Dem candidate Rev. Raphael Warnock

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross developed a theory of seven stages of grief for dealing with the phenomena of loss. As we make our way through the aftermath of the elections, I find myself reaching for some emotional theory like this. I want some explanation for this emotional roller-coaster, but I can’t locate one. I keep attempting to find my footing emotionally, and I simply can’t. This is too unprecedented a moment in US history. There was the day of jubilation when Biden was declared the winner. That made sense. We were overjoyed because WE HAD DONE IT. Our movements, our mobilization, the will of the people to REMOVE DONALD TR*MP was finally realized. However, since then, there’s been no place to land.

Dem candidate Jon Ossoff

Was our celebration premature? As expected, Tr*mp has not conceded. My social media timeline is split into two camps. First, there are people who are certain he is just using this opportunity to con his base because he’s broke and needs to raise money to cover his debts. But a second camp is offering me evidence that he’s revving up for a coup. Meanwhile, the Biden crew is talking about reaching across the aisle (to fascism??) and floating names for the cabinet, some of them with deeply disturbing financial conflicts of interest with big corporate lobbies. Am I mad at Biden? Am I still upset that the candidate we all united behind wasn’t Sanders or Warren? Especially when the data shows that Biden was NOT the safe bet and he failed to lure Republican voters (97% voted for Tr*mp, despite $67 million to the Lincoln Project).

(Photo by Jessica McGowan/Getty Images)

What has been the most helpful this election season has been action. I was on an organizing call last night with the Working Families Party. I love them, and not just because their meeting included a community karaoke dance party to “Aint no stopping us now” with a disco ball. They are consistently hopeful, they have a mobilized huge numbers of people, and they have connections to grassroots movements, but also to electoral politics. They call themselves the multiracial feminist party for the working class and their goal is to build power. I get on the calls with them and I don’t feel alone, I don’t feel torn between relief and outrage. WFP is my political compass right now, helping point me in the right direction. And in this political moment, “True North” is Due South. It’s time to turn our energy toward Georgia. The fate of the senate will be there. If it weren’t a pandemic, I would be booking my trip to Atlanta, and figuring out who to stay with. As it stands, I will be text banking with the Working Families Party to make sure people in Georgia request mail-in ballots. Also, I am considering doing something I’ve never done for an election: giving significant money to one of the grassroots groups of Black people organizing on the ground. The Democratic Party isn’t going to do it. They have shown again and again that they favor corporate approaches like TV ad buys. This, despite the fact that data shows that a strong ground game is more effective. I’m considering giving an amount that would sting if the candidates don’t win. I don’t know how much. But I know that it’s time to go all out. Georgia on my mind. Georgia in my bank account.

Meanwhile,  I still don’t know quite how I feel, but I don’t need to know. I know what to DO. Fight like hell. As we learned in the presidential election, when we fight, we win.