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In 2020, progressives rode a wave of righteous anger toward what many believed would be decisive and lasting change. The pandemic ensured a captive audience; America could no longer look away.

So why did a year that saw the largest combined protests in the history of this country fail to deliver substantive change, let alone the radical shift progressives were banking on?

Essayist and author Freddie deBoer parses these disappointments in his 2023 book, “How Elites Ate the Social Justice Movement.”  

“People didn't appear to want to confront the fact that nothing of substance happened and were eager to just move on,” deBoer said of his motivations for writing the book. “I said it’s really important we think about this… I wanted to force that conversation.”