DON'T BLINK...or you just might miss this!

Already, 12:00 am Friday, July 3rd has begun its journey from the Line Islands, a small chain in the Pacific just to the Western Hemisphere-side of the International Date Line, etching its way across the globe toward its final destination, at Howland Island, located just north of the equator in Micronesia. At midnight in our local time zone, we will each have passed through a line in time I refer to as The Slash, which delineates the moment between Day 183rd and Day 184th and the start of the second half of 2020.

I would like to suggest that the relevance of this moment is that we are passing through a transitional period of potentially existential importance. It is a moment that lies smack between our dreams and expectations for the 21st century and the 20/20 hindsight with which we now look back upon our responses to world-changing events—viral, political, and social. In retrospect, these events might have been anticipated, as some of our best and brightest accurately predicted. Many of our communities and leaders were warned, well in advance, of situations that were already building or of the fact new circumstances, such as a pathogen, could break any day.

This is a snapshot moment in the album of humankind. Say ‘Cheese!’

Rather than reaching a turning point in the COVID-19 pandemic that has wreaked havoc worldwide, we find ourselves in the eye of the storm. Here, The Slash represents a pause within a pause, but by no means a quiet period! Cases are increasing in areas where restrictions relaxed after first waves of the virus were thought to be sufficiently tamped down. Even countries like New Zealand and South Korea, which immediately took proper actions to contain the virus, have seen signs of its return. Yet, their escalation of cases is nothing like the tens of thousands newly being diagnosed each day here in the US and in other countries where, out of fear for how it might affect the economy and their own reelection, leaders denied the severity of this new contagion and willfully misrepresented the lethal threat it poses. Hopefully their strategy of wallpapering over the truth will backfire.

Yet, already there is evidence to the contrary, as corrupt leaders around the world are using this moment to justify their actions and perpetuate the zero-sum mentality underpinning their beliefs that they frequently use to justify their actions. Just yesterday, we witnessed Putin secure two more terms in office to wield power in his own self-serving interest and that of those that surround him. Those of us living in democracies around the world have our opportunity to prove these leaders misjudged us; we must show up in record numbers to cast our votes at upcoming elections and regain voices lost among those who represent us.

The term 20/20 refers to having perfect vision, seeing things clearly and without impairment. Throughout recorded history, there are countless examples of classism generally imposed by men of power, often white men, upon an underclass. Though we have certainly observed it previously, albeit less broadly and without the same immediacy we are capable of today, one lesson we can take away from the COVID-19 pandemic is how people of color are disproportionately afflicted. This is not the result of their skin color, but of the economic, educational, environmental, and discriminatory circumstances in which we have allowed society to sequester them.

The Black Lives Matter movement has found increased support fueled by outrage to the inhumane treatment and subsequent death of George Floyd, like so many other Black men and women in the hands of police…this time in the city of Minneapolis. Fortunately, activism against the injustices of racial discrimination has found widespread support. Triggered by his death, conversations have taken place that were long overdue—in boardrooms, on Zoom, and at kitchen tables, within and beyond US borders. The international response crying out Enough is enough! signifies George Floyd’s death was but the straw that broke the camel’s back and indicates that prejudice knows no borders.

Too often, these crimes go unpunished amid cultures that condone unjust treatment, particularly of minorities. This time, we are beginning to see some signs of change. Minneapolis has committed to dismantle its police department and reimagine how and which resources it engages to support and address the safety of its residents and visitors and meet their needs, hopefully with radically improved results. But this should be just the beginning, a starting point and one we hope becomes exemplary.

Having 20/20 vision means seeing the real picture, without distortion, and not looking away. It means calling out for change and taking action when the evidence of injustice is clear as day.

Over the past couple decades we have witnessed and collectively permitted the degradation of a once largely shared awareness, understanding, and appreciation for the value of what was referred to as “the common good.” This relational obligation was one that community members largely acknowledged they had to one another to care for certain interests they share and mutually benefit from, whether directly or indirectly. In its wake, respect and courtesy have fallen by the wayside—particularly in situations where we disagree with one another.

