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Mediator is exactly
Black Voices
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2020-03-03
NAACP encourages continued use of masks
Everyone is so eager to get back to "normal". Everything is reopening, people are feeling safer, and politicians are being reckless. The NAACP and @DrChrisMD is urging people to continue to be safe and wear a mask. People commenting did not seem to think we need to worry anymore, maybe they are right. -
2021-02-01
Just 5 percent of vaccinations have gone to Black Americans, despite equity efforts
An article discussing how racial disparities can be viewed in regards to Black communities and the coronavirus. -
2021-02-05
Across The South, COVID-19 Vaccine Sites Missing From Black And Hispanic Neighborhoods
An article and short podcast discussing how difficult it is to get vaccinated in Black neighborhoods, mostly due to lack of vaccinations and locations. -
2021-02-18
COVID-19 has already cut U.S. life expectancy by a year. For Black Americans, it's worse
The article discusses how the coronavirus is affecting Americans, especially how communities of color are suffering disproportionately (especially in regards to Black Americans and their life expectancy). -
2021-02-28
CovidWhileBlack - A Twitter post about Housing Instability
The twitter page CovidWhileBlack shared a story, which I have linked, titled "COVID-19 Exposes the Black Community's Long History of Housing Instability." The struggle to keep a roof over one's head had been even more difficult through this pandemic, but even more so for many Black people. This article describes the shocking statistics of the inequalities. With many people losing their jobs, and with only 47% of the Black US population owning their own homes, the pandemic had caused many Black Americans to face evictions. These are sad statistics showing the state of inequality against Black citizens, especially during this pandemic. Real change needs to be made. -
2020-02-28
Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition Gives Vaccines to the Community
The Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition ended Black History Month by giving vaccines to the Black community. Unfortunately, the Black communities have not been treated fairly by the US medical system in the past. The fact that this Coalition and others like it even need to exist is a big red flag that the Black communities in the United States still have to fight for equal rights. It also says that during this pandemic especially, Black people have been effected disproportionately. -
2021-02-28
Building Trust in the Vaccine
When I was pregnant and going to birthing classes, I learned the terrifying rates of mortality for Black women giving birth. The numbers were horrifying, so there is no wonder to me why a high percentage of Black Americans do not plan on getting the COVID-19 vaccine. The American healthcare system has failed them. But a group of Black doctors are standing up to tell their communities that not taking the vaccine is to risk their life, and they deserve better. This video, shared to NowThisNews on twitter, describes what the doctors' message is and why it is so important. Black lives do matter, which is why these doctors are urging everyone to get the vaccine. The video states that more Black Americans have died from COVID than any other ethnic group. Hopefully, the vaccine will stop these deaths. -
2021-02
Vaccine Fears in the Black Community
This tweet is about the very real and valid fear that many black people have regarding the vaccine. The United States has a dark history of using black bodies for medical experimentation so it makes sense that this community would be wary of receiving vaccines for fear of them just being another medical experiment. This creates tension when paired with a mass push to vaccinate the whole nation and black peoples with very reasonable concerns against getting vaccinated. The goal now for black leaders is working to convince black people to still get vaccinated and trust this collective medical push. -
2021-02-27
Black history month art
This is a twitter account that makes art. This account decided for everyday of black history month they would create a different piece of art based on black history. This one specifically is day 27 and is the muses from Hercules. If you go through their twitter you can see many more fascinating pieces. I found this to be an interesting take on black history month and a very unique way to honor it as well. -
2021-02-28
Kimberly Anyadike
This is an instagram post made in dedication to black history month. This instagram posts just talks briefly about a woman named Kimberly Anyadike. Kimberly was the youngest female black pilot to fly across the United States. She went from California to Virgina and is now speaking across the country about her adventure to inspire others. -
2021-02-27
Phoenix Zoo & black history month
This is a Facebook post made by the Phoenix Zoo. In this post the Phoenix Zoo interviewed an African American zookeeper, specifically for the elephants, on her life journey becoming a keeper. It shows that black history month is important to the Phoenix Zoo and gives a different perspective on this occasion. -
