Published on October 14, 2020

Christine Garcia

The Future is “X”

Christine Garcia

Assistant Professor, English, Eastern Connecticut State University

Yes, it is true, the future is Latinx. The future is also Indigenous, Black, Queer, and Disabled.

In the future, we will collectively learn the truth about white settler colonialism across the Americas, about the horrors and legacies of the Mid-Atlantic slave trade, and about the historical and contemporary lifeways of the Americas, not just “America.” And, once we know better, we will do better.

But, what about right now? What is the now? For many, now is a time for sincere listening and bold discussion of opinions and viewpoints. Now is the time for holding space and pushing back. It is the time of acknowledging the hurt and anger in us and not being afraid of speaking it out loud, making each other and ourselves uncomfortable. In the midst of current chaos, now is the perfect time to make art, music, and literature that is shameless, unafraid. The now is about seeing our own humanity and extending the love and tenderness that comes with that recognition to each other.

So, yes, the future is Latinx/Indigenous/Black/Queer/Disabled -- but that future does not magically appear. We, collectively, have to create our joyful future in the here and now. We must debate which metaphors are dead and must be buried, which systems are unfair and must be dismantled. And then we must, collectively, rearticulate and rebuild. By engaging in the types of dialogues and presentations happening at Eastern Connecticut State during Fall 2020, we create opportunities for the exact type of mutual respect and understanding that a collectively joyful future is predicated on. Through the simple acts of speaking our truths and listening to understand, the future becomes our now.

Esteban Ramón Pérez Nochtli, 2018, mix media Image courtesy of the artist