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A man looks at ruins with binoculars at Mesa Verde National Park

Article Series

Hindsight 20/20

How will 2020 go down in history? In the Hindsight 20/20 project from The Colorado Magazine, twenty of today's most insightful historians and thought leaders share their visions of how this year will stand the test of time.

A man looks at ruins with binoculars at Mesa Verde National Park

Introduction

Photo of a young woman with long hair. half of her face has been painted with a skull design, with a pink flower on her forehead and gold sequins around the black circle painted around her right eye. The right side of her mouth has vertical thin black lines across her lips. Black decorative scrolls are on her chin and right cheek.

A Pivotal—and Long Overdue—Moment for Change

Karen Roybal

Photo of an illuminated concert stage filled with smoke, and the silouettes of concert-goers in the foreground.

Heard Immunity

G. Brown

Stock photo of a roll of red, white, and blue round stickers that say "I Voted"

2020: Year of Destiny

William B. Allen

A TikTok Pandemic Story

Samira Rajabi

Photo of a wildfire burning across vegetation along the ground. Scorched earth is seen in the foreground, and angry yellow and orange flames reach up from the ground, creating clouds of black smoke which are rising into the sky. Elsewhere in the air there is a thick gray blanket of smoke, and the scorched ground is smoking as well.

Burning Truth: The Beginning of the End for Colorado’s Forests

Thomas Andrews

Photo of Think Tank Tattoo, with windows boarded up due to closure during the 2020 pandemic. The main image spray painted on the boards is an eagle and "THIS TOO WILL PASS". Right side detail consists of black outline of a flower, heart and the words, "UNITED WE STAND" and "WE LOVE YOU DENVER!!"

Our Strength Is Our Union

Mark Earnest, MD

Photo of a white clock face with thin black roman numerals. The clock is in pieces, and all of the small cogs that make the clock function are scattered around in the area around the clock face. The hands on the clock face are missing.

The Past Is Present

Susan Schulten

Photo of the back yoke detail of a red jingle dress. Black contrasting trim and gold rick rack in a zigzag pattern across the back shoulders of the dress, and the individual jingle pieces are attached with black fabric. The jingles themselves are each made of the lid of a metal tobacco can, and curled into a conical bell shape. The small end is affixed to the black fabric, and as the dancer moves, the jingle pieces touch to create sound.

Our Cultural Traditions Served to Heal Us

Majel Boxer (Sisseton and Wahpeton Dakota)

Photo of an old Olympic typewriter, with a piece of white typing paper in it, which simply says "2020" in large black numerals.

Looking Backward: Lessons from a Pandemic

Duane Vandenbusche

Photo of a montage of photos of human faces of all races and ages.

American Studies 102: Survey of 21st Century US “Race” Relations with Professor Iqbal Penelope-Nkotto

Claire Oberon Garcia

Image of the seal of the President of the United States, as stated in a gold circle around the perimeter of a navy-colored circle depicting an eagle with a banner saying "E Pluribus Unum" in its mouth. Above its head & banner are 9 white stars & 13 white spheres. The eagle has a shield in front of its chest: it's blue at the top, red & white stripes on the bottom portion. The eagle holds an olive branch in its right talon, a bunch of arrows in its left talon. The navy color is encircled with white stars.

Saving the “Soul of the Nation”

William Wei

Photo of one vial of Covid-19 Vaccine. The Vial has a red metal top and a label that says "COVID-19 Vaccine, 2019 n-CoV, Injection Only." The vial sits atop a green table, and the background is a luminescent blue.

The Year of the Ethicist

Brian Jackson

A plate with a mask on it and a fork and spoon

A Plateful of Pandemic

Adrian Miller

Photo closeup of four beef hamburgers cooking on a grill. The first side of the burgers has been cooked, because the tops of each burger patty have "grill marks" lining them. The orange grill flames are visible beneath the black cast iron grates of the grill and a few wisps of smoke are rising from the cooking surface.

COWvid-19: A Look Back at the Meat of 2020

Jake Swisher

Inside of the REI Denver flagship store which is a premier outdoor gear and sporting goods store serving outdoor enthusiasts in Denver

Sold Out! Outdoor Rec in a Disaster Year

Rachel S. Gross

Detail of West Pediment of Supreme Court Building. The nine figures featured are Liberty Enthroned in the center, with Order on her right and Authority on her left. Council, with Research (past and present) are also visible, as are the words. "Equal Justice Under Law."

The Beginning of the End of the American Experiment

Tom I. Romero, II

Photo of brush strokes of glittering gold paint partially covering a dark, cracked surface seen underneath.

The Good Old Days

Derek R. Everett

Photo of blue face mask which has been discarded and is lying on the ground in a dry ditch. The mask has some dirt on it, and is surrounded by dry grasses, dead leaves, and twigs, with the occasional leaf or two growing along the edges of the ditch that are turning green.

The COVID Centennial Public Archaeology Project

Holly Norton

Photo of a group of friends gathered around a long wooden table at a bar or restaurant. The are each holding up a large mug of beer to the center of the table and offering a toast. There is a server at the end of the table, picking something up from the tabletop although it is obscured by the mugs of beer in the forefront. Behind the table of friends, white stone walls of the building are seen, as well as an arched doorway, and other patrons.

The Lingering Aftertaste of 2020

Ed Sealover

Hindsight 2020 Mask

How Did We Get To Now?

Jason L. Hanson