“This is an opportunity for us to search within ourselves and check for our own privileges.”

What are your fears and/or concerns right now?

I genuinely fear that there will be a continued shattering of discerning fact versus opinion. That any statement shouted loud enough into the void will become reality by enough people believing it with blind faith. I fear that uncertainty will last far beyond the pandemic.

What have you learned from living this new normal?

In many ways, I've learned that I am fortunate. I’m still able to work my day job, while also pursuing a budding second career in professional music production. Though we’re all affected by this, I've learned this is an opportunity for us to search within ourselves and check for our own privileges.

How has the pandemic raised awareness of racial and social inequality?

The public can no longer turn a blind eye to ongoing civil injustice. The conversation is loud and virtually impossible to ignore. We’re currently able to challenge our social circles into realizing that our complacency with the current system is damaging. It's too easy for anyone to quip how they "don't talk about politics," but we're now seeing how that is just a lazy excuse to look away from genuine, real-world problems that create discomfort. From the Chinese-phobic attitudes expressed during COVID's introduction, to the disproportionate amount of minority deaths during its failed containment and the ongoing daily struggle of Black people murdered by police… the average person has no more excuses to ignore the very real dark side of American history. We cannot hide behind our own ignorance to keep us safe.

Do you think anything positive will come from all of this?

My mother passed away around this time last year. Her middle name was “Joy.” Not too much later, I saw a quote by poet Toi Derricotte, “Joy is an act of resistance.” I think about that quote every day.

READ THE STORIES

Click on any of the images below to learn more about what's on the minds of fellow Richmonders. From the pandemic to protests, our community has traveled through months of uncertainty, introspection and reflection. Sharing stories gives us an opportunity to learn, connect and grow with one another in the hopes of cultivating a more compassionate, open-minded and empathetic city to live in.