NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. — It's a magazine cover that many will agree with.
TIME Magazine has unveiled its brand new cover which calls 2020 "the worst year ever," and features a year in review piece detailing some of the many events that made 2020 a terrible year.
"This is the story of a year you’ll never want to revisit," writes author Stephanie Zacharek, "There have been worse years in U.S. history, and certainly worse years in world history, but most of us alive today have seen nothing like this one."
While the magazine points out the distinctly awful things that have happened throughout 2020, TIME also acknowledges that there have been worse years for some who have lived through events such as the Great Depression, World War I, and World War II.
The piece also touches on some of the various icons lost, as well the lasting impact of the Black individuals whose deaths sparked movements and discussions, unlike anything many citizens have ever seen.
"Public figures who meant a great deal to us–Ruth Bader Ginsburg, John Lewis, Kobe Bryant, Chadwick Boseman–were wrested away," Zacharek writes. "And in May, the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis ignited righteous anger not just across the country but around the world. The ruthlessness of that act revived attention to similar outrages earlier in the year, particularly the killings of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery."
Of course, it wouldn't have been an article on 2020 if the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic wasn't mentioned. Zacharek notes that the United States has faced its most difficult days this year in an attempt to get the Coronavirus under control and has seen endless heartbreak and helplessness over the last nine months.
However, despite the virus making many Americans feel like they are in an endless nightmare, the author says that Americans remain hopeful for the year to come and that it might just be the best thing about us.
"Americans are inherently optimistic. It’s why our allies like us, even if they secretly mock us behind our backs–but we don’t care! We’re a nation with our thumbs perpetually stuck in our suspenders," Zacharek writes. "Our optimism is our most ridiculous trait, and our greatest. It can’t always be morning in America. Sometimes we have to get through the darkest hour just before."
