Well that was… interesting? We’re not sure if there is a word to perfectly summarize this election year because frankly it was a challenge to keep up with everything and still manage to remain sane throughout all of it.

While Election Day has come and gone, with Joe Biden as the newly elected President of the United States, there is still so much to work to be done.

All the problems in our country cannot be simply be resolved because one presidential term is over. Unfortunately, these issues existed long before the Trump or even the Obama Administration and will continue onto the next term, and potentially several more following it.

This is because one person cannot fix nor create the decades worth of racism, prejudice and inequality that have run rampant through this country. If anything, Donald Trump is a simply raindrop that broke the poorly constructed dam keeping America’s issues from flooding. This is not to understate the damage done by the Trump presidency, but rather just the grim reality that faces the United States.

When that dam broke, a different side of Americans broke through as well. In some cases, it showcased a side of hate, violence and disgusting behavior. While it was painful to see the true colors of our country break through during the 2016 presidential campaign, it came at no surprise at all that this was the America we are living in. There have been underlying issues involving various social, health and economic factors for years, specifically those concerning race, gender, religion, economic status and immigration laws.

But along with that hate, there was signs of compassion, unity and political activism that broke through. Most people have used this presidential election as motivation to become politically active; whether it was registering to vote, participating in grassroots campaigns or even learning about their own local government, people got involved! And that shouldn’t stop now.

While Biden winning the election might be a sigh of relief for a lot of people, it means nothing without the continued advancement of activism. The last four years might have seen crazy, but that is only because there was a light shining on it. Many of the terrible things we watched, read or heard about for the first time this year are not new things at all. Racism, corruption and misogyny are in all reality staples in the American foundation, and if you think electing in a new person is all it takes to change that, we’ve got some bad news for you.

Don’t stop the fight now. Voices (and votes) are being heard, but that’s only the start. Start researching more about local politicians, their policies and what they are campaigning for. Forget about party alignment, listen to what they are saying and, more importantly, how they say it.

Though our country is at odds within itself, the last four years have been a much needed wake up call for millions of people. We may not agree with all of the opinions being shared, but the important take away is that they are sharing. People are more proactive, and more so than ever before, Americans have a platform for their voice, no matter who they are.

Now is not the time to lose this momentum.

We would be too hopeful to say that the generations of wrongdoings could be fixed in four years, that’s impossible. It will take us time, patience and motivation to do that. America is nothing without its people, you and us.

As a whole, we have to take a look at our country and face the facts: the issues that America has are not going to be easy fixes, so people have to remain energized and motivated because we’ve still got a lot of work to do.