What does it mean to me? The Paradigm Shift

with Keron Alleyene

              Let me state first that I’m so excited that I would even get an opportunity to reflect out loud on this question. To accurately answer this, I must put us collectively back into a time where the coronavirus had fully upended our lives, transformed humanity in ways we never thought we’d see, and on the runner’s front – made us reflect deeply on movement without races. People across the world were affected but yet, covid was unique to everyone. Through my own lens, I had just come off a grueling campaign cycle for the NYS senate where we had fallen short and rightfully so. The world shut down and everything was online and creating that infrastructure was extremely difficult for a first-time candidate up against Brooklyn machine politics. Concurrently in this political reflection – George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery became household names through hashtags and rallies across the world.

              Our minds were full, store shelves were empty, and many people found solace in movement. It felt like the time was ripe for a paradigm shift that would be difficult to put into words for those that didn’t understand the ingredients of the time. The paradigm shift happened gradually in discussions as we collectively dissected institutions that have been long standing but not culturally representative, sensitive, or inclusive. In person, on WhatsApp, on Instagram, on twitter and on and on, people were questioning these institutions and reimagining what the world could be like with an active alternative. I’m so grateful that one of those conversations became the foundation of Mid Strike Magazine. Jesse Spellman, founder of MSM, would capture the feeling burning behind those conversations and build the digital infrastructure that our current realities needed. MSM was born out of a paradigm shift and provided immediate hope for me and the readership.