Dear Reader,
On top of everything else going on in 2020—an increased awareness of the systemic racism that has built and sustained this country, a pandemic taking hundreds of thousands of lives, and state violence enacted against protestors all over the nation—it is also an election year. And democracy has scarcely felt more fragile than it does now.
After weeks of heightened anxiety and days spent refreshing election results on Google, the man in the White House has been voted out. Some don’t think he’ll leave. Some think that even if he does leave, he’ll continue to maintain dangerous influence over this country.
In this issue, writers delve into the anxiety, pain, division, and joy that this election year has generated. Hope Stonner takes us on a walk through the Old North End, where neighbors have silent feuds through their political yard signs. John Michael McCann dances through the streets of New York City on the day the election was called. Anya Steinberg explores why many anti-communist Vietnamese Americans choose to support Trump. Eve Stewart reflects on the anti-science Christian community she grew up in and how she navigates lasting relationships with people she now fundamentally disagrees with.
Many spent this summer and fall campaigning and phone banking. This work is immensely important, and we want to thank those who devoted their time and energy to it. And while voting in our democracy is a crucial step, the work does not end when Biden and Harris enter the White House. We must continue to hold ourselves and our representatives accountable. The ongoing struggle toward a country that is more equitable, just, and loving continues.
Yours in solidarity,
Logan and the Cipher Staff