We Could Have Changed the World

At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, it was practically impossible to find hand sanitizer and toilet paper at stores around the United States. The upheaval had a dystopian feel: Some stores even ran out of sympathy cards, a reminder that we were—and still are—living in the valley of the shadow of death. As Americans sheltered in place, rattled by the changes, many pointed out a small sliver of hope: that embedded within this crisis was an opportunity to remake the world, so that when we reentered society it would be better than how we left it.

I was one of them: A year ago, that if we grieved the world we once knew and radically accepted that we would not return to “normal” life—full of injustices as it was—then we could build a better future. In the U.S. now, restrictions are mostly lifted, vaccines are available, disinfectants are abundant, and toilet