Items

• 
  2020-02-23

  Social Justice Call

  The COVID-19 pandemic has not stopped millions of people around the world from taking to the streets and organizing collectively against oppression and racism. Advocates, protestors, leaders and supporters from all backgrounds and walks of life are fighting many fronts to establish lasting social change, despite the dangers and rising infection rates. These are historical movements within a historical moment- how are you fighting for social justice during this pandemic? And how has the pandemic affected your fight for social justice? Your contribution to the archives will ensure these battles and their ideology are preserved for future generations. Your stories are valuable, and we hope that you will share them. Share your story here. Your voice will be archived alongside other stories of resilience and social justice efforts. To make your story more visible, include the hashtag #SocialJustice with your description. Questions? Email Dana Lee Bell for more information. The link to submit is https://covid-19archive.org/s/archive/page/Share
• 
  2021-02-18

  Vaccine-gate in Peru

  Peru's president, wife, and other well-connected politicians were getting the COVID-19 vaccine back in October, provided by the Chinese company Sinopharm. The vaccines were distributed before the vaccine was publically available, and some high-level officials have resigned.
• 2021-02-19

  Looking back at 2020 - A COVID 19 infested year

  As a student in my last semester in Brooklyn college, I was looking forward to an easy semester with electives since I was done with all of my major classes. However, a downfall for me was that there was a very interesting internship which I wanted to proceed with but couldn’t because the program was no longer available because of budget issues that were caused by the corona virus. This internship was going to provide me with an insight of what my career will look like but that never happened. As an employee of the city of New York, I was still required to work in some form. For example, instead of coming to work physically we transformed our workplace to “zoom” meeting where our work would be done in 2-4 hours and we would still get paid for 8 hours. I saw this as an opportunity to take advantage of since I heard other employees who requested to still show up physically and were dropping like flies with the corona virus, one after another. However, mid-year, around June or July, employees were required to help out in other agencies such as the 311 center because of the increase of food shortages and other aid citizens needed. Eventually, in September we were allowed to go back to work physically – something I was looking forward to since I was more comfortable being where I knew the place and the people. Mentally and physically, COVID 19 prevented me and many others from staying physically active which led to me gaining unhealthy weight. It was a nonstop binge of eating and just sitting down. Granted, there were opportunities to go out for a walk or work out in the park – but those were chances that I wasn’t going to take because I knew I have a mother with underlying conditions which I had to do everything to prevent her from getting the virus. One thing that I did learn to do during these times is to cut and trim my own hair. Also, this was a perfect time for me to enhance my skills in freehand sketching since thats something I'm good at. Nevertheless, COVID 19 was an experience like no other that everyone had to grow through, and we continue to just learn and grow from it.
• 
  2020-08-05

  Social Justice and Public Health in 2020

  From the article: The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the spread of the novel coronavirus, has created an unexpected and unprecedented lifestyle shift for many people across the globe. Several months into the pandemic, the public has been exposed to a number of issues they might not have previously considered or thought possible, from hospitals rapidly reaching capacity and the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) to the mental and social challenges of physical distancing and being quarantined.
• 
  2020-04-17

  COVID-19 and Social Justice

  From the article: The COVID-19 pandemic is a health and mental health crisis, to be sure. But it is also a crisis of social injustice, inequitably affecting vulnerable and marginalized populations that include, among others, individuals who earn low incomes, or are incarcerated, homeless, in foster care, over 65 (especially those in long-term care facilities), people of color, or undocumented. Social work practitioners, educators, and policy makers are working to address the needs of these populations despite the unpredictability of the virus’s secondary impact on systems.
• 
  2020-11-10

  Sustainable Finance Addresses Social Justice As COVID-19 Raises The Stakes

  From the article: Economic shocks from the pandemic have widened existing inequities around the world, leading to calls for greater social justice in dealing with this health threat. Poorer people, minorities, and women are suffering disproportionately from growing health, housing, income, and education gaps under measures to contain COVID-19 that could set them back for years to come. To fund programs to address the problem, governments, supranationals, and corporations, among others, have accelerated issuance of sustainable instruments--including social bonds, where issuance jumped nearly four times so far this year to US$71.9 billion from the 2019 level. We think the sustainable debt market, partly because of the rapid rise in social bond issuance, could exceed $500 billion this year.
• 
  2021

  Center for the Study of Racism, Social Justice & Health

  COVID-19 TASK FORCE ON RACISM & EQUITY. The site looks at the science and humanity behind the Covid-19 Pandemic through a social justice lens.
• 
  2020-10-23

