A letter from 2034: Returning To Normalcy

Written by Jason DaWayne Smith

Hey Hey Young Buck,

Can’t believe it’s been 14 years since 2020. Crazy to think that Aiden’s 21 and Grant’s 18 now - two grown men. Just last week, I took the boys to watch the Bears play the Packers. They’re on a title defending run - long ways from 2020! Coach Jones, Owner Roberts, and Commissioner Kaepernick toured the South Side of Chicago together today - celebrating the NFL’s hiring of it’s 16th Black NFL owner, 23rd Black coach, and 5 years running of Commissioner Kaepernick as the league’s first Black Commissioner! It’s crazy to think of the days when I’d watch Sunday football with young Black men being coached, owned, and managed by white men - like slaves. I wonder if any of that would have changed had 2020 never occurred? What a time huh?

Aiden and I spent the weekend fishing off the pier at Carney Park…agh crap you don’t know what that is do you? Remember Jackson Park? Our favorite South Side stomping ground? The one named after Slave holding president Andrew Jackson. Well, after Bubba Wallace and The Black Lives Matter movement succeeded in banning the use of the Confederate Flag everywhere in the country, Chicago mayor Leslie Minor (our first Black transgender mayor), decided it was time to remember the commitment Black Americans have made to America by renaming the park after Army Sergeant William H Carney - the first Black recepient of the Medal of Honor for his duty during the Civil War. It’s rather nice visiting and talking to Grant and Aiden about what it means to be “American” these days. Their ancestors now being recognized for the roles we as a people have played in this country’s prosperity. All across the country now, more Black symbols are being raised to recognize the fronts, not just the backs, of the people that built this country. It’s taking forever, but their making space for Obama on Mt. Rushmore, right next to Lincoln. Quite amazing to see!

You wouldn’t believe the cost of living in Chicago these days. Everyone has a place to live now, a safe place as well. Since most cities have dismantled their police forces, you can feel a new calm in Black neighborhoods and maybe even a bit less “opportunity hoarding”in White neighborhoods. The results have been a real symbolance of integration. Remember all those office buildings we used to go to before COVID-19? All those golf courses we use to play over the weekends? All that’s been transformed into affordable housing for underrepresented communities and funded by advertising dollars and corporate America. 2020 really did a number on American guilt I guess. Advertising and Corporate America has finally had to put their money where their customers are. The only business that got a lot of flack was Facebook. They’ve been defunct for at least 10 years now. They just never could get their hands wrapped around how to stop using people’s data and information to spread hate. It’s actually been nice to see people not rely on those old social media platforms to get their information these days.

Aiden is in his second year working as a doctor. The kid powered through school - it’s still wild to me. After Chicago stopped private school funding, increased it’s wages for teachers, and started building transit systems that run through the South Side of Chicago (yeah - actual trains not just buses!), Black kids started to actually get a better education. The rich White parents couldn’t just pay their way to better resources and access, the kids could actually get to school safely, and more of our most talented Black professionals chose teaching - giving kids like Aiden positive role models and a more rounded view of African American positivity in the classroom. His mental health is amazing, his confidence, everything. After watching his friend’s mom die from COVID-19 in 2021, even as an 8 year old, he decided that he wanted to be a doctor -and start a path towards equality in health care. He’s on that road now, one of 15% of Black doctors in America - a long way from the 5% number in 2020. COVID-19 sort of highlighted this bias in medicine against Black America, opening some new doors for how we think about the medical industry. Still not perfect, but I just wonder if anything would have changed without that silly virus keeping us at home for so long, thinking about what could be different?

Few last things before I let you get back to buying something you probably shouldn’t from Bass Pro Shop…lol. Well on that note - you wouldn’t believe - Black people and White allies just stopped shopping at your favorite store. After years and years of refusing to show any Black people in hunting gear, a known deterrent and subconscious fear tactic, enough was enough. The company finally forced John Morris to step down as CEO, installed a new leadership group and began recognizing Black people’s right to conservation and all aspects of nature (no more Black people camping jokes…lol!!!). Maybe some good news for your conscious back in 2020. And the future is looking bright for the little tiny kids too. Netflix is still around and you wouldn’t believe the amount of Black kids movies. Remember those Saturdays we’d sit for family movie night and be forced to watch some animated film that only had animals or White kids? We can actually watch kids content with fair representation - amazing that even Black 3 year olds can start seeing themselves as being human, part of the world, and equal to others from a young start. Hell - even Santa Clause - the first White Savior - ain’t white anymore! Finally!!!

Well…I don’t know if people are still asking “when will we get back to normal?” but here in the year 2034 - the new normal is starting to feel great. I mean, little Black kids can see themselves on TV in a positive light, advertising and corporations now spend money on building infrastructure in our neighborhoods in exchange for our money. Racist monuments and symbols are coming down. Facebook and other hurtful ad funded platforms no longer exist. Police fear - not gone completely - but much less than it was. Having to go into an office just because, is no longer a thing. Thank God for those protestors, the people that stepped out on love and change in 2020 to seize the moment and help the country realize how far gone we were. Thank God for COVID-19’s pausing of the country - the reflection it allowed. Thank God for you - in 2020, for staying positive and doing all you can. Keep your head up young buck and know that there’s light after the dark.