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2021-04-20JOTPY Exhibit: "Arizona's COVID-19 Pandemics" by James Rayroux
While working as a curatorial intern on ASU's 'A Journal of the Plague Year' COVID-19 archive, I created this exhibit on the pandemic experience within the state. In addition to obvious, overarching realities such as socioeconomic status and immediate access to healthcare systems, I initially believed one of the greatest deciding factors that determined one's experience in Arizona was an individual's residence in either predominantly urban or rural environments. The proposed exhibit had been originally titled "A Tale of Two Arizonas" to pay respect to Charles Dickens and the differing realities experienced here. To test my proposed hypothesis, I went about finding data, stories, and submissions that substantiated or disputed my premise. Within a short time, I had identified four distinct environmental drivers of personal pandemic experiences; to me, that indicated the existence of many more I hadn't yet found or had overlooked along the way. My evidence suggested a minimum of four pandemic locales: Urban, Rural, Border, and Tribal within the State of Arizona and its fifteen counties. The recorded health data and personal experiences demonstrated the naivete of my initial hypothesis, and I retitled the exhibit: "Arizona's COVID-19 Pandemics." The Exhibit Background section illustrates the vast dichotomies within Arizona in terms of population density and access to healthcare facilities. Given the virus's respiratory nature, these factors seemed especially relevant to driving diverse local experiences. I chose to include a flyer from the Coconino County Health and Human Services' "Face It! Masks Save Lives" campaign. The flyer included a specific line to "Stay Home When Sick" that seemed to illustrate a different public health paradigm than the broader "stay home" orders from Maricopa and Pima county. This section also features an image of Sedona's red rocks and a portion of The Wave to remind visitors of the wide-open rural areas accessible to all, as well as those with cultural significance to the Native American tribes and limited access to the general public. The next section asks a short, five-question survey in which visitors may participate. The Silver Linings piece features a short audio clip of a father and husband discussing some unexpected benefits of the pandemic. Visitors may explore additional Silver Linings stories and submit their own experience. The Tséhootsooí Medical Center piece seeks to illustrate the different pandemic experience on the state's tribal lands. I hoped to inspire some relevant emotional turmoil for the visitors through the piece's visual presentation. I wanted to create a series of waves with quotes from the medical center's healthcare workers. I hoped visitors' attention would be drawn to the large, bolded key words, and that they would first experience the segments out of sequence because of that. After potentially feeling a sense of chaos, they might settle themselves into a deliberate reading of the texts and find their own order within the experiences provided here. This piece allows further exploration of Native submissions and topics, a review of an additional related news article, and a submission prompt that invites visitors to offer guidance to hospital managers. The next piece illustrates the differences between mask mandates in communities across Arizona. In addition to hearing an audio clip of interviews with mayors and a public health official, visitors can explore additional submissions related to mask mandates and submit their thoughts on statewide mandates. The Arizona Department of Health Services provides zip-code specific infection data on its website, and the wide array of known case infections therein further illustrates potential dichotomies across the state. In working to include and represent this data in a consumable way, I encountered inconsistencies with tribal data. The nation's Indian tribes are overseen by Indian Health Services, a federal public health agency, and it does not collect or report data in the same manner as the State of Arizona or its counties. At first glance, the data would seem to suggest that tribal areas had less severe pandemic experiences than the rural and urban areas, which was not objectively true. I wanted to offer the unedited data to visitors, allow them to drawn their own conclusions, and invite them to offer their thoughts on what potential misunderstandings might emanate from these reporting differences. Visitors may also choose to review the foundational data from this piece, as well. I used the following two sections to offer submission prompts about the visitor's overall pandemic experience as a function of their location, as well as what they might have done if placed in charge of their city, county, or state during this pandemic. A diverse Search section allows visitors to explore additional topics of interest to them. 23 hyperlinks offer pre-defined search parameters. An Advanced Search