  Social justice as a foundation for democracy and health

  From article: Jennifer Prah Ruger uses the covid-19 pandemic to show the importance of countries implementing a justice framework for health and equality. This article is part of a collection launched at the World Health Summit, 25-27 October 2020, Berlin, Germany. Funding for the articles, including open access fees, was provided by a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies to the Council on Foreign Relations, support from the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung to the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
• 
  2020

  COVID-19 - Racial Equity and Social Justice Resources

  The Fundamental Equity Tools website has resources and tools for people looking to get involved with social justice issues surrounding Covid-19.
• 
  2020-05-15

  Why Covid-19 is a Social Justice Issue

  From the article: People are like gardens: they require the right seeds to be planted, watered and nurtured in order to grow, but if neglected, will never produce the full harvest of their potential. For decades, Black people have been starved of the investments, the systems of care and quality environments that are needed for sustained, healthy growth and development as a people. For even a rose, as the writer Nikki Giovanni reminds us, can bloom from the concrete, if we give it the resources, care and love it deserves.
• 
  2021-01-07

  How the Pandemic Has Affected Refugees

  In this episode, we at the Podcast of the Plague Year were granted the opportunity to record interviews with two organizations assisting refugees that have been relocated to Arizona- RICE and Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest. Refugees are those who have been forced to flee their country because of a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, or political opinion. Almost 3 quarters of a million refugees have been resettled in the United States since 2008; they often come with very little resources to begin life anew once resettled. Life for refugees during resettlement comes with hope, but also with struggles to learn a new language, navigate new employment and educational systems and integrate into a new society. It is easy to imagine how a pandemic could intensify already existing struggles.
• 2020-09

  Socially Separated Sandwiches

  During the fall of 2020, a local homeless shelter was unable to offer beds to people in need during the COVID pandemic due to space and resource restrictions. It was hard to witness these organizations meant to help people also need extra love and help during the pandemic whether it be for medical, physical, or financial reasons. In response to the need, my church was able to step up to make sandwiches that the shelter could hand out to the people living on the streets that they were unable to serve at the time. We wore masks, took extra safety precautions, and socially distanced in an assembly style line outside in the church parking lot where we made packages of chips and sandwiches. While working together to make the sandwiches for the homeless shelter, I was reminded that we are still a community even when we cannot be together in the same ways we were before the pandemic. Finding pockets of community in the turbulent pandemic has been a blessing and chance for me to truly appreciate those around me and think of different ways that I can reach out to the community and be a part of it despite the circumstances. Distance did not have to mean silence and stillness. People were able to help in any way possible. If they were unable to help make the sandwiches, they prayed for the mission or donated money for the supplies. People shared what they could and came together when it mattered the most. This story highlights how even in times where we stayed apart to remain safe, we were still able to come together in another way to support each other. Communities didn't have to disappear during the pandemic, and this is just one example of their power to persevere in dark times.
• 
  2021-02-15

  Black Lives Matter Protests Across Canada

  This is a collage of the various BLM protests across Canada from the summer of 2020. The images are (top row, left to right): Toronto, Chatham, Vancouver, Calgary and (bottom row, left to right): Montreal, Ottawa, Halifax
• 
  2021-02-12

