This Is Our Country’s Rebirth

It’s ugly, but don’t give up on America now

Julio Vincent Gambuto
LEVEL
Published in
10 min readJun 4, 2020

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Crowds protest on New York City’s Upper East Side. Photo credit: JVG

America is not falling. Yes, it may look like that, and it may certainly feel like that. Just last week in New York City — one of capitalism’s shining capitals — stores were boarded up, windows were shattered, cop cars raced down the streets with sirens blaring as the clock struck eight on curfew hour. And that’s on the Upper East Side. These are scenes we often witness from other countries — countries in deep strife, devolved into chaos, on the precipice of revolution. Online, we are thick in the mire of disinformation, manipulation, and full-on propaganda. Yes, the gaslighting has begun. So has the gassing. And it’s hideous. But it seems that the left and right, even as they battle over the narrative, are saying the same thing: America is over.

Well, the America we knew is over, yes. But what’s coming is so much better. Our next act is unfolding, and the Black community, the very people most affected by the inequities of our society, lead it. If we can keep our eyes open and free from tears — and tear gas — and our hearts full when all we want to do is scream, what lies ahead could very well be something we have never seen or experienced before: the America we want.

I know you think I’m naive and overly hopeful amid utter pandemonium. I disagree. I am finding the…

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Julio Vincent Gambuto
LEVEL
Writer for

Author + Moviemaker. Happy October. Back to socials 2x/week. Connect at juliovincent.com.