2021-02-27
Housing Instability
This article discusses the way that housing instability has begun to disproportionately affect black people during COVID. Black people typically face a myriad of intersectional issues that come from a lack of resources or economic support. As people were being laid off at the start of COVID black people of course were disproportionately more affected which in turn can be seen in a lack of stable housing. This in turn serves to make black people more susceptible to catching and being more affected by the conditions created by the pandemic. Housing is an important issue that leads to other things like health and safety. This leads to cyclical poverty which is only made worse by racial positionality and the pandemic. -
2020-12
Black New Yorkers within the Pandemkic
The piece is detailing the real experience of Black New Yorkers specifically Black immigrants within the pandemic and the lack of governmental support afforded to these marginalized groups. -
2021-02-25
Disparities in Black Americans receiving the vaccine
As is common with many other facets of BIPOC receiving access to healthcare in westernized countries black people are falling behind their white counterparts in receiving the vaccine. Only 5.7% of black U.S. citizens have received the vaccine as compared to 11.3% of white U.S. citizens. The disparities reflect a general inability for black people to receive adequate care in the United States while white people are generally able to receive a higher level and more care. Vaccines are especially important with regard to COVID as it represents a path back to normal life. Black people are receiving the vaccine at a rate almost half of that of the next racial group. -
2021-02-16
"The Nation of Islam, Caring for the Black Body, and Vaccine Hesitancy"
The history of the Nation of Islam and its resistance to traditional American medical practices adds critical context to explain why some African Americans do not want to COVID vaccine. -
2021-02-22
"African/African Ancestry Health and Heritage Month Virtual Celebration: Black Family Day"
Repost via Twitter @COVID19Black. Santa Clara County Public Health is hosting a virtual celebration for Black Family Day on Sunday, February 28, 2021 (11:00 AM- 2:00 PM) zoom link provided: http://BIT.LY/FAMILY_DAY2021 -
2020-09-10
Documenting the Experiences of Black America during the COVID-19 Pandemic
This story, from the Harvard Gazette, features the work of two friends -Tracie Jones & Sarah DeMott- as they try to curate the experiences of black Americans during the coronavirus pandemic. Their collective effort resulted in Black America and COVID-19; a library guide that seeks to serve as a historical database for stories about the impact of the pandemic on African American communities. Information and material included in the database ranges from oral histories, podcasts, blogs, and links to webinars. -
2021-02-26
Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition's Holiday Social Distancing Message
This twitter post by the Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition features a video warning Boston's Black community not to gather with their families during the holiday season. It was also shown on television as a PSA announcement on a local news station. The video shows a family celebrating Christmas dinner with their grandmother, a group of children receiving gifts from their uncle, and a dining room decorated with lots of party decorations. These happy scenes are interrupted by the grandma vanishing (to represent her death from COVID), a child critically ill with COVID in the hospital, and a coffin sitting alone in a funeral home. These stark images are meant to remained the Black community of their vulnerability COVID deaths and encourage them to avoid meeting their families in an attempt to stop their community from getting COVID-19. This twitter post shows the self-activism of Black community by showing how it mobilized to create COVID warnings and resources to help their people be informed and to warn them of the dangers of becoming a source and recipient of the virus. -
2021-02-26
Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition's Message About the Importance of Masks in the Black Community
This twitter post by the Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition features a video explaining (interestingly with some subjectivity) the importance of wearing masks for the Black community in Boston Mass. It briefly explains the successful triumphs the U.S. African American community has had in fighting for their quote "civil rights" and "lives" and that they now cannot allow quote "the air" to kill their people and destroy their communities. A topic that came up in one of our weekly meetings a few weeks ago was the impact of "shame" on the behavior of people. This is exemplified by the elderly woman who stares disapprovingly at the young man who did not wear his mask. The subjective impression conveyed is that you should wear your mask because it is a shameful disregard for human life if you do not. This twitter post shows the efforts of the Black Community of Boston to raise awareness of the importance of mask use and shows the care and concern of the Black Boston community for its members. -
