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Tumultuous weeks of protests, uncertain months of pandemic, and devastation from natural disasters have challenged the assumptions, unfurled the conviction, and shaken the grounds on which so many of us stood. What will rise to meet these winds of change? Only time will tell. As we tune in to new possibilities, this week's pieces offer snapshots and commentaries on the potential of compassion to rise through ashes of racism, grief, and wildfires to propel us all forward.
If you could use a pick-me-up from the divisive violence in the news, here's our favorite stories of compassionate responses to racism.
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Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo (right) kneels as the hearse of George Floyd arrives to North Central University ahead of funeral service | The Washington Post
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"The nationwide demonstrations in the wake of George Floyd's killing have been met at times with heavy-handed police tactics that include beatings, the use of tear gas and rubber bullets fired into crowds," NPR reports. But in some cases, the clashes also have been punctuated by fleeting gestures of unity and peace on all sides. Some activists dismiss these moments as merely symbolic, media-savvy moves. On the flipside, some police departments are already taking measures to reform their agencies. "Do we need to have a national registry of police discipline? That's a great idea," says Sheriff Chris Swanson, who took off his riot gear and walked with protestors in Flint, Mich., last week. "Do we need to have an overall advisory committee with a community for each agency? That's a great idea. Because if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear." Will Floyd's death really spur long-lasting change and transformation? Advocates say it depends.
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Elsa Tornabene | Unsplash
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Dr. Daniel Coln Hidalgo, who works in the intensive care unit of a Chicago hospital, encounters a number of Covid-19 patients nearing the end of the lives. He finds ways of witnessing the humanity and individuality of his dying patients, who are often in isolation and separated from their families. But he talks with the families every day with updates and says that learning from them about the patient "when they were healthy -- their interests and values -- makes the tougher decisions about end-of-life care a little less painful." He says that behind every single case of Covid-19 is a story and a person.
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A sign of hope for the future of Australian wildlife - meet Ash, the first baby koala born this season at the Australian Reptile Park in central New South Wales. From July 2019 into early 2020, catastrophic bushfires devastated Australia. The University of Sydney estimates over 1 billion animals were killed in the fires, at least 800 million of which were in New South Wales. The park, which shared the news in a May 26 social media post, said that Ash is a sign of hope for the future of Australia's native wildlife. And how adorable she is. :-)
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Street art always reflects what is going on in cities across the globe. Now, it doesn't matter if the city is London, L.A., Rio, Havana, Gauhati or Jakarta, the subject is the same: the coronavirus pandemic. The paintings offer us a glimpse of hope, a laugh, even advice on how to prevent the disease -- or all of it all at once, like one in L.A. that simply tells passers-by, "Stay home, life is beautiful."
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Stephen Voss | Redux Pictures
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"America was jolted out of its pandemic stupor this week by a dramatic cycle of police violence, protests, looting and retaliation," Politico reports. While we've seen these scenes before, and many even draw parallels to 1968, it's hard not to feel something feels unsettlingly new this time. Politico asks a range thinkers: What's really different this time around? Naturally, some pointed to the pandemic. Others detected a more widespread embrace of violence across the political spectrum. Some suggested a more diverse and aware group of protesters. Others saw cause for hope from police reforms in recent years, albeit not enough to prevent deaths like George Floyd's. Still others disagreed entirely that anything is different. Two dozen experts across the U.S. weighed in on the nuances of race, police brutality, systemic failures and evolution in the backdrop of a global pandemic.
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