As Americans settle into 2025, many will reflect on the accomplishments of the past year to inform their bold and audacious goals for the future. While I have never personally been big on setting New Year’s resolutions, I am a committed advocate of setting fearless goals.
Webster’s Dictionary defines “great” as “remarkable in magnitude, degree, or effectiveness.” Tradition teaches us to set individual resolutions to accomplish; however, approximately 10% actually achieve their resolutions. Given this trend, I often question why people invest so much time stressing over New Year’s resolutions only to accomplish a fraction of the goal(s) that they set out to do. Could it be the selfish pursuit of individual greatness? Or is it simply a tradition followed without serious commitment?
Changes in administration at the state and national levels come with uncertainty. Just as individuals set goals to guide their health, wellness, and personal growth, America too is in desperate need of a collective New Year’s resolution — one that prioritizes equity, opportunity, and inclusion for all. For some, these changes signal progress toward a collective resolution to “make America more great.” For others, these shifts exacerbate a reality that America has yet to live up to its promise of greatness for all. What will America resolve to do for those who struggle to achieve the American dream due to systemic inequities?
America has the opportunity to set a collective resolution that unites us around shared values of equity, opportunity, and inclusion. Just as individuals set goals to guide their health, wellness, and personal growth, a national resolution can inspire collective progress by aligning personal actions with a broader vision. This interconnectedness reminds us that personal growth and national progress are not separate but mutually reinforcing, paving the way for a more just and inclusive America.
The need for America’s bold resolution
The nation faces growing challenges:
- Safety.
Every day more than 10 children are harmed or die due to gun violence. Over 300,000 children have been traumatized by gun violence. These numbers signal an epidemic that requires a response.
We must commit to ensuring there are common-sense policies that protect and support every student.
- Mental health.
The pandemic exacerbated growing mental health challenges. Depression and anxiety rates from November 2020 had increased by six times pre-pandemic rates. Millions of Americans (including children and adults) have experienced increased thoughts of suicide, episodes of depression, and/or lack of belonging.
We must commit to ensuring access to adequate care and trained professionals to address growing mental health challenges.
- Equity.
About 90% of children in the United States attend their local public school. About 28 states are choosing to limit or decrease funding to local public schools in lieu of funding private school vouchers. According to a Nov. 2024 report by the Public School Forum of North Carolina, private school vouchers are a failed policy due to the lack of accountability. Most often, the path to overcoming poverty is a quality education. Lack of access and opportunity continues to keep the American dream out of reach for many.
We must commit to ensuring that every local public school is resourced appropriately to increase access and opportunity to allow every student to ultimately achieve the American dream.
- Unity.
Political and social divides threaten to weaken the collective spirit necessary for progress. Resources, religion, books, race, and language are weaponized to evoke fear limiting or preventing progress toward making America great. America has always struggled with telling the truth about its history. Often the practice is to romanticize certain points in time, while eliminating or encouraging silence on its most disgraceful practices.
We must commit to ensuring we tell our individual and collective truths to overcome the challenges of the past and to reach a place of liberation for every American.
America’s health and well-being is at stake. These challenges, though vast and complex, are deeply interconnected and demand more than fragmented efforts. They require a shared vision and a collective commitment to address systemic inequities and build a more inclusive and equitable society. As we step into 2025, the question before us is clear: Will we rise to the occasion and resolve to create a nation where equity, opportunity, and unity are not ideals, but realities for all?
A call to boldness
The power to shape this future lies in both individual actions and our collective determination to work together. Let 2025 be the year we embrace these resolutions and take bold steps toward a greater America. Let us resolve to create a vision for America that is inclusive, equitable, and bold. True greatness lies not in nostalgic ideals but in our ability to unite for a better future.
Proverbs 29:18 reminds us: “Without a vision, the people will perish.” This year, let us commit to a national resolution that ensures access, equity, and opportunity for all. Together, we can make 2025 a turning point for America’s promise.
