We have entered an age where internet access and a Chromebook are more essential for our children and communities than a pair of Jordans and an iPhone! It’s been this way for over two decades, but a pandemic has a way of making one reflect on the bare necessities of life.

This is not an insult. The pressures of society, especially for those in low-income families, cause people to present themselves better than their situation warrants. We grew up being told that you don’t have to look poor even if you are poor (and I am speaking financially). No matter our situation, we were raised with pride in how we look when we walk out of the house.

We hide bruises with makeup, mask financial despair with a new car, and cover up nameless pants with a Gucci belt. Before holes in pants were a thing, we covered them up with a patch; we put hard cardboard in the bottom of shoes to cover up the holes. Every Easter, we rocked new suits because, once a year, we had to honor God with a fashion show. We had to wear our Sunday best.

As we grew, we learned that some of our parents had it hard. We never knew the struggles they had just to make ends meet. Some masked pain with domestic violence, untempered emotions with whiskey, and some children became the outlet for that societal pressure and were sexually abused, ravaged with extension cords, and became the circle of continuation for the following generations. Others focused on imparting to their child solid values of faith, hard work, and good study habits. Whichever category, before we left the house, parents went to work, and children went to school, we looked good. We became experts at masking poverty with fashion.

Now is the time to shift this legacy into a new possibility. It’s time to reflect on the essential needs of our households. What good are Jordan’s if you can go outside in quarantine? What value is a Gucci belt or a Balenciaga if there is nowhere to showcase them? What is valuable for all our communities is internet access. What is valuable in our homes is a computer for each child (depending on age).

Not enough to shift your thoughts? Think about this. Grocery store clerks, mail delivery personnel, nurses, and teachers are at the top of the food chain right now. They are our number one support systems. We pay athletes millions of dollars a year and can’t pay people a living minimum wage, and these same people are putting their lives on the line for us every day during this pandemic. (Shoutout to all athletes doing their part to ensure those who support them get paid).

Reflect on your priorities. Work to give your children the best options for their future as best you can. There is no judgment or ill intent towards anyone; it’s only a challenge for us all to re-evaluate what really matters. I am sure the Jordan Brand would say the same. Either way, we can change the paradigm and look good while doing so.