Lorece V. Edwards

Five years have passed since George Floyd was murdered in the street, gasping for air under the knee of a police officer. His final words, “I can’t breathe,” were captured on video by a teenager and broadcast to the world. Protesters filled the streets. Politicians made bold promises. Many believed real change was finally coming. But here we are in 2025, and it is painfully clear that the system has not changed. If anything, it has doubled down. Police violence has not decreased. It has intensified.

Emotions ran high in this election, where there was so much at stake for America – the economy, immigration, reproductive rights, the cost of food, and the list goes on. And as with any race (to 270 electoral votes), there will always be millions of people across the nation feeling blue as the outcome unravels. The feeling of anxiety and stress before, during, and especially in the aftermath of the election is a reality that gropes and confronts the voters who hope for a different result.

The connection between political and social factors and health outcomes could not have been made clearer during the COVID-19 pandemic that saw over a million fatalities in the United States. Purposeful political steps and likely unintentional missteps shaped the COVID and post-COVID landscape for communities, where time and time again, where health, or the lack thereof, has been determined by social, environmental, and political factors.