Two months ago, we were counting down the days to a new year — hoping that a changed calendar would bring a blank slate, free from the stains of 2020. But 2021 didn’t start that way.

Just six days in, rioters gathered in mobs outside the Capitol before violently breaking into the building, attacking the center of our democracy and shaking the foundations of our faith in it. A week later, history was made once more as Congress impeached President Trump for the second time, marking an unprecedented and symbolic move to hold him accountable for inciting the prior week’s insurrection.

So we held our breath the week after, wondering what was in store as President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’s inauguration began. And just as we were perhaps beginning to give up on it, hope resurfaced.

The messages shared on inauguration day — from President Biden’s speech to Amanda Gorman’s poem — laid out an inspiring vision for a brighter future, while reminding us that it would not arrive on its own: it will take active effort and a commitment to progress on our part.

Our problems aren’t solved, but they don’t feel as intractable as they did before. When Gorman took the stage, she paved the way for the youth of America— the next generation—us—to take charge and begin remedying the injustices around us.

As we look to the year ahead for the Winged Post, we hope to build on this moment. In this issue, we highlighted Black History Month speakers and community events, beginning to address a long-term blind spot in our coverage, while dedicating a two-page package to reflect on the events that have defined our political climate.

We’re also excited to continue our coverage through deeper dives into issues of equity and justice in the future. As we reaffirm our commitment to our mission as a publication, we will bring this improved perspective of inspired action to our reporting — not despairing what might await us, but hoping, and fighting, for what could.