A Time of Reckoning

A Time of Reckoning Part 1: The Pandemic as a Clarion Call

In March 2020, we found ourselves confronted by a convergence of powerful forces that fundamentally shaped our experience. The pandemic's reach was immense, revealing the underlying fragility of our systems and the persistent divisions within our country. As we navigated these challenges, the pandemic illuminated injustices that had long been present but were now impossible to ignore — racial injustice, inequities spanning generations, and a health care system that fails to serve everyone, perpetuating systemic racism.

The Black Lives Matter movement was further galvanized in this period, its urgency heightened by the tragic police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others whose names have become symbols of ongoing injustice. Alongside this, more recent events — the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the seemingly relentless occurrence of mass shootings — deepened the sense of crisis and demanded our attention.

Today, 2026, we are still being summoned to confront our collective denial of history and to recognize the impact this denial has had on our shared humanity. Through the intentional process of historicizing what has been stripped of its context, we can reclaim our shared histories. This reclamation holds the potential to move us closer to healing and reparation. Moreover, these intertwined crises underscore the urgent need for all of us to care for our planet, which faces unprecedented peril. Our responsibility to attend to both our history and our environment is clear; only by doing so can we hope to foster true healing and reparation for ourselves and future generations.

Entanglement and Connection

As I entered this dynamic convergence, I noticed these forces are deeply intertwined. This realization led me to understand that we are being called to this moment differently than in the past. We can no longer separate and compartmentalize the storylines of our human experience. It is this compartmentalizing that has allowed us to remain distanced, in denial, and disconnected — not only from our own experiences but also from understanding the lived experiences of others. This, in turn, is what truly isolates us from ourselves and one another.

Like refuse at the bottom of a beautiful lake, 100s of years of denied history is surfacing. That muddy and murky bottom of our collective denial, and silenced truth has been stirred, freeing all refuse, all that we have refused to acknowledge and embrace. The pandemic laid bare the inequities, the injustices, loss, unexpressed grief, and the many ways in which our shared sense of humanity has been damaged and is in dire need of repair.

Reflections on Isolation and Connection

The onset of the pandemic brought an unexpected irony to our lives. Mandated isolation forced us apart — physically separated from one another, unable to gather or engage in our usual routines. In that solitude, I found myself reflecting deeply on my sense of connectedness to others and to the broader world. It felt as though the universe, in its own way, had sent all of us to our rooms for a collective timeout — a pause to reconsider the nature of our relationships and the ways we interact with one another. This moment resonated strongly within me, serving as a powerful reminder of the vital work required to repair our damaged common humanity. Rather than merely enduring the separation, I came to understand that this pause was an invitation to reexamine and rebuild the bonds that unite us all.

Committing to Connection: The Reclamation Project

On a recent morning, as I sat quietly on my patio, I came to a powerful realization: I needed to dedicate myself to a grand human reclamation project. This commitment meant using my own agency and influence to help heal my small corner of the world. With this intention in mind, I made a decision that would shape my actions going forward.

My plan, in part, is to share the stories of ordinary people — individuals who, in their own ways, are contributing to the vital work of reclaiming and repairing the connections that unite us. By highlighting these stories, I hope to celebrate the unique contributions each person makes to our shared humanity. Through this process, I have come to see that our stories are the threads that tie us together as a community and a family. It is within these stories that our collective connection thrives.

There are more stories waiting to be told and more connections yet to be made. Today, what I have shared with you is just the beginning — chapter 1 of The Human Reclamation Project. This marks the start of a journey to deepen our understanding of one another and to strengthen the bonds that link us all.