2021-02-26
Black Coalition Against COVID 19's Love Letter to Black America
This twitter post was featured on the Black Coalition Against COVID 19's twitter page. The video is a "Love Letter" to the United States black community and offers an affirming and reassuring statement of the African American medical and research community's commitment to the health, protection, and quote "survival" of their ethnicity. The video affirms that black medical staff will continue to fight for equality in healthcare while encouraging the black community to continue wearing masks, social distancing, avoiding holiday gatherings, and to participate in COVID-19 vaccine trials. The video is an uplifting example of the Black community's efforts to show their people that they will be heard, valued, protected and will overcome the virus. -
2021-02-19
‘Bet on you’: Brooklyn yarn shop owner spins childhood hobby into burgeoning business, empowering crafters of color
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Felicia Stenhouse Eve has seen business for her yarn store from around the world. Felica hopes her store, String Thing Studio, empowers Black crafters and entrepreneurs. -
2021-02-18
Black Doctors Consortium 24hr Philadelphia Vaxathon Feb 19 - Feb 20
The Black Doctors Consortium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania planned to administer vaccines at the Liacouras Center at Temple University. It was to last 24 hours from Feb 19 12PM to Feb 20 12PM. It aimed to serve those who "live[d] in the hardest hit zip codes." No appointments were necessary. The original poster, handle @dralastanford, posted a series of photographs that helped answer some of the most frequently asked questions. These included the zip codes they were aiming for. These zip codes were specifically chosen as African Americans had "more than 50% of [the] death[s] related to COVID-19." With so much confusion over the vaccine and how to get it, this organization tried to make it an easy process. They assured that there would be designated lines for those who pre-registered and those who didn't. -
2021-02-19
Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium’s 24-hour Walk-Up Vaccination Site @ The Liacouras Center
The original poster updated their social media feed (Twitter), in the form of a thread, about the vaccination site at the Liacouras Center at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The vaccines were administered by the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium (https://blackdoctorsconsortium.com/). The poster shared videos and photos of the people lining up to get their vaccines, which lasted hours. Since the mission was to get people vaccinated, there were some who had pre-registered for it. Unfortunately, even some of those people still had to wait a long time. It's really saddening to see how everyone waiting had to wait in freezing weather, and it seems that if they left for food, the restroom, or otherwise, their spot would just be taken. As written in the last screenshot, there were thousands of doses still left to give at that point, and they weren't sure how long it would take to do so. -
2021-02-22
Black history and the COVID-19 pandemic
Though 60 billion is kept aside by CARES act funding for minority and other underserved borrowers, black-owned businesses are having trouble accessing the government's emergency Paycheck Protection Program loans. The corona virus loan program set 10 million in loans per customers that could be turned in to grants depending on individual profiles. but since its launch much controversy developed as with in minutes funds ran out to well resourced companies. Baltimore cafe owner Terence Dickson reached out to every on he knows as he was on his on last couple hundred to keep the staff paid. He states that the " financial industry has shown me no love for 20 years". He believes that the system should be different. This shows how small black owned businesses have continued to struggle through the pandemic even though the availability of loans and grants are there; but its still unavailable to reach them . -
2021-02-22
Black history and the COVID-19 pandemic
This post shared on social media talks about how environmental, economic and political factors play key roles in the pandemic spread. Interestingly this article talks about the county Milwaukee, in which simply being black puts the life expectency down by 14 years. Dr. Camara Jones states in this article that "COVID is just unmasking the deep disinvestment in our communities, the historical injustices and the impact of residential segregation,”. As stated in the article, when mojority of black people in Milwaukee county went to near by hospitals when they felt they were in contact with the virus, they were sent home and died before the confirmation of the test came back. This shows how the pandemic is effecting black people. -
2021-02-22
Black history and the COVID-19 pandemic
