Back to School, Back to Work—But Not Back to Normal

By Kisha A. Brown, Esq.

September always carries a familiar rhythm. Children step into classrooms with fresh braids or a fade. People return from vacations, inboxes full. Everyone collectively exhales and leans back into routine. But let’s be clear: for Black America, nothing about this season—or this country—is routine.

I was reminded of that on a recent visit to my parents in Orlando. When I opened their mailbox, two postcards from the Orange County Democratic Party were waiting. They warned that my parents must renew their vote-by-mail request because, thanks to Governor DeSantis’ voter suppression laws, those requests automatically expired in 2024. This wasn’t just junk mail—it was a stark reminder that the right to vote, something our ancestors bled for, is still under attack. From Florida’s suppression tactics to Texas’ gerrymandering, the strategy is the same: dilute, discourage, and diminish the Black vote.

And voter suppression isn’t the only tool being sharpened. We are also watching the steady normalization of military presence. This summer, the National Guard was deployed in Washington, D.C. under the guise of “public safety.” The chilling question is not if, but when, such measures will expand to other Black-majority or Democratic-led cities across the country. Our neighborhoods are already overpoliced and underserved. With armed federal law enforcement on the ground, the prospect of even less accountability for police misconduct is set to be a compounded terror for local communities.

So, no—there is nothing “normal” about this return to routine. The façade of normalcy is part our own desire and part seasonal consumerism, hiding a country whose democratic rights are being eroded. Pretending otherwise only leaves us more vulnerable.

As we move deeper into this fall season, let’s resist the illusion of “business as usual.” Our vote, our voice, our very presence in this democracy are needed now more than ever. Normal never saved us—community did. Faith did. Justice and joy did.