[As an aside, I cannot help but wonder whether it is just coincidental that I have observed a decline in subscribing to the notion and respect for the common good over a period that seems to roughly coincide with the ubiquity of cell phones. Our mobile devices have come to be considered “essential” accoutrements in the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. They enable us to at least pretend we exist in our own private bubbles, while often ignoring the context of community in which they are used. Along with other emergent communication technologies, they often serve to replace face-to-face interaction.]

No longer is it common for people of differing views to exchange their viewpoints without malice or disdain. Fractures have emerged, and beliefs have often been pushed toward entrenchment under the slant of social media algorithms that serve up our feeds and daily news selected, based on consistency with what we have already demonstrated we like, know, and believe to be true. We further our own biases when we seek out to engage, live, and surround ourselves, more often than not, in communities of ‘people like us.’ Rather than creating bridges, exchanging ideas, and learning from each other, these fissures are all too often regarded as irreparable, lost causes.

Across the globe, we have seen a rise in nationalism and polarizing leadership that doesn’t represent a majority.

I can vividly remember being in Hong Kong just prior to the change of guard when, at midnight on July 1, 1997, 156 years under British rule came to an end. Despite promises to retain its particular form of democracy and capitalism, apprehension filled the air. I recall numerous Hong Kong-based friends and business associates hedging their bets as they made arrangements for Canadian dual-citizenship, just in case. Since 1989, when the Tiananmen Square incident placed worldwide attention on the Chinese government and a call for its accountability, optimism has sobered and regular reports of freedom of speech repression have dotted our international headlines.

Indeed, the time many of my colleagues most feared when Hong Kong lost its sovereignty as a British territory arrived at the stroke of midnight yesterday, exactly 23 years later. The final nail was placed in the coffin of Hong Kong’s freedom. The right of Hongkongers to publicly speak out in dissension of their government has been quashed with threats against any opposition to Beijing at home and abroad by the threat of imprisonment, and possibly worse. The era of Hong Kong as a unique and once shining example of coexistence of differing ideologies, and as a counterpoint to China’s unique form of Communist rule, has officially ended. Now, Taiwan trembles out of concern they will be next.

Meanwhile, we have seen a shift of strength from cultures that once prized curiosity and independent, critical thinking and had placed them at the forefront of new ideas, new thought. For more than a century, the light bulb that Thomas Edison is credited for inventing has been the quintessential symbol of ingenuity, innovation, and perseverance. General Electric, the company he founded in 1878, announced in May it is divesting its lighting business. This came after tides turned quietly last year, when for the first time, China filed more international patents than the United States.

If nothing more, this pandemic has taught us how much we each affect those in on our social circles, our communities, and potentially the world—for good and for bad! Understandably, many of us are still reeling with uncertainty of what the future will look like, but we cannot wait passively for others to define this for us. We need to take active roles in shaping a better future; we need to step up, reclaim our creativity and curiosity, and explore what can be. This is a time for innovation and for each of us to embrace the sense of adventure for which this moment in history is calling.

We have an opportunity to seize the moment and make the second half of 2020 an inflection period, the defining time to rewrite our individual and collective narratives. As we pass through The Slash together and move toward the future, it is in our hands to determine if shifts we have made in the way we live, work, and play, and our new appreciation for the fragility of health will seed innovative solutions and create meaningful improvements that shape society and benefit us all, now and in the long-term.

As the clock strikes midnight and we pass through The Slash and enter the second half of 2020, I ask you apply your 20/20 vision in answering these questions:

• What hopes and dreams do we want to make part of our shared new reality?
• In which ways can we stand together as we enter the second half of the year?
• How can we incorporate the needs and voices of those less privileged than ourselves in the innovations we create moving forward, so they can serve all of us? 
• Can we find ways to resolve social conflict while respecting every individual’s right to thrive?
• What are we each willing to commit to do personally to make a difference?
• WILL THIS BE THE DAWN OF A NEW DAY?!

_________________________________________________________________________

Moss Kardener is Chief Brand Booster at OnStrategy Consultants. His firm works to position companies, products, and services for success; distinguish them from competitors; create strategic communications to tell their stories; and define engaging brand experiences. Reach Moss at (510) 499–9697, or [email protected].

?? 2020 OnStrategy Consultants. All Rights Reserved. Trademarks and data content belong to their respective rights holders.