link allows self-defined research, and a Join The Staff link connects visitors with opportunities to work within the JOTPY archive. A final section asks visitors to provide feedback on the exhibit, its content, and the pandemic in general. Both surveys within the exhibit will display overall results to visitors who participate in them. Through this process, I found incredible amounts and diversity of data outside the archive that spoke to these generally localized experiences, but not that much yet within the archive explained what Arizonans had experienced outside the state's urban environments. I created a call for submissions and delivered it to fifty rural entities that might help support the effort to collect and preserve more rural Arizona stories. Between all the local libraries, historical societies, museums, small-town mayors, and county health officials to whom I asked for help, I am optimistic the archive will better represent all Arizonans in the coming months and years. Despite the exhibit having been created, I ensured its internal search features would include future submissions and allow the exhibit to remain relevant long after its release. -
2021-04-15Daunte Wright's mom says she 'wants 100% accountability' in wake of officer's arrest
The mother of Daunte Wright, the 20-year-old Black man shot dead by a Minnesota police officer at a traffic stop, said she "wants 100% accountability" in the wake of the officer's arrest. "If that even happens, we're still going to bury our son," Wright's mother, Katie Wright, said at a Thursday news conference. "We're still never going to be able to see our baby boy." -
2021-04-17Police clash with Adam Toledo protesters in Logan Square following peaceful march
The march was largely peaceful, but as it came to an end around 10 p.m., a small group of protesters still lingering in the streets began scuffling with police. -
2021-04-17RIP Dr. Wayne John Edwards
This is a screenshot from the Black Alberta Instagram page about the passing of Dr. Wayne John Edwards to COVID-19, as the description stated: "Dr. Wayne John Edwards is the seventh Albertan health-care worker - and the second doctor to die from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, according to Alberta Health. Edwards died at the Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge on Tuesday at the age of 66. #BlackAlberta #YEG #YYC #edmonton #calgary #alberta #albertacanada #calgaryalberta #edmontonalberta #albertacanada🇨🇦" According to the comments of the post, Dr. Edwards was a respected and beloved family psychiatrist, the comments were full of love and respect for Dr. Edwards, he will surely be missed. -
2021-04-13Life During Covid
I submitted this as an account for what it is like to have both great things and bad things happen during the pandemic. -
2020-08-07El artículo que nunca quise escribir sobre la muerte de mi padre por coronavirus
Natalia Martin Cantero comparte su experiencia con el virus. Describe como llevaba meses ecribiendo de las experiencias de otros y nunca se imagino que estubiera escribiendo de su vida personal. Su padre callo enfermo en Enero, termino en cuidado intensivos y fallecio en Abril de complicaciones a los 75 años. Natalia Martin Cantero shares her experience with the virus. She describes how she spent months writing about others' experiences and never thought she would be writing about her personal life. Her father became ill in January, ended up in an intensive care unit, and passed away in April at the age of 75. -
2021-04-05Online Article: Law enforcement officers need to be proactive in self-care to ensure they are resilient in the midst of loss and trauma
This article discusses guidance for law enforcement professionals to adopt better self-care practices through this pandemic and the increased volume of vicarious trauma, depression, anxiety, and suffering prevalent in our societies. The author specifically addresses the problem of police suicide, which is often committed at similar rates to military combat veterans. While the article's content helps officers potentially deal with the difficulties of their calling, it might also help the public better recognize the darker and unwelcome realities of police work. -
2021-01-21While holding hands husband, wife die from COVID-19 days after 70th wedding anniversary
The increasing death toll from COVID-19 has devastated many families on a personal level. One instance illustrates that like no other. An Ohio couple that had recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary both passed away minutes apart, leaving behind seven decades of memories, five children, 13 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren. Dick and Shirley Meek celebrated their anniversary on Dec. 22. It was then when they innocuously told their children they were feeling a little under the weather. "They said to all us kids, 'we think we're getting colds,'" said Kelly Meek. But suddenly, things got bad and it was evident this was no mere cold. On Jan. 8, they both tested positive for COVID-19. When things started to worsen for both of them, the family asked for them to be together for their final moments. Hospital staff found a room for two beds and the necessary equipment. Dick and Shirley died in each other's arms on Jan. 16. They were due to get the COVID-19 vaccine on Jan. 19. -
