As we gathered on Zoom to begin this editorial, a typical COVID-19 experience unfolded. Working from our living rooms, kitchens, or closets (Eileen) we checked in as to how each of us was coping, knowing that we were navigating multiple responsibilities and uncertainties. Having assured ourselves that we were all “fine, really, okay,” we proceeded to get down to work, only to have Linda’s kids start vying for her attention because—of course—she’s not just trying to write an editorial, she’s also overseeing the online learning they are supposed to be doing. If we needed it, our shared experience was living proof of how the pandemic has impacted all of our—inevitably gendered—lives. All of us are trying to share our spaces with family members who are attempting to accomplish things in homes that were not designed for the purposes for which they are being tasked. And one of us is trying to do her work at the same time she’s overseeing the care, feeding, and education of two kids.

Little did we imagine when we crafted our call for articles for this special issue the profound disjuncture between “the before times” and our current surreal circumstances. The once taken-for-granted institutions in society—work, school, family, government—have been significantly disrupted due to the pandemic. More than ever, due to both the pandemic and the heightened salience of systemic racism, the problematic facets of existing institutions are now exposed. And the resulting inequities are stark. While research published in this issue was not born out of the context of multiple tumultuous global events, including COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter social justice movement, we recognize the unique opportunity we have in this editorial to speak to the current moment.