If you despair about the election results, remember this

It was Christmas Day 2015 when my hero and grandfather, Bishop James A. Armstrong Sr., took his last breath. As the air left his lungs, despair filled mine as the reality of losing someone I cared deeply about began to settle. Along with despair came an immobilizing hopelessness that paralyzed my will, undermined all optimism and forced me to retreat.

Luckily, I had people around me at the time who prevented me from sinking further into the pit of despair, helped me fight the dark clouds of hopelessness, and reminded me that even in the most heartbreaking circumstances, I have a duty to fulfill.

The same mixture of emotions visited me again the morning after this week’s election, although to a lesser extent. This time, the despair arose not from the loss of a loved one, but from a missed opportunity for our country to turn the page and abandon the divisive politics of grievance.

Judging by the protests from others in my community after the election, despair was widespread, and rightfully so. In just over 100 days, Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has created a surge of much-needed hope and momentum that has reminded us of the high standards of political civility and positivity that have been crumbling since the start of the Donald Trump era.

Right out of the gate, Harris showed a stark contrast between her style and Trump’s, and that seemed to galvanize voters. While the former president called for mass deportations and retribution from his political opponents, whom he called “enemies within,” Harris used hopeful slogans such as “We won’t go back” and “joyful warriors” as central themes your campaign.

In the end, Harris couldn’t escape voters’ dissatisfaction with “Bidenomics” and progressive positions on some divisive issues. Trump walked away victorious.

Hope for change grew as quickly as it fell hard.

The root of despair

It’s easy to understand why some voters are feeling disheartened by the election results. Our country just elected a twice-impeached felon who, right up until Election Day, spewed hateful jargon and encouraged insurrection against the very government he would represent. The other candidate was the country’s first female vice president, with a track record of going after bad people on behalf of the people.

The country’s preference for a morally bankrupt individual is a major setback for everyone on the front lines of the fight for a better union. A perfect union cannot be achieved through division, hatred and the appeasement of a population that would like to preserve the remnants of the worst years of our country’s history.

The Office of the President must represent the best that America has to offer. In a world that desperately needs a unifying leader, we have failed.

We miss everyone who believes and counts on the promise of an America where everyone has an equal chance and the playing field is not tilted in favor of the rich and anti-woke. We fall short of those who labor tirelessly to carry the banner of progress, tracing the moral line of our nation away from prejudice and narrow-mindedness. We have not had enough black women who are consistent defenders of an institution that overwhelmingly rejects one of its own.

This gap between what was hoped for and what was achieved is enough to make anyone despair and doubt the meaninglessness of good deeds.

But we must reject ideas that keep us from doing our duty, even in the face of despair. Only by rejecting the temptation of hopelessness or revenge, by regaining optimism about a better future, and by immersing ourselves deeper in the good work ahead of us, will we have a chance at a better future. The shadow of despair can only be overcome by clinging to one’s duty to do good.

Use locally

National desperation can be curbed by local debt. Local policies and policies tend to have a more immediate impact on the lives of vulnerable residents and communities. This silver lining of optimism was shared with me by my colleague Stephanie Champion, who also reminded me that we live in a pocket of hope. It is our duty to build on our communities and inspire hope in our places of influence. This is how you fight despair—by doing hard but good work in front of you.

Donate to a non-profit, volunteer at a shelter, serve on a committee. Dedicate yourself to making your city a better place, meeting the needs of your immediate community and fulfilling your duty in the midst of despair. Thus, when the consequences of national policies manifest themselves, they come up against a solid wall of hope.

Democracy can fix itself

Popular sovereignty is an interesting concept. Our Founding Fathers thought enough about this to make it a founding ideal of the American Constitution: the idea that the people could govern themselves and that our government should be established by the consent of the governed. It is a belief in our weakness, dependence among differences that humanity can cope with on its own.

As difficult as it may be, we must give our democracy a chance to heal and believe in the words of Mahatma Gandhi: “When I despair, I remember that throughout history the paths of truth and love have always prevailed.”

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