2021-03My experiences working and living in the Covid 19 Pandemic
When the covid pandemic started, I don't think anyone really knew the extent this virus would take on everyone's life and how it will potentially change the world as we know it. I have worked in healthcare during this pandemic and have seen and heard of many people dying from this virus. I work in an acute rehabilitation hospital where people come after having a stroke or major surgery and they learn how to use their bodies and adapt to their new lifestyles. My hospital is not a place where people die, it is a place where people go to get stronger to go home to their families. there had been countless numbers of people who had contracted the virus when at the hospital and eventually had died from it even though they were on the tract to getting stronger, physically. Not only have I seen how this impacts the individuals who contract the virus, but it is important to note how this virus is effecting people mentally. I have heard of many people's friends dying of suicide from being in isolation during their quarantining. I have also learned that many children who are learning how to talk are having a hard time learning how to communicate with others because they are missing the important aspect of facial structures and non-verbal language which is impeding their ability to communicate and understand others. -
2021-03-19Stop AAPI Hate
Nearly 3,800 anti-Asian racist incidents occurred in America last year, mostly against women, based on data by Stop AAPI Hate. Yesterday, Asian Americans and allies called for solidarity and condemned discrimination and racist violence in Minnesota. They also honored the lives of Delaina Ashley Yaun, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Julie Park, and Hyeon Jeong Park -- employees of an Atlanta-area spa who were killed on Tuesday by a gunman. -
2021-03-01Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, Vaccinations
When we say end violence against our elders, this means demanding accessible, equitable and culturally responsive healthcare services for them. Here are some community-based resources who have been doing this work: @pacificislandercovid19 @picawashington @empoweredpi Thank you Seattle Times for amplifying how COVID and inequitable health care services impact our communities in Washington. The impacts are detrimental and NHPI communities are impacted at disproportionate rates. Check out the entire article @seattletimes. Some things this article highlights - vaccine services provided need to be inclusive of different cultural lifestyles and practices, lumping Asian and NHPI data together invisiblizes NHPI needs, there is a great need to bring community-based groups to the table to build accessible systems and solutions. (Image description: a carousel of 9 slides from an article by Seattle Times. 1. A front page article that reads to fight covid-19 with vaccines, native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in Washington first need to be seen. 2. A quote in simple black text that reads "that is one of the things that we continue to think about How do we honor those that have passed during the pandemic? Our elders have so many stories, so much knowledge and they're essentially the wisdom keepers of our culture" seia Said. 3. The numbers tell the devastating story. Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders make up about 1% of Washington state's population but account for 2% of cases in the state according to the State department of health native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have the highest average rate of any race and ethnicity in the state at $7,132 per 100,000 people and also lead in deaths per 100,000 with an average of 151 as of February 21st, according to the UCLA Center for health policy research" Captions continues in comments. #InSolidarity #AAPIWomenLead #COVID19 -
2021-03-10Justice for Angelo Quinto
Tonight AAPIWL joined Angelo Quinto's family + community, the incredible organizers of @justiceforangeloquinto, Civil Rights Attorney @johnburrislawfirm , the mother of Oscar Grant- Rev. Wanda Johnson, @justice4steventaylor grandmother, @robbonta, Cat Brooks @antipoliceterrorproject, Antioch's elected officials, and hundreds of community members from all over the Bay Area to celebrate Angelo's 31st birthday. Tonight we all learned that Angelo was well loved by his family in Antioch and in the Philippines. His family talked about how amazing and special he was, and they were proud that he wanted to pursue his passions in art. We learned more about the powerful community that will continue to support the Quinto family in their fight for Angelo. Thank you again to the organizers for this beautiful celebration and vigil, for uplifting Angelo and his family, the call for solidarity, the need for mental health resources, demanding the end of police violence and the need for accountability for Angelo and the countless men who were also murdered by the Antioch Police Department while having a mental health crisis. We will continue to fight with you all. #JusticeForAngeloQuinto #JusticeForAngeloJusticeForAll #AAPIWomenLead #InSolidarity #StopAAPIHate -
