Reaffirming Our Humanity In a Period Where It Ceases To Exist

Photo via The Columbus Dispatch

***

People say it’s the little things. The steps you take to not acquire the title of ‘ignorant.’ The words you say to remain within the realm of ‘woke.’ The actions you take to be a part of the change you want to see in the world. Corruption is embedded in the systems of the past and, ever more so, in all systems today; our nation is constantly struck by pain, and our people are tired of fighting for freedom in the place we’re reared, from youth, to believe is free.

In a period of time that is utterly divisive politically, it becomes difficult for so many to remember that at the heart of the conversations that are not actually being had are people. Yes, there is right and wrong, and this isn’t supposed to be some idealistic piece of writing that takes an egalitarian approach to confronting the degeneration of our society. No. Instead, I want to approach a question rooted in finding hidden truths amongst the many lost voices. 

As I recently attended the ICE-OUT Protest on January 30, 2026, a key theme of one of the speeches presented was the idea to “reaffirm our humanity.” Listening to the speaker bear her soul and relay her perspective on our nation’s destruction made me want to look introspectively, retrospectively, and far into the future. What does it truly mean to affirm our humanity in a world united by hatred and divided by morals? 

In the speech, she deems it worthy to note that simply being at the protest is a reaffirmation of our humanity. Our presence acknowledges the lives that were taken as a result of our country’s neglect to uphold the very values it was founded upon. We are there recognizing where our country went wrong and actively resisting that reality. 

Furthering the notion of our reality, we must also look to the history of racism that has prevailed starting centuries before. We accept such maltreatment as the norm, excusing its destruction as a product of bigots in power—another concept brought about by a number of speakers at the protest. However, it is far from normal, and it should not be inevitable. When we automatically place blame in that direction, we inadvertently reinforce its (ab)normality. The allocation of justice deserves multiplicity. As a result, there is no best way to achieve it. It calls for an objection to inequality, and an inherent desire for promises made to be both acted upon initially and practiced going forward.

So, where do we start? Is it enough to stand up and shout? That’s definitely the beginning of something good; a way to ignite people towards advocacy and to have voices be heard. As I stood amongst the crowd, I watched community form as we stood out in the cold, hoping for a better tomorrow. Within that space, I came to realize that there was a grave importance in the recognition of difference, not divisiveness, especially during times like these. Our American dreams have yet to be actualized because the reality of America narrated today exists solely in a story that is not our own. 

 To account for the wrongs, we need to floodgate the acknowledgement of our rights as human beings. We need to realize that the lack of protection for civilians denies them their humanity, in turn giving us every call to action to reinstall humanity into our streets. So we shout, we cry, and we stand with pride and anger, ready to see change. We say every name that was lost, not just the ones that occurred most recently, or that just so happen to count as prime examples, calling for the necessity of a revolution. Leading a movement with fire in our hearts and light in our eyes, it becomes our responsibility to make up for the lack of humanity that surrounds us. 

Here, I hope lies a bit of an answer to what it truly means to “reaffirm our humanity.” It means engaging with the politics of it all to identify the deficiencies in claims made by ignorant people speaking above the cacophony of leaders actively fighting against them. It means not being blinded by your privilege and effectively rising above ego. Touch upon ethics and distinguish your morality so you can take courage in calling out right from wrong. Reclaim what it means to be American; what it means to remain together.

We go out for the people who cannot. We speak for the voices that are silenced. We see their personhood during a time they have been stripped of it. In confirming their livelihood and worth, we reaffirm our humanity in hopes that righteousness will prevail.

***

This article was edited by Andrea Velez.