This post tags an article titled "The Black Plague" which states that according to the Reuters report African Americans are more likely to die from Covid-19 than any other group in the U.S.. The article goes further in to explain the synopsis of affected and deaths of certain states but it importantly states that black people are more likely to have pre-existing health conditions that weaken their immune systems causing them to be easily infected. Though this is one reason why; other reasons including, as stated in the article "Trumpanian Malfeseance" is another major cause. With the testing locations around the U.S having major breakpoints, it was noted that zipcodes of higher-income families had the closest and many available sights of getting tested compared to zip codes with low-income families. Further studies showed that out of these lower-income locations, the majority was filled by black people. This limited the opportunity for black people to get tested and explains how the pandemic is affecting black people. -
2021-02-20
Vaccine Rollout Plans Are Actively Neglecting People of Color
“Vaccine hesitance among Black people is real but it is NOT the reason why only FIVE PERCENT of vaccinations have gone to the Black community.” This is what the original poster wrote in their social media caption on Instagram. Many people are justifiably concerned with the current vaccine rollout and accessibility. Multiple people have taken to their respective social media accounts on Twitter to voice their thoughts about it. Vaccine hesitancy was acknowledged by handle @dch1309 as one reason for people not getting vaccinated. However, it seems that this reason is being generalized throughout the entire POC population. In reality, folks like handle @allysonxgill had the impossible task of booking an appointment to get vaccines. Meanwhile, handle @m_jones490 shared their significant other’s experience with an already-booked appointment, yet the site still had organization issues. I think handle @claudiaalick wrote the core of what I want to say; “The United States must always blame Black people for their own suffering." From these multiple accounts, it’s clear to me that there seems to be an active mission the organizers (government) are on that keep people of color away from even the option of getting vaccinated. Vaccination sites are disorganized and inaccessible to these folks. This happens while non-POC folks fault POC folks for not getting vaccinated at all; victim-blaming at its finest. -
2021-02-20
8 Reasons Why BIPOC Are Not Getting Vaccinated Fast Enough
The following social media post on Instagram by handle @lauraberthlima is an infographic of 8 reasons why BIPOC are not getting vaccinated fast enough. The original poster made it clear that it’s a myth how BIPOC aren’t getting vaccinated due to their distrust, and that it’s actually the difficulty in getting the vaccine. There are a few reasons that are easily guessed, such as inaccessibility and plain racism. However, the graphic and caption explain the reasons a bit more. That includes how the BIPOC-designated sites for vaccinations are being booked by non-BIPOC folks; leaving the BIPOC population without a place to get vaccinated. Many of the posts on this archive can tell you about the vaccine rollout, how there are goals for herd immunity, and that some people have been getting vaccinated by now. This social media post tells me that BIPOC are not being considered for vaccination, and that the system of vaccine rollout right now is less than ideal. It’s as if the people in charge of the rollout are actively assuring that BIPOC folks do not get the COVID-19 vaccine, and are keeping them at risk by doing so. It’s dangerous and irresponsible, and such posts should be shared to as many people as possible. -
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. -
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
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. -
2020-10-07
COVID-19: A Barometer for Social Justice in New York City
From the article: A recent study by researchers at Harvard University found that mortality ratios for Black and Latinx communities in the United States were 3.6 and 2.6 times higher, respectively, than the mortality ratio for non-Hispanic Whites,1 a stark gap also reported in New York City (NYC).2 Other similar patterns have been found in NYC over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mortality rates for the Latinx and Black populations are 242 per 100 000 and 226 per 100 000, respectively, both more than twice those for White and Asian American residents.3 Surveys conducted by the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy and others tell an even more alarming story. The gaps in mortality rates are just the tip of an iceberg of long-standing public health–related inequities among people of color in the United States. These discrepancies threaten all US citizens—wealthy and poor alike—and they have been exacerbated by the coronavirus. -
2020-06-09
Why Social Justice Is Central to Treating COVID-19
From article: Racism and classism create conditions where people of color, those living in poverty, and other marginalized groups have limited access to resources that affect health -
