As the year comes to a close, we can (probably) agree on one thing: 2016 will not soon be forgotten. The world lost legends like David Bowie and Muhammad Ali, watched as athletes made history on the field and off, and put democracy under all the microscopes. But perhaps most notably, this year sent a message: Prepare to have some hard conversations.

In 2016, Medium became more than a platform — it became a place where people turned when it was time to have those hard conversations…