Relentless: [rəˈlen(t)ləs] Adjective – oppressively constant; incessant

Pretty much sums up 2020, doesn’t it? From the global pandemic to climate disasters, from a reckoning with long-standing institutional racism to a deeply divisive election season, this year has been relentless in its challenges. Even approaching the season of Thanksgiving seems fraught with difficulty as infection rates surge in our communities and uncertainty continues to be the norm. It’s been an exhausting year to say the least, and each of us has a story to tell about how we’ve been impacted, and how we’ve made it through.

But that’s just it. We’ve made it through — at least so far. We are relentless too.

Despite isolation, we’ve connected. Who knew we could all be so good at Zoom? We’ve met the deep divisions in our communities with a strengthened resolve to listen to and learn from each other. We’ve taken a hard look in the mirror to acknowledge our role in the many challenges we face and committed to make meaningful advances in the work that is most important. We stand up to the uncertainty ahead knowing that despite our physical isolation, we are not alone. For 40 years, our Alliance has been bringing people together to build grassroots power around the things that are important to our members. As you read through this issue of the Clarion, I hope you will be inspired by the stories of resilience in this relentless year and galvanized into action for the year ahead.

We know all too well that closing the book on 2020 won’t magically fix everything. And so, whether virtually or in person, we will continue to reach out and connect with our members, to draw strength from each other, and to stand together to face 2021 head on.