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. -
2021-02-15
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 -
2021-02-11
Thoughts on vaccine hesitancy
It feels like we are entering a new phase of the pandemic, one in which getting as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible in now the most important -- though not the only -- public health priority. Perhaps the biggest problem in getting people vaccinated is the on-going issue of vaccine hesitancy. One issue is that a significant portion of people in certain non-white communities seem hesitant to get the vaccine. On the one hand, this is understandable given the ugly history of scientific experiments being conducted on people of color. On the other hand, many of these communities have been hit disproportionately hard by the pandemic, and gaining herd immunity via vaccine is really the only viable way out. So I think it's imperative that a great effort is made to get these communities vaccinated. This should start with President Biden -- who won the presidency in large part because of support from the Black community -- and Vice-President Harris -- the first African American vice-president. Because both of them have a significant amount of credibility in this community, they really should prioritize a public campaign to convince people that the vaccine is both safe and absolutely necessary, and also that time is of the essence. -
2021-02-03
The Proud Boys have been listed as a terrorist organization, now what?
Earlier this week, the Proud Boys were successfully listed as a terrorist organization by parliament thanks to the tireless efforts of Jagmeet Singh, the NDP, and Canadians who voiced their concerns regarding the fascistic proud boys, following their role in the January 6th coup attempt in Washington D.C. This news article was written in the wake of the ruling, that while the listing of the Proud Boys as a terrorist organization is undoubtedly a good thing, there have been questions raised in regards to effectively combating white supremacy and subsequently the amount of work that went into resisting expanding Canada’s description of ‘terrorist organizations.’ Essentially, by listing the Proud Boys as a Terrorist organization, we have been confronted with a possibility that future, more repressive or Conservative governments could easily utilize these legal systems against BIPOC community organizations, indigenous sovereignty and anti-fascists across the country. That essentially, we are relying too overly on the state itself to counter harmful movements which are fermenting across our country. That in order for lasting, and efficient change – we must be able to break from relying on state security and secret intelligence and tackle the problem at its core; mainly, what is causing the spread and radicalization processes of white supremacists. Essentially, we are only kicking the can down the road – that while this development is undoubtedly good for all Canadians, we are failing to address why white supremacy is so prevalent, and violent in our country, as the article concludes, “I understand why it feels good to call this organization a terrorist organization and why it might send the right signal but I think it also sends a false signal,” he said. ”Are we actually dealing with the underlying ideology of white supremacy by doing this? No we’re not.” I’m uploading this document to highlight the ongoing debate and conflict with white supremacy in Canada, providing how Canadians are now being confronted with the question of “what now?” following the ruling. For me, we will not defeat white supremacy in Canada until we address the influence of the institutions which are entrenched in our colonial history, and the subsequent ideology of white supremacy, such as the RCMP. The RCMP were a rural police force created solely to facilitate the Westward expansion of white Canadian settlers, effectively a state tool of genocide towards Indigenous peoples; to this day they still carry on the torch of eroding and combating Indigenous sovereignty, they are often the tool of the state and private business interests on unceded Indigenous land. -
2021-02-04
I Don't Want It
Did you go get your vaccine yet? Did you have a hard time scheduling? I'm trying to get my grandparents scheduled. Are you experiencing any symptoms? Is this your first or second dose? We will be able to meet in person soon for class now that the vaccines are rolling out... All the talk around school (Zoom) the past couple of weeks has been the vaccine. It's crazy to me that my classmates and professors (some of society's most educated individuals) ignore the fact that there are some people who don't want to be vaccinated for a number of reasons. I know that my colleagues know about the issues of distrust between the medical community and people that look like me. I, personally, don't want the vaccine because I have suffered from serious medical issues due to taking FDA approved medicines and doctors never disclosed the long-term effects and over-prescribed. I have to deal with the