Breaking the Cycle: America’s Struggle with Progress and Regression

Imagine sitting at the kitchen table with someone who has lived through nearly a century of history. This was me, listening to my grandmother, Gussie Wallace, share her memories as one of the first Black homeowners in New Rochelle. She would speak of hope and struggle, of neighbors who banded together to build community, and of systems that fought to tear it all down. Her stories were her way of saying, “Don’t forget where we’ve been, because where we’re going depends on it.”

It is impossible to ignore the weight of her words today, as our nation celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day while standing on the precipice of another wave of regression. Progress seems fleeting, always met by a force determined to pull it back. Why is this? And more importantly, how do we break free?

The Story of Progress—and Pushback

From the earliest days of our nation, the story of Black Americans has been one of resilience in the face of relentless opposition. My grandmother would have remembered stories of?Emancipation, a moment of collective hope when slavery was abolished in 1863. But hope quickly turned into disillusionment as the promises of?Reconstruction?were drowned in the terror of the Ku Klux Klan and the birth of Jim Crow laws.

She might have whispered about the whispers her elders shared, of how the newly formed police forces—descendants of the slave patrols—enforced segregation and lynched Black men with impunity. Then, perhaps she would pause and sigh, remembering how her generation rebuilt again and again, only to see progress consumed in flames, as it was during the?Tulsa Race Massacre?in 1921.

The cycle persisted. My grandmother lived long enough to see the?Civil Rights Movement, to watch leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks challenge segregation and injustice. Parks’ refusal to give up her seat was not just an act of defiance but a spark for a movement. These acts of bravery catalyzed the?Voting Rights Act of 1965, championed by the likes of John Lewis, whose skull was cracked on Bloody Sunday in Selma but who never wavered in his fight for justice.

As a young man, I remember her lamenting that even after these hard-fought victories, new battles emerged. Laws like?Affirmative Action?were attacked, and communities of color continued to be targeted by a system that refused to see them as equal.

The Election of Barack Obama: A Moment of Hope

I’ll never forget the feeling of standing in the cold that January day in 2009, surrounded by a sea of people on the National Mall. The chill was biting, but the energy was electric. Strangers became instant friends, hugging, laughing, and marveling at the history we were witnessing. We were there to see Barack Obama sworn in as the first Black president of the United States—a moment many thought they would never live to see.

The warmth in our hearts far outweighed the freezing temperatures. People held signs that read “Hope” and “Yes We Can.” Choirs sang, and every corner of the Mall seemed alive with joy, unity, and a shared sense of possibility. I met people from all walks of life—teachers, students, pastors, retirees—all brimming with pride, hope, and awe at what this moment represented. It was as if, for a brief time, the weight of centuries of struggle and injustice lifted, making space for the belief that America might finally be ready to live up to its ideals.

But even as we celebrated, the reality of what lay ahead was not lost on us. We knew that the election of a Black president would not erase the deep racial divides in this country. Still, for that one day, we allowed ourselves to imagine a future where progress might not be met with backlash, where the dream of Dr. King could inch closer to reality.

Kamala Harris: Shattering Glass Ceilings

When Kamala Harris was sworn in as vice president in 2020, I felt that same sense of pride and possibility. Here was a woman of Black and South Asian descent, standing on the shoulders of those who came before her, breaking barriers and shattering glass ceilings. Her election felt like a victory for representation, a sign that America was continuing to expand its vision of who could lead.

Yet, her historic achievement came against a backdrop of division. The political climate was fraught, with increasing attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion. The hope that her election inspired stood in stark contrast to the reality of rollback efforts targeting the very principles her leadership represented.

The Arc of Progress and Backlash

These milestones—Obama’s presidency and Harris’s vice presidency—are testaments to the power of hope and perseverance. But they also reveal the enduring challenge of America’s racial divide. After Obama’s election, we saw a surge in racially motivated hate crimes and the emboldening of white supremacist groups. Harris’s rise to the vice presidency has been accompanied by growing political resistance to DEI initiatives and policing reforms.

This pattern is familiar. With each step forward, there seems to be an equal and opposite backlash—a cyclical struggle that raises the question: Can America ever break free from this pattern? These moments of progress shine as beacons of hope, but they also illuminate the work that remains to be done.

The Rise and Silence of Black Lives Matter

Yet, even with such milestones, the progress made in recent years has been met with fierce resistance. A powerful example of this cycle is the?Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement—a moment of extraordinary hope that illuminated the potential for unity and accountability across racial, generational, and cultural lines.

