By now, it’s not breaking news that Joseph R. Biden is projected to be the next president of the United States, an announcement that allowed so many people take a sigh of relief for the first time in four years. XBut now that the long election process has for the most part concluded, what do we do once the dust settles?

    The answer is simple; take a moment to celebrate the victory, allow ourselves to feel the excitement, and then get back to work. Not to be the Debby-downer, but the harsh reality of the situation is that Biden and Kamala Harris are not the saviors of America. Winning this election was a great first step towards equality in this country, one that we should be proud of, but we’re running a marathon here.

     It is so easy to get caught up in defending and supporting whatever political party you so choose to associate with, however blindly following the government in any case, leads us into dangerous territory. As Americans, it is not our job to stand by our leaders, it’s our job to stand by our fellow citizens. 

     Meaning when Biden messes up, and he’s only human so he will, it is our obligation to call him out and bring the situation to light every single time. The very same way we would feel inclined to call out a leader of an opposing political party.

     During President Donald Trump’s administration, it was not uncommon for people to try to justify even his worst acts, but during this new term, we have an opportunity to do better. When a clear mistake of Biden’s is brought up—we should never find ourselves saying “yea but…” Instead we should all be asking ourselves “how can we move forwards as a country and work towards making this right?”

     Now that Biden has been elected, it’s not the time to let up, rather it’s the time to fight harder than ever to pass legislation that protects minority groups, and to push for the progressive change that many American’s seems to be ready for. 

     Prejudice and discrimination are engrained into the foundation of our country, one exchange of power is not going to change that. Hard work, dedication, education and a desire for unity is the only thing that can.

     So here’s my message to fellow activists and allies, our work is only just beginning. Give yourself a chance to regroup and then be ready to continue standing up for equity and justice. The next four years could be a time of healing and progress, or a repeat of what we just experienced, but the choice is ours.

     And to any Trump supporters who might find themselves reading this and muttering “snowflake” under their breath—I ask for unity this time around. I ask that you give us a chance to do right by ALL Americans.