  HERMIT HERALD, ISSUE 100

  IMPEACHMENT TRIAL, CONSTITUTIONALITY?
• 
  2021-01-31

  HERMIT HERALD, ISSUE 97

  San Francisco school board erases school names
• 
  2021-01-24

  HERMIT HERALD, ISSUE 95

  REPUBLICAN INTRAPARTY PROBLEMS
• 
  2021-01-22

  HERMIT HERALD, ISSUE 94

  Biden as the great unifier?
• 
  2020-03-15

  Quarantine vs. A Budding College Student

  When I first heard of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was entering my third quarter of my senior year at Berks Catholic High School. I initially took this as an extended Easter break, finding what opportunities I could find before my inevitable return to school. Except I didn't return to school, no student did. I actually visited Duquesne University to find out more information on March 13th as students were moving out; nothing could prepare us for what was to come of this pandemic. During the last two weeks of March I did as any teenager would do during an extending break off school- absolute shenanigans. I got extremely into urban exploration (essentially exploring abandoned buildings) and loved finding these forgotten pieces of history around Pennsylvania. My friends and I would often go to the local skatepark and make acquaintance with fourteen-year-old teenage boys, as we hardly knew how to skate. About a week after the beginning of this break, I decided the best course of action would be to visit my friend Parker who lives on the other side of Pennsylvania. After driving four hours across the state, we began our beautiful adventure. From hiking, exploring abandoned places, and almost getting arrested, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Western Pennsylvania. Following this, I had the opportunity to pick up my now-girlfriend and take her across state lines to Maryland. She had never tried Wawa, which I deemed an indescribable experience and finding out the closest one was in Maryland, of course I decided that going there past midnight was the best decision. It was probably the best decision I had made all year as I am still with her, even through this pandemic. Returning home I had received the news that we were not to return to school. This sent me into a very confused mindset as I was unsure of what was to come. Then came spirals of misinformation and political divide of what this virus truly was. This was no help to the nation, let alone those of us at home who had no control over what was going on. It was April now, online school had begun for my high school- I did not attend a singular zoom class. A little over a month had passed and the nation came under racial turmoil after the killing of George Floyd. I was a supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement and had attending multiple protests. The most notable of these protests came to be the "D.C. Blackout". The night of May 31st, 2020 was that like none-other. I contacted my friend from Harrisburg earlier that day and asked her if she would travel to D.C. with me to participate in the protest; we had no idea what we were going into. We arrived in the D.C. area around 9:30 that evening, what turned to a night of complete anarchy. I have never seen or felt anything like I did that night and do not have the necessary words to describe what truly happened that night, or how some of the protesters that were arrested are still missing to this day. Three days following the blackout, I graduated high school. This was not your typical high school graduation with a huge ceremony filled with friends and relatives; this was a drive through by homeroom. Quite anticlimactic if you ask me. My life continued on after this and I now find myself in the midst of my spring semester at Duquesne University (pandemic still occurring of course). Mere words can not describe the true feelings and experiences I have gone through in the past year, I just ask that eventually this country ties up its loose ends.
• 2021-02-11

  Zoom Birthday "party"

  For this journal entry I plan to discuss the changes this pandemic is bringing to children and parents, and continue to discuss how their voices are silenced in this archive. My son’s sixth birthday was the other day, and I decided to host a Zoom get-together for him with his closest friends from school. It was awkward for me to text some moms I have not seen in ages because we do not go to the park anymore for play dates. This group of moms and kids would meet up on Fridays at this park the kids fondly called the “fish park” because it had a play structure with a big fish designed into it. The group got to be quite large at the beginning of 2020 with around eight families participating. As I write this, I am feeling very sad and missing those days when we were all together. We often would each bring something to snack on and share as a group. We were all there to help each other and of course socialize. It was a nice social group. It was also a friendship formed based on our children’s connection to each other. So, when the pandemic hit and play dates were out of the question, some of us drifted apart for a while. I remember when we first started learning about COVID-19, this was the hot topic of discussion in our Friday meetups. We debated and discussed and worried. They all thought I was crazy, I am sure, for going out and stocking up on food back in February because an official from the CDC told people to even back then. Later, they started to realize I was right and followed my lead before it was too late and the grocery stores started emptying out. Four of us formed a text group and have kept in almost daily contact with each other this last year. A lot of our conversation is supportive while we try to get through these challenging times as moms of small children. We share our worries and fears. We share our joys and survival tips. There have been lots of laughs, too. It has been a blessing to have this support group this year. We even met up in a park one Sunday morning last fall and spent the morning catching up. We were of course masked and sitting in chairs well over six feet apart. All these moms have made the same decision to keep their children at home. One mom decided to home school her children because she could not get adequate resourcing for her son who has autism and as a former teacher, she decided to take it on herself. Being online for school has been especially hard for children on the spectrum, I have been told by a few moms with children who are, because mainly their routine is messed up. Two of us have our children in the flex program and one moved hers to a new completely online school our district created to serve families during the pandemic. The flex program was for parents who are wishy washy on deciding whether to send their kids back to school. It is for us parents who were too scared to send their kids back so early (and had the privilege to keep them home) and optimistic that the virus would fade away enough and our kids could return relatively safe. It is not looking good that our children will return at all this year. Every quarter we say, oh maybe next quarter, and then the virus spreads in our community and the numbers tick up and we keep them home again. Anyway, the point is that my two kids have been home this entire time, almost a year, out of a brick-and-mortar school and not socializing with other kids in person. It has been very hard for them. They miss seeing their friends desperately. Obviously, a birthday party was out of the question so I decided to set up a Zoom “party” for my son yesterday to celebrate his birthday and so he could see his friends’ faces for a little bit. It did not work well. First off, I muted everyone to announce the plans and then could not figure out how to unmute everyone and that lead to tears and frustration. Kids kept leaving and coming back. Some would not participate in the games I tried to arrange. We played charades, would you rather, and did a little scavenger hunt by sending them to find objects of the various colors of the rainbow. My kids were not having it. My son was out of sorts which is not like him, and my daughter was so upset with me because I would not let her interrupt the games to play a video from her screen. So, she was pouting, and my son was pouting for some unknown reason. I think he was overwhelmed and just fatigued by it all. This is not what he wanted for a birthday party; I am sure. But I tried. I did the best I could with the circumstances, and I know some of the kids had fun even if the birthday boy did not. The bottom-line is that Zoom birthday parties are hard—harder to facilitate than in-person birthdays and wow do I give props to teachers who are doing this every single day. My son’s kindergarten teacher makes it look so easy! But I know it is not. I already had tremendous respect for teachers, but my respect has grown even more after this experience. I am very thankful for all they do for our children. They should be honored. The problem with this archive is the potential for silences. As I discussed last week, children will be silenced in this archive unless an adult writes their experiences for them. I am writing this story about this Zoom party for the archive and it is getting included, but it is still from my perspective. My son is not sharing what he felt during the party and how he has felt this year collectively. We may never know what he was thinking during the party because little kids move on and forget. At the very least though I have shared this experience from my point-of-view, which I am sure is a replication of thousands of parents and children’s experiences all over the world—at least the ones who have access to the internet and Zoom.
• 2020-12-02

