As protests continue across the nation, we stand in solidarity with all those demanding change after the murders of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Breonna Taylor in Louisville, and the continued state sanctioned violence against Black people. We add our voices to the growing chorus of those insisting that without justice there can be no peace. We are also called to recognize that our work to build a more equitable and democratic political economic system will remain unrealized if we fail to take the steps necessary to dismantle white supremacy, be it in our own workplaces, our communities, or our government.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to decimate communities across the world, we must begin thinking about the actions we should take now to both intervene in the crisis and set us on a pathway towards a more reparative and democratic economy. Over the last month, staff at The Democracy Collaborative have participated in a series of conversations about this question and the elements that might lead to a just and equitable recovery. From these preliminary discussions, we have identified five areas around which we intend to focus TDC’s work and programs going forward. We will release more details and refinements on these in the coming months, but wanted to share some of our initial thinking on the contours of the work ahead

The COVID-19 crisis poses a double challenge: beyond the terrifying public health emergency, the vitally necessary immediate response has been an economic shutdown of unprecedented proportions. But that is only the beginning of our difficulties. When the medical emergency passes, we will re-emerge into a shattered economic landscape. The challenge of restarting—and in some sectors, even rebuilding—a severely stressed economy will remain, with the inequalities of wealth, power, and control we faced beforehand now amplified many times over.