Although 2021 may not feel radically different than 2020 thus far, it’s important to remind ourselves that even amid the chaos of 2020, major positive disruptions took place. 2020 was a year when the social justice movement took center stage, and activism became a part of more and more people’s lives. We’re celebrating the progress that was made, and carrying that momentum forward as we continue to create a culture of positive disruption in 2021. Read on for renewed optimism for the road ahead!
1. Kamala Harris Makes History
Kamala Harris was elected as the United State’s first female vice president, first Black and first South Asian American vice president, and the highest-ranking female elected official in U.S. history.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/07/us/politics/kamala-harris.html
2. Two Major U.S. Fossil Fuel Pipelines Have Taken a Bow
After years of transporting oil through sacred Indigenous lands, the Dakota Access Pipeline has been shut down and the Atlantic Coastline Project has been canceled.
https://www.greenmatters.com/p/dakota-access-atlantic-coast-pipelines-close
3. The Sky Isn’t the Limit
NASA astronaut, Victor J. Glover Jr., became the first Black astronaut to embark on a long-term stay at the ISS – a full six-months on the orbiting lab.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/15/science/victor-glover-black-astronaut.html
4. A North Pole Miracle
After opening in the Spring and looming above the Arctic for almost a month, the single largest ozone hole ever detected over the North Pole, once nearly three times the size of Greenland, has closed and healed.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/arctic-ozone-hole-largest-closed/
5. Coal-free Sweden
Sweden’s last coal plant closed two years early, making the entire country coal-free and becoming the third European nation to eliminate the polluting fossil fuel from its electricity production.
https://www.ecowatch.com/sweden-last-coal-plant-closes-2645853366.html
6. The Resilience of Renewable Energy Production
Global renewable energy saw record growth in 2020 amid the demand for fossil fuels due to the COVID 19 pandemic – with 90% of newly generated electricity from renewable energy.
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/renewable-energy-growth-during-covid-19/
7. BLM: Possibly the Largest Movement in U.S History
An unprecedented 15 to 26 million people in the U.S were estimated to have participated in the George Floyd protests demanding racial justice, averaging 140 protests per day across the US between May 26th and July 3rd.
https://carrcenter.hks.harvard.edu/news/black-lives-matter-may-be-largest-movement-us-history
8. Taking Down the 126-year-old Banner
Standing for 126 years, the Mississippi State Flag, bearing the Confederate emblem associated with racism, slavery, and opression has been taken down after the Mississipi Govenor signed the bill to abolish it.
9. Historic Wins in Congress
Ritchie Torres and Mondaire Jones became the first openly gay Black men elected to Congress.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/04/nyregion/ny-house-torres-jones.html
10. Record-breaking Voter Turnout
Over 159 million Americans voted in the 2020 presidential election representing the highest number of voters in U.S history.