The streets of America, and even cities around the globe, filled with a rainbow coalition of humanity—young and old, Black and white, immigrants and citizens—all carrying signs declaring,?"Black Lives Matter."?These marches, sparked by the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many others, became a global movement for justice, calling for systemic reform in policing and racial equity across all sectors of society.

For a moment, corporations pledged their allegiance to change, announcing sweeping commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Statements of solidarity and promises of financial investments in Black communities flooded the public space, signaling a new chapter of accountability.

But now, in 2025, where are those voices? Where are those promises? Many of the corporate commitments have been quietly rolled back, and DEI initiatives once hailed as transformative have been dismantled under political and social pressure. The momentum that once seemed unstoppable now feels like a fleeting moment in time—a stark reminder of how fragile progress can be.

Black Lives Matter was a movement that embodied the best of what America could be—empathetic, united, and committed to justice. Yet the silence of those who once marched, the corporations that once vowed transformation, and the institutions that once pledged reform underscores the cyclical challenge we face: progress without sustained accountability cannot endure.

A Moment of Reckoning

As I write, I find myself fighting back tears. Not because these stories are unfamiliar, but because they remain all too real. On the same day that we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, we also stand in the shadow of leaders whose policies actively undermine the principles King fought for. King spoke of justice, equity, and the arc of the moral universe bending toward progress, but today, that arc feels increasingly precarious.

Why Does This Keep Happening?

If progress is a climb, then resistance is the weight we carry. Fear is at the heart of this resistance—fear of change, of losing power, of having to confront uncomfortable truths. For many, acknowledging systemic injustice feels like admitting personal guilt, a false equivalency that has paralyzed meaningful action.

This fear is compounded by a refusal to fully reckon with history. As a nation, we have not grappled with the enduring consequences of slavery, segregation, and systemic racism. Instead, we’ve papered over the cracks with half-measures, hoping they will hold.

The Stakes Have Never Been Higher

Failing to address these issues has dire consequences. Entrenched divisions weaken our democracy, erode trust in institutions, and even threaten our national security. Social unrest rooted in systemic injustices creates instability that ripples through every facet of society.

But let’s not forget the human cost. My grandmother’s stories were not just about policy or politics—they were about people. People who couldn’t drink from the same water fountain, who lost their homes to mobs, who were denied the dignity of equal opportunity. Today, the echoes of those stories persist in the lives of Black Americans who are disproportionately affected by poverty, policing, and systemic barriers.

Breaking the Cycle

We have the power to write a different story, but it requires courage—moral courage. Martin Luther King Jr. often spoke of the “arc of the moral universe” bending toward justice, but that arc doesn’t bend on its own. It requires all of us to push.

• Fostering Difficult Dialogues: We need honest conversations about race and equity, led by communities of faith, universities, and local leaders. These dialogues must go beyond surface-level discussions to address the root causes of inequality.
• Policy and Structural Reforms: From police reform to national reconciliation efforts, we must tackle the systemic issues that perpetuate injustice.
• Community-Driven Solutions: Change often starts locally. Grassroots movements have the power to create real, lasting progress.
• Moral Leadership:?Leaders at every level must prioritize justice and equity, even when it is politically inconvenient.

A Call to Action

As we reflect on Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, let us remember that celebrations are easy—it is the work that is hard. But it is work that must be done. We owe it to ourselves, to those who came before us, and to the generations yet to come.

My grandmother’s voice still lingers: “Don’t forget where we’ve been, because where we’re going depends on it.” Let’s honor her words by breaking the cycle, by refusing to allow fear and resistance to dictate our future.

The choice is ours. Let’s make it count.

About the Author: Dr. Stuart C. Lord

Dr. Stuart C. Lord is a recognized expert in leadership development and organizational health, serving as the CEO of Delta Developmental and Y Solve Foundry. With over 30 years of experience, he has dedicated his career to enhancing leadership capacities in higher education, non-profit organizations, and social impact sectors. His work with Y Solve is focused on launching and scaling social impact companies that combine ethical leadership with financial sustainability, aiming to transform communities through innovative approaches. Dr. Lord’s leadership philosophy integrates servant leadership, ethical practices, and strategic problem-solving, fostering environments that promote continuous growth and effective governance. His career reflects a deep commitment to empowering leaders who excel in dynamic environments and work for the common good.