Happy New Year! While it was tempting to hope that 2021 would bring dramatic changes quickly, of course many of our lingering crises from 2020 and before remain, including the pandemic. Additionally, 2021 has now begun with domestic terrorists taking over our US Capitol, a building which belongs to all of us, in a shocking-but-not-surprising display of unchecked white supremacy and toxic masculinity. The appalling and shameful event leaves many questions, especially about law enforcement and accountability. It remains to be seen whether the elected leaders who incited these acts, and the actual perpetrators themselves, will be held accountable.
Despite all of this, I’m optimistic- I am a believer in the long game, and much can be accomplished by continuing our work, one step forward at a time. Public awareness of systemic inequities that lead to disparate realities based on gender, race, and other identities has grown, bringing new opportunities to make change, even as we see the effects of those disparities worsen due to the pandemic. It’s never been more clear that our liberation is bound together with so many.
For Equity Agenda, 2021 will be a busy year, continuing our partnership convening the Women Mayors Network, developing more equity resources and a new Feminist Cities Index (stay tuned!), and working with more cities to improve equity. Here’s to a year of many steps forward!