2021-03-16Surge in Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans
As the U.S. continues its battle against COVID-19, it is also battling a rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans. A recent report found that hate crimes against Asian Americans in major U.S. cities surged by nearly 150 percent in 2020 —even as the number of overall hate crimes fell. Stephanie Sy looks at how the violence has marred one community, and how they are coming together in its wake. -
2020-02
Goodbye my friend
They say losses come in threes but thank god mine came in two as for I wouldn't know how to live with another grueling loss. Everyone is okay everyone is having fun and out of nowhere I receive a text "Gisela died last night." I was stunned I was beside myself how can this happen? It surely couldn't be real I just talked to her yesterday, surely as the day went on the more the news started becoming real, people started posting their goodbyes and the tears started rolling, this was it I would never talk to my friend again. I would do anything just to bring her back and hear her laugh one more time. -
2020-10-09
Happy Birthday Mom, Goodbye Grandma
It was just the turn of midnight and I called my mother to wish her happy birthday, but to my surprise the phone was picked up to deafening cries and the hurt can be sensed through the phone, something has happened. What could it be? Well it turned out to be the worst thing anyone wants on their birthday which is the death of their parents. My mom and I were supposed to go to Poland to see my grandma but now she has passed on my mothers birthday, there is no reason to go anymore as we must quarantine for two weeks. Just like that no goodbye, no funeral, no nothing we didn't even get to say a last I love you. Goodbye Grandma. -
2021-03-16Local support group helps grieving families who lost loved ones to COVID-19
With COVID-19 restrictions, handling grief is difficult. The normal ways of showing support for a family, or person, that has suffered a death are not currently possible. People are isolated and are unable to receive the emotional support they need to handle the loss. Those who have lost loved ones to COVID-19 seem particularly hard hit by the grief and isolation. In response, a grief center in Cincinnati has started a special online support group for people who have lost loved ones to COVID-19. -
2020-08-05Justice for Travis Jordan
“I expected an ambulance to come and convince him to get treatment at the hospital,” Tarin Vang said after calling 311 requesting a wellness check for her boyfriend, Travis Jordan. “I thought someone could come to save his life, calm him down and take him somewhere safe where he could get into a better frame of mind. I thought they would send someone who could help him come back to his senses.” Two police officers with less than 11 months of experience responded to her call, MPD Officers Ryan Keyes and Neal Walsh. After following the officers request to leave his home, a complying and dispirited Travis was shot 8 times by officers. Travis Jordan should still be alive today. Travis' family is demanding: Travis’ case be REOPENED along with all other cases related to police violence. Officers Neal Walsh and Ryan Keyes to be charged and prosecuted for the murder of Travis Jordan. For his belongings to be given back to the family. Mike Freeman refuses to give back Travis’ notebook and black leather bracelet even though the case is closed. This is ILLEGAL. Mental health professionals to be first responders on scene during a mental health crisis, NOT the police. Visit 'Justice for Travis Jordan' on Facebook to support the family and learn more. Photos from Justice for Travis Jordan - 38th Birthday Protest - July 31, 2020 -
2020-09-11Trump Failed 180,000 Died
This week, it was revealed President Donald Trump deliberately minimized the seriousness of COVID-19 to the public despite understanding its true danger and severity. About 190,000 Americans have died from the disease since the outbreak began earlier this year. This photo was taken during a Republication National Convention firework celebration of Trump's Presidential nomination. -
2020-09-12Candlelight Vigil Held at the Say Their Names Cemetery for George Floyd's Extended Family
Last night, a candlelight vigil was held at the Say Their Names Cemetery for George Floyd's extended family. Family members of Justin Teigen, Paul Castaway, and Demetrius Hill were also present to share stories of how they were killed at the hands of law enforcement. -
2021-03-121 in 5 Americans has lost someone close in the pandemic, poll finds
