Hello RadLove readers! As we charge forward into a 2024 we know will be filled with thinks optimistically excitement, I think now is a great opportunity to revisit a few of the high points of 2023. And in doing so, I can share another morsel about my background and what brings joy to my life when I’m away from the keyboard.

One of my favorite things about living in Los Angeles is our proximity to nature. We’re often noted for our endless freeways (I’m far enough removed from my Midwestern roots that I no longer call them “interstates”), but within just a few minutes of many exits you can be strikingly removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. Griffith Park in the city’s center is the largest park in America; the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is the largest urban green space on the planet; and the Angeles National Forest just to the north of the city features some of the most iconic hiking in the United States.

It is the mountain ranges that have most captured my heart and attention here, which comes as a surprise given I thought I was following my love of the water’s edge, born in the idyllic Indians dunes along the shores of Lake Michigan, to California. But I find myself escaping to the hills more often than the sand. I think it’s the challenge I find compelling–I remain in awe of and still a bit intimidated by heights. (In northern Indiana, the hikes are long, and the elevation change is never high.) So in the spirit of those zen moments when a new summit is reached and we are offered the blessing of a new vantage point, here are a few key moments of impact from the past year that stand out in my mind

Biden-Harris Administration Takes Unprecedented Steps to Ensure Conservation of America’s Vast Natural Resources

2023 saw increased action on the critical front of conservation, largely guided by the visionary leadership of America’s first Native American Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland. Significant progress was made on President Biden’s “America the Beautiful” initiative, which seeks to secure 30% of this country’s lands, waters, and ocean territories for conservation by the year 2030 through locally led efforts. Major successes this year include the designation of four new national monuments:

• Castner Ridge National Monument – Texas
• Avi Kwa Ame National Monument – Nevada
• Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon Monument – Arizona
• Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument – Missisisippi and Illinois

The designation of these sites ensures public access to millions of acres, protects native species as well as sacred and cultural sites important to Indigenous peoples and Tribal Nations, and preserves the history of key elements of the Civil Rights Movement. In addition, the administration announced $44 million to “strengthen climate resilience across America’s iconic National Parks system, including 43 projects across 39 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.”

A new analysis completed this year by the Center for American Progress finds that in the first three years of the Biden-Harris administration, it has conserved (or is in the process of conserving) 24 million acres of public land and has directed at least $18 billion dollars towards conservation projects–with about half of that land being conserved in 2023, representing a marked increase in the pace of the Administration’s direct action on conservation.

Coupled with the unprecedented tenfold increase in co-stewardship agreements with Tribal Nations, which grew from 20 to nearly 2000 this year, we have many reasons for optimism about stewardship of our nation’s precious natural resources.

Wave of Student Loan Forgiveness Expansion Brings Christmas to Debt-Riddled Americans Throughout the Year

Despite the right-leaning SCOTUS thwarting President Biden’s broad attempts at student loan forgiveness, the Biden-Harris administration has found success in granting loan forgiveness to targeted groups. As of December, when the latest wave of forgiveness was issued to borrowers with errors in their Income Driven Repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness programs, over 3.6 million Americans have seen loans totaling over $132 billion forgiven.

While this administration has emphasized they will continue to explore additional avenues to forgive student debt, it is important to note that this effort is but one piece of meaningfully addressing the broader student debt crisis–continuing the push for nationwide free college as proposed under President Biden’s 2021 American Families Plan should remain a top priority in 2024.

Renaissance World Tour and Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé

In terms of sociocultural impact, few events resonated worldwide like Ms. Carter’s ninth and most elaborate concert tour, which launched mid-year in Europe before playing stadiums across the United States. A stunning production in six acts, it was described by Pitchfork’s Julianne Escobedo Shepherd as “a unique representation of dance music history and Black art that imagines a more inclusive pop future.” Emma Longhaven wrote in Evening Standard that the tour “pushes the boundaries of 21st century performance technology,” and Refinery29’s Alexis Johnson praised it as “one of the most incredible live performances in recent memory.” The Renaissance World Tour is recognized by Billboard  as the highest grossing tour by a Black artist in history.

Following the tour’s conclusion, the Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé concert film was released in late November, documenting the tour’s genesis, elaborating on the influence of ball culture on its aesthetic, and highlighting the production elements in addition to providing an exciting cinematic take on the live performance that was exciting for first-time viewers and Renaissance World Tour attendees alike.

We have watched Beyoncé continue to evolve as a creator and an icon of music, film, fashion, and American popular culture for several decades. Her record-shattering Renaissance tour is the culmination of her influence and impact and represents the pinnacle of American artistry in 2023.

Marc Elias and Associates Continue MAGA Demolition Tour to Preserve Voting Access and Election Integrity Via the Courts

My focus in this post is 2023 “peaks” but with peaks always come valleys, and I think most would agree that right wing assaults on communities of color, queer people, and historically underrepresented groups and our rights were among the low points of the year. Particularly troubling have been what are clearly coordinated efforts across the country to make our participation in direct democracy via voting more difficult while strategically limiting who has access to the polling booth on Election Day.

However, longtime Democratic elections lawyer Marc Elias and his associates continue their overwhelmingly successful wave of legal resistance to the right’s machinations to make voting harder, but only for some people.They have played a key role in successful redistricting efforts and were instrumental in the establishment of new minority opportunity districts in Georgia and Texas that will give a voice to Democratic voters who were silenced through extreme gerrymandering.

Marc has posted an excellent summary of all the ways democracy won in 2023 to his blog, Democracy Docket, which is a highly recommended and reliable source of accurate information about ongoing efforts to broaden access to our elections and ensure they are administered uniformly as the law demands. From his post:

“As it was in previous years, one of the main storylines in 2023 is the staggering record of losses Republican lawyers had in court. For that, as well as the victories for voters, we can all be grateful. For another year at least, democracy was on the docket and it won.”

Click here to read Marc’s enlightening summary of 2023 Democratic successes in the voting rights arena and be sure to add Democracy Docket to your bookmarks!

Thanks for taking the time to read my musings–I am eager to continue discussing critical topics like these (and more needly, challenging ones as well) as we embark together on a new year with renewed focus on viewing our world through the lenses of “radical love” and translating that to action.

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