Cautious, But Optimistic: How The Root Staff Is Approaching the New Year

The year 2020 was… a lot, largely in part to a global pandemic, the beginning of a long-awaited and necessary racial reckoning in this country, and an anxiety-inducing presidential election, to name a few.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things to look forward to in the new year.

The Root’s Editor-in-Chief Danielle Belton is hopeful that there will be a widespread distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine and that some common sense will be restored to America, especially after Donald Trump leaves office.

“I’m looking for an actual hot girl summer,” said entertainment staff writer Tonja Renée Stidhum. “The fact that we have missed out on the club vibes from that song like we just got to do all that over. This summer we’ve got to act like WAP is new.”

Senior reporter Terrell Jermaine Starr has a unique goal for 2021: “I would like to start voice acting; I’ve always wanted to do it.”

During the 2018 and 2019, The Root 100 galas, Starr used his vocal talent to do voiceovers for the fictional, yet beloved, Melanated News Network.

Unlike Terrell, Danielle says she normally doesn’t make new year’s resolutions because she tends to break them.

“But if I had to make one, mine will be to stop beating up on myself so much,” said Belton. “I need to be nicer to myself in 2021. So let’s do it. Let’s love Danielle!”

Tonja’s primary hope for the new year is slightly more amorphous.

“I hope 2021 is different than 2020 in every single way. Like I want a whole 180, not 360,” said Stidhum.

“A lot of us are hesitant to say that 2021 is my year, is our year. So just be open and live your best life day by day.”

In the video above, members of The Root’s staff share some of their aspirations for 2021, words of wisdom about how they want us all to take on the new year, and more.