  Theatre Workshop presents: The Essential Bronx - COVID Stories, Part 1

  We have preserved in this short film a selection of Theatre Workshop students' authentic experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and we want to share these stories with you.
• 
  2021-02-05

  Reducing Jail Sentences for Inmates with Preexisting Health Conditions

  The study conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice (BCJ) found that prisons, jails, and detention facilities are rushing to make an effort to release unnecessarily incarcerated people to improve healthcare and conditions of confinement for the remaining inmate population. As part of a larger project to end mass incarceration, the BCJ analyzed the unique health challenges posed by the inmate population both 65 and older, as well as those with preexisting medical conditions. "Brennan Center Recommendation: Elderly and sick people and those incarcerated for parole violations should be released or recommended for release under compassionate release provisions or another authority. Barring that, prison officials should use their discretion to transfer people to community corrections options."
• 
  2021-02-07

  Canada's LGBTQ+ Community Struggles with Housing & Health (On Top of the Discrimination)

  Unfortunately, the LGBTQ+ community is no stranger to discrimination. From school, to work, to finding a safe place to stay. We have heard about campuses closing due to the pandemic, and thus left many in the community to reevaluate their housing options. Some have had to return to their family home, despite some of those homes being less than accepting of them. With everyone concerned over their health, it is only right to allow everyone to feel safe where they live, too. However, this does not only affect the youth populations. The older members of the community have also been struggling with housing and healthcare. As one of the linked articles wrote, there is a lack of data collection regarding the LGBTQ+ populations. Their needs and concerns cannot be tackled with if the data were never there to begin with. It seems to go downhill from here as health concerns increase while their mental health deteriorates. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-the-struggles-faced-by-lgbtq-youth-during-covid-19-lockdowns/ https://theconversation.com/lgbtq-canadian-baby-boomers-in-need-of-safer-housing-in-senior-years-151827 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/pandemic-mental-health-lgbtq-youth-1.5897660
• 
  2021-01-21

  Nearly 1 in 5 Defendants in Capitol Riot Cases Served in the Military

  The article discusses the Capitol riots and the veterans who participated in them, as well as recent extremist behavior within the military and the government's response.
• 
  2021-01-07

  As the pandemic puts strain on LGBTQ youth mental health, here's some advice

  A news article discussing the mental struggles of the LGBTQ+ youth, and how quarantine is negatively affecting their health, as well as some helpful tips.
• 
  2021-02-07

