Progressives in power must hold Biden—and themselves—accountable.

A story emerged yesterday that details workplace misconduct and abuse. I won’t share it here because it’s not my truth to tell, and I have no firsthand knowledge of the events. Crucially, the assertion is bigger than any one person: It not only points to a systemic problem within progressive spaces but illuminates the limits of progressive accountability.

I have been working in public policy for nearly a decade, but I have been a Black woman for 31 years. It’s been an especially difficult, painful year, but the long-standing crises we face — made far worse for so many by the ravages of COVID-19 and an inept policy response—won’t be resolved on January 1.

I am worried for what comes next if progressives in power fail to hold President-elect Joe Biden accountable in his first 100 days and over the next four years. However, I fear the consequences of failing to hold each other accountable even more.

The idea of power is tricky, but the reality of private power is dangerous. As we’ve seen for the past 50 years, when corrupted, it is self-reinforcing. This truth stretches far beyond the economy and our political system; behind closed doors, it pervades progressive places—congressional offices, nonprofits, union shops—that promote or even demand equity, dignity, and respect from others (e.g., corporations) on the outside.

When progressives in power demonstrate bad behavior, it is hypocritical for us to ignore it or to whisper about the “open secret”; it is also damaging to the movement, especially to young people (who are often the victims of this trauma) who deserve to be fostered as emerging leaders in healthy and safe ways and to bear witness to the transformative capacity of empowerment.

From the top, I have experienced the minimization of bullying and abuse because of what the bully and abuser could allegedly deliver. By my side, peers and colleagues have shied away from public support because of the fear of retaliation—and rightly so. This, however, speaks to the moment we’re in: Across the nation and inside progressive infrastructure, we have an opportunity to reclaim power for ourselves and each other by collectively rejecting what is immoral and unjust.

Ultimately, sacrificing the well-being of some for so-called shared gain is what we as progressives fundamentally oppose. What’s progress with self-inflicted pain? If we hurt, diminish, or ignore folks—especially women, and especially women of color, and especially Black women—as we “build back better,” then what have we achieved? Will the power and success trickle down? Will our values matter if we silence them for inconvenient truths?

“To make lasting progress, we must talk the talk, and walk the walk. We must.”