8 minutes and 46 seconds – a moment in time
The months of March, April and May of the year 2020 will forever be stamped in history, great stories will be told to grandchildren, events will be memorialized, history books will be rewritten. This was the period when the world came to a screeching halt, production stopped, worked stalled, people locked themselves inside, masks became an accessory and handwashing became the activity of the day. Covid-19 was all we talked about, it commandeered the news, controlled our conversations, filled our every waking thought. Covid-19 was the common enemy and the world banded together as we worked hard to avoid the rampant cough and sneeze. Nothing else mattered, nothing else could matter, or so we thought….
On May 25th in the incredibly short time of 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the world’s axis took a sharp turn and in the next few weeks , the world totally pivoted and targeted another enemy , not so common but even more dangerous, an enemy that had been attacking the world for hundreds of years. Attention dramatically shifted, conversations changed, voices screamed and shouted, doors flew open and people who were locked in for months, bravely came out in masks to protest against the common enemy. The trajectory had shifted, change was in the air and not even the previously impervious Covid-19 could stop it. Black lives matter.
How long did it take for the world to realize that Covid-19 was not the real enemy ? 8.46 minutes
How long did it take for black people to realize that the progress they had made over the years was not really progress ? 8.46 minutes
How long did it take for mankind to finally accept that the colour of a man’s skin does not define him? 8.46 minutes
How long did it take for the land of the free and the home of the brave to realize that all their people were not in fact free? 8.46 minutes
How long did it take for people of all complexions to realize that the injustices against black people were in fact injustices against all people? 8.46 minutes
How long did it take for princes, priests and paupers to realize that racism breeds real and lasting hate? 8.46 minutes
How long did it take for a simple man to become a hero ? 8.46 minutes
There is no doubt that 2020 will remember health sector workers as larger than life heroes but 2020 should also be remembered as the year when we all stepped up to the plate in a different way. Parents must now teach their children to be kind and decent to everyone. Educators need to change how history is taught in schools. Government leaders need to review systems and structures to ensure fairness for all and not just the privileged few. Regulators need to review laws and policies to ensure that everyone is judged and punished fairly. We all need to examine our thoughts, emotions and attitudes about racism. It is a time for Coaches to guide thinking and behavior and build leaders with empathy and integrity. 2020 must be remembered as the year of change.
This has been the longest and shortest 8.46 minutes in history, let’s make it count.
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