  Supporting Children with ADHD During A Pandemic

  ADHD is thankfully not as new of a topic to talk about, but I cannot deny that the stigma against mental health still exists today. While thinking about how so many children are now spending a year and an uncertain future indoors, learning from home, and some unable to grasp why, I thought about those with ADHD. A person’s home is supposed to be associated with comfort and otherwise relaxation from a day at out in the world – at school and work for guardians. Associations can be very powerful, and it can be rather disruptive for children with this big of a change. Half a child’s day is typically dedicated to academics and social connections and is especially important for children in their formative years. Due to the pandemic, they have been pulled from that environment they have already associated with learning, friends, and routine. The links provide some assistance for guardians who may be struggling with their child(ren), especially those diagnosed with ADHD. Concentration and routine seem to be the biggest obstacles, so I do hope the strategies provided may be of help to guardians and their dependents. https://childmind.org/article/giving-kids-with-adhd-support-and-structure-during-the-coronavirus-crisis/ https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/ADHD-and-Learning-During-COVID-19.aspx https://chadd.org/adhd-and-covid-19/
• 2021-01-22

  Prisoner Vaccinations

  Prisoners are currently at the top of the list to receive the COVID-19 vaccine with outcry from the public. People believe that prisoners should not be receiving the vaccine and are upset that they are ahead of those who they deem more "deserving." One reason prisoners are getting the vaccine ahead of others is that they have a communal living situation and cannot socially distance which is a stipulation stated in phase 1 of the vaccine distribution. The outrage further reveals people don't view prisoners as human or even deserving of basic human rights or decency. It is also interesting that there isn't as much public outcry over politicians who downplayed the vaccine or elders who may not have been adhering to COVID guidelines receiving the vaccine first.
• 
  2020-09-29

  Pandemic Highlights Deep-Rooted Problems in Indian Health Service

  This article illuminates the lack of resources the Indian Health Service (IHS) received from the government to treat its tribal members who contract COVID-19. The IHS blames the Federal government and both current and past presidential administrations for creating the massive deficiencies in ventilators, PPE, hospital beds, and funding for government-run hospitals. This piece provides an example of how COVID-19 highlights the continued healthcare inequalities between non-tribal and tribal communities, thus making it important to contribute to the JOTPY archive.
• 
  2021-01-04

  Fast Rollout of Virus Vaccine Trials Reveals Tribal Distrust

  This article discusses why the Navajo Nation is hesitant to participate in the COVID-19 vaccine trials. Although Navajo leaders approved members to participate in the trial, tribal members have expressed extreme hesitation due to lack of informed consent in past experimental trials or the unethical use of tribal medical samples for other experiments. It is important to include this piece in the JOTPY archive as it documents a COVID-19 example of the distrust tribes have held towards the government since the colonization of their lands over the past several centuries.
• 
  2021-01-16

  An Eco-Socialist model for fixing the COVID-19 crisis

  Rob Wallace, an evolutionary epidemiologist with the Agroecology and Rural Economics Research Corps, reflects on the state of the US's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He lists a set of demands, per se, that outline how focusing on an environmental ethic based on the principle of meeting the needs of each person can provide a way out of the pandemic.
• 
  2021-02-07

  Hungry in a Pandemic - Food Banks

  The numbers of people with food insecurities in 2020 include some scary statistics. The BBC wrote that one in eight Americans didn’t have enough food in the month of November, 2020. Feeding America said one in every six Americans would face food insecurity. Some people are getting creative, like a food bank in Illinois that started out online, providing a sort of online grocery shopping, but for free. Hunger has been a world-wide problem for a long time, and is something I would like to see ended in my life time. However, during this pandemic, when many more people began facing economic hardships, we see different outcomes. Some people are trying to make changes and help more vulnerable people, like some of the stories you can find on foodbanknews.org. Unfortunately, there are still many people facing the fact that they do not know when their next meal will come from. It isn’t a food problem, it is a society problem.
• 
  2021-02-07

  Homelessness During a Pandemic

  A population that gets put last for many things is not going to be completely last for the COVID vaccine. Each individual US state is in charge of the vaccine distribution, but some states, like Connecticut for example, have homeless shelters and similar places under the “congregate settings” part of the vaccine rollout, typically in the first few phases. The homeless population is far too high in the US, and during the COVID pandemic, not much more than the bare minimum has been done. The CDC and many other health organizations have the homeless and other vulnerable populations written into the big picture, with guides and recourses for cities and governments. However, these vulnerable populations are high risk during this pandemic. Food banks have seen a major rise in 2020 as more people are facing economic hardships. Attached are a few related articles. While there are some people working tirelessly to improve the homeless situation in the US, more needs to be done. The articles give a glimpse into the various aspects of the homeless crisis in America, and how we are trying to help during the pandemic, but simultaneously not doing enough.
• 2021-02-03

