had been and that these are not isolated.  

The more I read and learn the more awakened I have become.  It becomes more apparent  that much of our history has been based on a biased foundation.  I just finished reading the book Caste by Isabel Wilkinson.  Her hypothesis discusses this in depth claiming that our country was built on a system of inequities.  At the bottom of the system are the exploited laborers who lay the foundation and served at the mercy of their superiors.  The upper castes controlled the land and the structural basis of this country.  

Although the titles of the lowest castes may change through the years,  there are laws and methods to keep exploited and economically disadvantaged groups in control of those above them.   Systems continue to manage those with lower economic power through gerrymandering, voter suppression, and unequal treatment in the eyes of many in authority positions.  

It extends to efforts to eliminate the Affordable Care Act and hurts minorities  most vulnerable to health disparities.  It extends to fair housing protections by the current administrations announcement of rolling back policies of the Fair Housing Act.  It extends to the postal service cutbacks that affect the poor, elderly and rural areas where residents depend on regular mail to get medications, important bills and payments via day to day delivery.  It extends to education where public schools in disadvantaged areas will not get funding to safely reopen during the pandemic or in general to better educate all Americans.

As the late Congressman John Lewis said:

If everyone was treated on an even playing field perhaps we could eliminate many of the problems facing our country today.  We can all do better. No one's life should never be considered a higher value than anothers.  

I am sad to be American these days.  America is in a crisis.  The current leadership is to blame for much of this.  Although inequities and divineness are cumulative the current administration is fully exploiting this to gain and retain power of their perceived dominant caste. You can witness this yourself by listening to the RNC speeches this week in contrast to the DNC speeches last week.  Clearly the current administration can not say they represent change given they have created the extreme discourse we have today. The Biden/Harris platform clearly states Enough and is much more representative of all Americans.  

I hope there will be a change in November.  We all need to stand up for what is right and vote.  We need to engage everyone we know to vote for this change.  I invite comments below.  

Wendy is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Needham. This blogpost represents her personal views only and is not affiliated with her business.