effects of this for the rest of my life. I don't trust medicine just because the government says it's ok to take. My personal experiences in addition to the numerous instances of medical abuse on the black body (the entire foundation of the study of gynecology, Tuskeegee, Henrietta Lacks, etc) have me refusing the vaccine. I don't have anyone around me that wants to be vaccinated or that talks about it so positively until I log on for class. But, I am also the only black person in any of my classes. I stay silent when the vaccination talks come up because I don't feel like my classmates care. They are trained to research and think critically. They know the history of abuse. Yet, they are totally blind to the fact that their assumptions that everyone will get vaccinated and the world will go back to normal are wrong. Being the only person that looks like me, I don't even want to try to defend my viewpoint because at the end of the day, I'll just be the angry black girl. When trying to move forward in life, especially in academia, you're often forced to be the silent black girl. -
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. -
2020-10-28
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. -
2020-08-03
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. -
2020-07-17
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. -
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. -
2021-01-29
Dear Future Generations
This story tells about the experience of one young person during the pandemic, and their perspective on the future. I wanted to include this to highlight the perspective of young people, and especially to highlight how I am not satisfied with just going back to normal. -
2021-01-28
Protester, Rioteer
I drew this to show how spotlighted and how dramatic the BLM protests were, not out of want, but out of the need to bring attention to this issue. In the photo, the subject is shying away from the spotlight, not because they will be hurt in the same way as others, but because having a singular, white face as the flag would undermine the entire thing, and the subject knows that. They are wearing a mask, both to obscure their face and let them be known as part of the protests and not just an innocent bystander; and also to show how harmful covid was and that they are protecting others in different ways. -
2020-08-04
Twitter Social Interaction/ Art Culture
It shows that people are in some communities turning to the arts, and nostalgia to get them through a difficult time. Furthermore, its shows people are reflecting on what life once was before the virus. It also shows the leaps and bounds in civil rights activism for the popular culture. -
2020-06-03
Black Lives Matter Rally in Calgary Alberta
This is a photo I took during one of Calgary’s Black Lives Matter marches in the Summer of 2020. In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, people took to the streets all over the world, not just America – In Calgary Alberta in particular, the death of George Floyd forced Canadians to critically look at our own law enforcement and state institutions, which were borne out of Canada’s colonial past. Not pictured in this photo would be the flags of numerous Indigenous nations, in particular the Mohawk nation – as in Canada and in America, the Black Lives Matter Movement synthesized itself with the cause of Indigenous sovereignty, as a means to combat white supremacy. During these marches, people who were antagonistic of the BLM movement stated that these marches were a threat to ‘public health’ as they believed protestors were marching mask less, this is not the case as evident in this photo. Organizers and random protestors were handing out masks, hand sanitization stations were set up with food, water and wipes. Signs were provided from the organizers to each marcher, if one did not bring their own. During this event, there was limited police presence as they maintained their distance from the large body of protestors which covered several streets. From what I recall what happened, I went with my friend Quinn, we showed up and found a place in the large crowd and listened to several speakers in the center of body of protestors (You can’t see it in this photo but it is directly center, behind the foliage). After the several speeches which took place, the organizers lead the people through a march downtown, to city hall. To my knowledge, there weren’t any instances of violence or confrontations with police – however I do remember there would be some agitators who would appear every now and then to yell at the protestors, or carry racist signs – I didn’t see this in particular, but saw photos of people doing so. This photograph would be beneficial to the social justice collection as it depicts the black lives matter movement of Calgary Alberta, Canada as fore mostly a window into the unique Canadian experience and similarly to how protests were conducted during a pandemic. -
2021-01-21
‘I Know I’m Not Alone’: The Importance of Mentors Right Now
From Article: Most mentoring programs have moved online, but some wait lists are long and the rare person-to-person connection is sorely missed.