  Canada labels the Proud Boys, neo-Nazi groups as terrorists

  I’m mainly sharing this article for posterity; it was published on the day when the Canadian parliament listed the Proud boys and 13 other white supremacist/Nazi organizations as terrorist groups throughout Canada. For me, this is a positive development in my country; yet it shouldn’t have taken this long, nor should it of needed a coup attempt on the U.S. government to occur in the first place. This relates to the social justice collection mainly that it is an example of the state actually taking action against white supremacy (for a change), largely this is the result of Jagmeet Singh, the NDP and Canadians who voiced their fears and concerns regarding the effects of white supremacy, and the threat it poses to each and every one of us. I wanted to include this to demonstrate the effects of the January 6th coup on Canadian politics and society; it should also be interesting that Canada is the first country to label the Proud Boys as a terrorist organization.
• 
  2021-02-05

  The Inhumanity of Zoom

  With the increase in teleworking due to the pandemic has come an increase in Zoom meetings. These meetings have proven to be almost inhumane in my mind, as it's very difficult to communicate with others without nonverbal cues and people use the impersonal nature of communicating over a screen rather than in person to be pushy, rude, and self-absorbed. Although the pandemic will end one day, Zoom meetings will probably still be prevalent and lessons must be learned about how to make these meetings polite, uplifting, and productive.
• 
  2021

  CRSJ COVID-19 Series

  The American Bar Association is hosting a series of webinars on various social Justice issues and how they relate to Covid-19. Webinars include: Pandemic Trials: Defending Criminal Clients During COVID-19. New Jersey COVID-19 Jail Release Agreement. Expanding Pretrial Release in the Age of COVID-19. Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on African Americans and Communities of Color. COVID-19 and the Compassionate Release of the Elderly, Infirm or High Risk. Reentry Planning for COVID-19 Releases. Issues Affecting Native American Communities During the COVID-19 Crisis. COVID-19 and Child Welfare Cases. Coronavirus: Homeless Community Adverse Impact from Eviction & Lack of Safe Housing. Public Health Measures In Response to COVID-19 (CLE), Lessons from Past Disasters: Criminal Justice Response to COVID-19. COVID-19: Threats to Democracy and to Public Safety Through the Lens of the Asian American Experience. Religious Freedom Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Disability Discrimination in the Rationing of Life Saving COVID Treatment: Who Gets Left Behind? This is not the full list.
• 
  2020

  Community Connections: addressing food scarcity in Sacramento, California

  This website is a rallying point for Community Connections 95820, a community organization that works to provide food to families in need in the South Oak Park neighborhood of Sacramento, California. This organization is picking up where food banks are leaving off as many of the food banks in this neighborhood have closed due to the pandemic, and families have been lacking food for a variety of reasons. This highlights food scarcity issues during the pandemic and efforts of community members to make sure their neighbors are still able to get food. The “About Us” page says Community Connections was inspired by a project called Invisible Hands, in New York City. Community Connections highlights their commitment to safety, dignity, and anonymity for the families, sponsors, and volunteers.
• 
  2020-10-28

  How this year’s antiracism protests differ from past social justice movements

  This interview with Peniel Joseph compares the protests of the past with current social justice movements. He also discusses current statistics and public opinion. He views this as an opportunity to achieve real change.
• 
  2020-09-03

  How social justice protests could affect the 2020 election

  This article by Jenesse Miller looks at the campaign strategies of Joe Biden and Donald Trump as the social justice protests occur in the wake of police brutality. From the article, "Both Biden and Trump made plans to visit Kenosha in the wake of the civil unrest in that city. Trump toured businesses that had been damaged during riots and praised law enforcement, while Biden’s campaign announced he would hold a community meeting and speak with the family of Blake, who was shot seven times by police. Each candidate’s actions were carefully choreographed to appeal to specific voters among their respective bases of support, but will their plans work?"
• 
  2020-08-03

  Navigating A Pandemic And A Social Justice Movement In The Workplace

  Contributor Manon DeFelice interviews Melanie Collins, Vice President and Global Head of People at Dropbox about diversity and inclusion in the workplace, companies making a stand and following through, employee mental health, and what it means to be an ally. The article looks at the Black Lives Matter movement and what a company like Dropbox is doing as an ally to change many social issues facing communities of color today.
• 
  2020-10-30

  Race and social justice in the 2020 presidential election

  In the interview, Rashawn Ray discussing race and voter suppression. He discusses the history of voter suppression and how it can be used against various communities of color and how it is being used today. He also discusses the many ways this practice affects communities and our country as a whole.
• 
  2020-07-17

  The new social justice movement feels different. That’s because it is.

