What Comes After COVID-19?

One month ago, the Santa Barbara Independent emailed a simple survey to more than 100 of the region’s top thinkers, leaders, and visionaries, from academics to artists and politicians to entrepreneurs.

Noting that it was far too early for much more than pure speculation in this unprecedentedly uncertain era, we asked three things: What they believed would happen when the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, what they hoped would result, and what they most feared. More than three dozen responded, delivering insightful thoughts on the future to be.

In just four weeks — a calendrically short yet experientially long stretch — much has changed for the United States and the world at large. Protests surrounding the Minneapolis police suffocation of George Floyd have gripped our collective attention, pushing pandemic realities a bit to the back burner, even as the virus continues to kill many around the globe.