Once again, we are at a crossroads, Déjà vu 2016. You know the saying that if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans. Well, we certainly experienced a rude awakening when the results of the November 2024 election shocked the country and the world. It no longer matters how Vice President Kamala Harris lost the election, who is to blame, or what actions the Democrats should have taken to prevent the outcome that devastated countless Americans. Harris ran a polished if late-starting campaign for 107 days, raising over a billion dollars. No presidential candidate is believed to have ever raised so much money so fast after entering a race.
The unexpected outcome of the election was surprising. The president-elect has achieved an unthinkable resurrection and his campaign will go down as one of the most racist, sexist, and xenophobic in modern history. The win crushed the hopes of millions, leaving many voters distraught, confused, while others made plans to flee the country. We have been compounded by tragic reminders that prejudice and inequality still shape so much of American life. Even now millions are still perplexed about the election results and are left with critical questions on their minds: Where do we go from here? How do we pick ourselves up? How do we move forward? How do we deal with all the deepfakes shared by our soon-to-be President? And most importantly, what actions can we take now to cushion the blows?
There is a reality happening that has never been experienced before that began with the pandemic of 2020. Now, there is another distressing turn of events, the regressive state of laws regarding women in the U.S. Allowing the state to dictate a woman’s actions regarding an unwanted pregnancy not only restricts women’s reproductive freedom but also infringes women’s autonomy as a whole.
Many of us who were “woke” have fallen back to sleep. But in this current climate, we must remain fully awake, completely aware, and focused. We must take heed and pay close attention to the divine guidance within us all.
Americans can survive this new administration by looking at life from a different perspective. A friend recently affirmed a powerful statement concerning 2025 that rings true: “We must depend on ourselves and not politicians to improve the quality of our lives.” My friend’s insightful words are certainly on point. An unpleasant fact is that the year 2025 promises to be quite daunting, which is why humanity needs to step up its game and move into to the next level of life.
Most Americans are aware of the president-elect’s agenda, Project 2025, a blueprint to dismantle our democracy that would put the health and safety of our people, our families, and future generations in jeopardy. He has, however, disavowed Project 2025, the nine-hundred-page governing blueprint spearheaded by an array of his former advisers.
Top priority on the president-elect’s To-Do List is to reinstate his 2016 administration border policies. He has vowed to roll back some of President Joe Biden’s signature policies. The cornerstone of “47’s” campaign is to implement the mass detention and deportation of millions of immigrants. He has even vowed to use the U.S. military to help deport undocumented migrants, a plan that breaks from the U.S. tradition against deploying troops domestically.
Taxes is another concern of the masses, and “47” promises that corporations and wealthy Americans will continue to benefit from the policies that include lowering their income tax rate among other perks. He also plans to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act that holds $500 billion in new spending and tax breaks that aims to boost clean energy, reduce healthcare costs, and increase tax revenues.
There will also be tariffs imposed on foreign nations like China, and doing so would harm the economies of all involved, cause inflation to spike, and damage job markets. The next presidential administration won’t be doing any favors for Black folks living in communities hit hardest by hurricanes, industrial pollution, and contaminated water.These majority-Black “sacrifice zones” are already facing some of the worst environmental and public health crises, and advocates worry that under “47,” key tools for protection — like civil rights complaints or pollution regulations — could disappear altogether.
The president-elect has also proposed a plan to eliminate Department of Education to “send all education work and needs back to the states,” according to his Agenda47 policy platform. As leverage, he proposes to use federal funding “to pressure K-12 school systems to abolish tenure, adopt merit pay for teachers, and scrap diversity programs at all levels of education.” He will also pull federal funding he says “for any school or program pushing Critical Race Theory, gender ideology, or other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children.”
Warnings of other radical changes to come include drastic cuts of programs and services that serve low-income families. Project 2025 calls for the elimination of the Head Start Program that in the six decades since its founding, nearly 40 million children have been served. The federally funded program was designed to promote school readiness for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers from families that meet income eligibility requirements.
Some people are worried that newly elected politicians with good intentions and strategic plans to help Americans may find it a different world once in office. These rookies must learn to navigate in Congress. They may not get the chance to present their innovative ideas and agenda to the other representatives because of the political game that they must now play. It would be great if politicians and their cohorts would utilize the same kind of zest and zeal to “fix and make this country great again,” the way they organize rallies for potential voters, or when asking for campaign donations. Real commitment is what’s needed to improve the quality of life for the American people. We are all aware of the enormous amount of work that needs to be done, and it’s not impossible if we all work together.
With this impending presidential administration, humankind must learn to adapt to a new normal. Necessary changes need to be made and together, we must put in the work to make this a better world for future generations. If mankind continues to embrace corruption, hatred, violence, greed, and the need to dominate, then such a destructive path is sure to lead to the demise of humanity.
Our children are tomorrow’s leaders, and we must provide them the proper education, tools, and the skills needed to help propel humanity forward. They are being exposed to so much. What is abnormal has become normal for our children and this can lead to desensitization. That is why it is important to give children love and guidance, to teach them morals and values, and to commit to being positive role models for them. They will then have a greater chance at accomplishing their goals, dreams, and to live life to their fullest potential. Our children are tomorrow’s leaders, and if we do right by them, they can make this country great again.
So, you ask, what can you do when you feel manipulated or uneasily influenced? You can take a deep breath and be still for a moment. Create a new way of contemplating and reacting. Start by doing some self-reflection. What do you envision the future world to be for your descendants? Don’t be filled with trepidation for this country’s future because of all the negative propaganda you have been exposed to, particularly, as of late. Feeling anxiety-ridden will get you nowhere. Instead, resort to grounding yourself by trying stress-reducing strategies, such as deep breathing and mindful movement.
Mindfulness is innate. It is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are, and what we’re doing, and not be overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. Mindfulness meditation gives us a time in our lives when we can suspend judgment and unleash our natural curiosity about the workings of the mind, approaching our experience with warmth and kindness—to ourselves and others. Millions of folks practice mindfulness, including those who have no spiritual or religious beliefs.
For those who are spiritual, you can always turn to the higher power that is within you regardless of the name you give it: God, Jehovah, Inner Master, Yahweh, HU, Allah. A higher power is something greater than us. For many people, God is a higher power. For others, a higher power isn’t associated with religion or a deity. It’s a connection that we share with all living things.
We must not lose ourselves in angst and become all unbalanced in anticipation of what is to come in 2025. Let’s fire up our passions for better. We want to trust and believe in politicians. We want them to come up with strategies that best fit the times.
We want them to make good on their promises. But let’s do our part to help make America great again. Let’s work together to channel our justifiable anger and disappointment into peaceful, sustained, and effective action.
Let’s roll up our sleeves and get crackin’!