  Politico looks at the social justice movements today in comparison to the Civil Rights Movements of the 1960's. For one, there are no clear leaders of the modern day social justice movements and there is less of a desire for political collaboration on issues today. The video shows movements present and why this movement is different than those of the past.
• 
  2020-12-10

  Movements & Memes: How The Struggle For Social Justice Shaped 2020

  Elly Belle refers to the year 2020 as a year of reckoning for North America. There are no better words to describe 2020. It was also a year of progress in spite of so much adversity. In the article Elly Belle seems hopeful saying, " The organizing and calls for justice that have taken place have provided the necessary framework that will influence work for decades to come — marking lasting changes in conscience beyond the ballot box. In turn, those who helped to secure food and housing for people, to hold police accountable, and transform what social services are funded will continue to push for meaningful, material change in the new year. From all that happened in 2020 alone, it's certain they’ll continue shaping conversations and movements in pivotal ways we haven't yet imagined."
• 
  2020-12-21

  A look at powerful social justice moments this year

  Many photographs in this article show a beautiful moment within the context of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Some photographs show other events marked by the year 2020 such as the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the anniversary of women having the right to vote. If anything, 2020 was the most volatile year most of us have ever witnessed in our lives.
• 
  2020-03-16

  9 Biggest Social Justice Issues of 2020

  This advertisement/article discusses nine different social justice issues North America is facing: voting rights, climate justice, healthcare, refugee crisis, racial injustice, income gap, gun violence, hunger, food insecurity, equality and how the Yeshiva University located in New York can help prepare people for the social work that can improve these issues. The article talks about how access to vital treatment during Covid-19 has impacted communities.
• 2021-02-01

  Statistics

  The statistics of Covid 19 are rather astonishing. Over 3.12 million people across the world have died of the virus. Roughly 10% of the world has had Covid 19 at one time. It is crazy to me that that many people have been affected by it. I don't know anyone that has been affected by it. I don't know how. Everyone I knows life changed through Covid whether it was being trapped at home for months on end, or maybe not being able to go to school, or losing a job. I have gone through some of these personally, but overall nothing bad has happened to me.
• 2021-01-31

  Volunteering Breaks Hearts

  I volunteered at one of the County’s vaccination clinics last week. The health department ramped up their vaccination schedule, and we saw nearly 50% more traffic than the week prior, which was already 30% above its projections. Many of the folks over 65 (group 1C) here in Tucson are going up to Phoenix to be vaccinated as local health officials are still working their way through the 75+ crowd (Group 1B1). It has been both heartbreaking and frustrating that about a third of the vehicle occupants beg and plead for some special exemption for a family member who’s with them. Despite not yet being entitled to be vaccinated themselves, they hope someone lets them cut in line. Everyone has a special need and a special, unique circumstance that should enable them to jump ahead of their neighbors, and the selfishness of it agitates one of my few prejudices, especially when they don't take the initial 'no' for an answer. The public is so terrified, and many seem to fear they won’t manage to avoid illness in the coming weeks despite having done so for ten months now. It hurts my heart to see their suffering, to hear their fear and anxiety, to have to turn them away, and to know they’re asking for special treatment that might deny the delivery of vaccines to the most vulnerable populations. The hardest part has been, though, the number of elderly folks entitled to be vaccinated who can't navigate the online portal to get an appointment. The current vaccines are stored so cold that we can't deviate from the allotted appointments, but every day brings in elderly people who can't function in a digital world. The county can't spare personnel to offer immediate and realistic registration help to them, and many have complained of waiting on the phone for hours, only to have the county phone line hang up on them. The situation makes me want to find their grandchildren and ask why they don't give a damn about helping their grandparents. I also found out last night our organization's portion of the operation is winding down, and I do not expect to again be able to help facilitate vaccinations in my community. With time and eventual immunization, I hope to find other ways to serve my neighbors.
• 
  2021-01-29

  A different kind of anti-mask rally

  This post is pretty important to me, in a lot of ways, mainly because of the fear it’s evoked in me, or anger, both probably. This is an advertisement for the ‘Walk for Freedom’ event, to take place outside the legislature building of Edmonton, in Alberta. This is supposedly an anti-mask, anti-lockdown movement however it would be incorrect to assume that this movement only had once face. In reality, the Albertan anti-mask movement has large components of white-supremacists, fascists, Nazis who have been seen at several previous anti-mask rallies throughout the province. During these events, local businesses which enforce social distancing, those with masks and reportedly visible minorities are subjected to verbal and physical abuse. Organizations such as the Proud Boys, The Sons of Odin are all present at these events and eagerly recruit pandemic skeptics into their groups by binding the cause of ‘freedom’ to that of bigotry and hatred. I know my description of this event seems bad enough, and may have your head scratching with how I’m essentially saying this rally is going to be full of neo-Nazi’s and white supremacists, but I just want to point out the most glaring issue present within this advertisement. Those people marching, that photo is from the ‘Unite the Right’ march in Charlottesville in 2017, they actively chose that image – and the historic fascist imagery of a torch march to be the face of their movement. Essentially, this isn’t very tongue and cheek anymore; there is going to be a fascist march on my province’s capitol. Already, counter-protestors are organizing to show up and face these people in the streets. It’s even more concerning when police and governmental figures are not saying a word about this march, we have no idea if they’re prepared for what’s supposed to come. I could go on for pages, but, I’m just scared. Alberta desperately wants to be like its southern neighbor, we elected a man who markets himself as a fiscal conservative in the shadow of Donald Trump, who has a history of advocating for restrictive policies directed towards the LGTBQ+ community and we had people take to the streets as the American capitol was stormed. They were waving American flags and thin blue line American flags, it’s just insanity, I don’t understand these people. I’m adding this to the archive because I just want to try and illustrate the tone of politics in Alberta, in regards to our pandemic skeptics. From my perspective, the anti-mask movements down in the states appear to be relatively simple, entitled and ignorant people marching for their ‘rights,’ mistaking inconvenience for oppression, I’m aware there is also a stark politicization of masks down in the States. However, here there’s a more sinister tone to it – it’s become embroiled in conspiracies of a ‘great reset’, anti-Semitism and infiltrated by organized Fascist movements to gain larger bases. I feel as if I’m rambling, but there’s just so much to say – I hope it doesn’t turn into anything as similar as America’s January 6th or Charlottesville, I hope people don’t show up.
• 
  2021-01-29

  A summery of the beginning of Covid- 19

  A lot happened in the first weeks of quarantine. We adjusted to a new way of life at home. We developed countless memes, and binged many hours of Netflix. We were in a dark hour, and so many of us teamed up to pull through. We dusted off the old tambourine to celebrate the healthcare workers on the front lines, risking their lives for us. We started organizations to feed the hungry, and made masks from everything short of the computers we used to stay connected. And connected we were in a way we have never seen before. We had virtual reunions, lessons, and dinner parties. There were ups and downs, and swerves off the beaten path. We marched for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and all the other black lives that were being ended every day. We fought to overcome the stigma that surrounded the Chinese, for being dealt the hand of the virus first. There have been so many Instagram posts, Tik Toks, and Tweets. We ran out of toilet paper. We developed vaccines, with others on the way, and we are distributing more and more every day. Although COVID- 19 has taken so many lives, eventually, with hard work we will beat it.
• 2021-01-28

  Statistics

  There are 2.16M people who. Died from covid world wide out of 100M cases. Almost everyone knows someone who got it. They got a vaccine now which is good to stop covid. In my state alone there are 38,927 deaths. I hope that the end of covid is near although covid is spiking right now but they say it is just because of the holidays. And it is slowly going down. If the vasine works we should be back to normal after sumer. I am not very scared of getting it because mostly only old or unhealthy people die from it.
• 2021-01-27

  Analyzing a water usage during COVID article

  The Pacific Institute Article is here (in the document this was the link but ill just give the actual URL below)!! “As many people have put together a water shortage is happening because of COVID. This is because so many more people are using longer showers and stuff while they stay home as they are uncomfortable doing their business outside of home. In Portsmouth, England water demand increased by 15% throughout the past 10 months. Here in SF water demand for residential blocks gained 10% whilst decreasing by over 30% everywhere else. There are also many other facts given other than Portsmouth and SF.” Is the main info the article is given through a very stately manner. This article also likes using numbers which I like about it giving facts instead of something they think. The article keeps circling back to utilities and is clearly meant for DIY workers instead of giving other info. It also heads sections unlike many other articles on other subtopics. This is actually quite useful if you need certain information like using the article much more as a source than most other articles. Even with all this I still think it is an article, not a list of instructions or facts.
• 
  2021-01-28

  clay mask

  this is a clay mask with we are fighting two pandemics coronavirus & stupidity