"About 1 in 5 Americans say they have lost a relative or close friend to #COVID_19, highlighting the division between heartache and hope as the country itches to get back to normal a year into the COVID-19 #pandemic. A new poll from the Associated Press- NORC Center for Public Affairs Research illustrates how the stage is set for a two-tiered recovery. The public's worry about the virus has dropped to its lowest point since the fall, before the holidays brought skyrocketing cases into the new year. -
2020-09-22Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Passed Away
Last Friday, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second woman ever to serve on the Supreme Court, passed away. During her tenure on the bench, she overcame multiple bouts with cancer and other health emergencies. Through it all, she never wavered in her commitment to the court as a vehicle for a more just and more equal America. -
2021-03-09Oral History with a Rural Church Pastor
Abstract: Josh Colson grew up in Southern Illinois. He attended Welch College, earning a BS in Christian Ministry and an MA in Theology. Additionally, he is currently a student at Vanderbilt Divinity School, pursuing an MTS. Mr. Colson is currently the pastor of Brandon’s Chapel Free Will Baptist Church in Bumpus Mills, TN. The church is part of a small rural community, being in one of the smallest counties in middle Tennessee. In addition, Mr. Colson is the Faith Representative for the community health board. In this interview, Mr. Colson recounts the effects COVID-19 has had on his duty as a member of the clergy, his congregation, and his community. -
2021-03-11
A Year to Reflect
Today, marks the one-year anniversary since the WHO declared the COVID19 pandemic a pandemic. It is also one year since we as a family began quarantining/hunkering down, social distancing and pausing on activities where being around crowds of people became dangerous. I made a note of this in my calendar. As I reflect on this year, I am first grateful that my dear loved ones are still here and safe. I am also sad for the two family members we have lost. One to covid and another to circumstances related in part to covid. I also grieve for the loss of social interactions and in-person school for my kids. Being online has been a challenge and my kids are doing really well despite the difficulties, but as a mom I am saddened for all of the fun school and friend experiences they have missed this year. I am hopeful change will come soon and they will get back to a more familiar old normal soon enough. When I look back on my calendar from the beginning of March 2020 and the end of February, I see a full calendar of school events, friends, and new beginnings. We had playdates, went to the movies, planned a remodel (never happened of course), went to community events, and I participated in-person in a recruitment event for graduate school. My expectations for what my own personal schooling would be like were drastically altered by the pandemic. In some ways, being on Zoom for school has given me more time for my family life and pushed me to participate more in class. It has allowed me to be more confident because it made participation something I could truly control. I had always struggled with speaking in class, so the Zoom made it easier—people could only see my face. One of the surprising benefits of this last year is really the evaluation it gives us for our lives. We are able to reflect and think on the people and things that truly matter. It gave us time to pause and evaluate on the people who have maintained a strong presence in our lives and those who have not. It also made me appreciate all the social events and normal daily experiences that I had taken for granted. So, for one year out life is starting to have promise again. Several family members of mine have received the vaccine, including my eighty-year-old mom. So, the stress about her welfare and safety is starting to lift. Congress passed the American Rescue Plan yesterday and President Biden will sign it tomorrow. This gives me hope that people who have struggled financially this last year will start to get some relief. It reminds me of how fortunate we are not to deal with the stress of financial despair on top of everything else. More and more people are getting vaccinated with goals being passed ahead of schedule and government officials are increasingly getting more excited about a sooner return to normal. I am thinking about vacations again and making plans. My kids will go back to school next year, that is something I am almost certain about. There is light at the end of this dark tunnel, and I am beginning to see it. -
2021-02-22HERMIT HERALD, ISSUE 102
Armageddon in the Mideast -
2021-02California mom who vanished during 'pandemic road trip' 8 months ago found dead in desert
It broke my heart to hear that she was found dead. Single mom from San Francisco who just wanted to get out for an adventure on a "pandemic" road trip, went missing several months ago. -
2021-03-05
In Native America, the National COVID-19 emergency has hit us hard
This article describes the incredible losses the Native gaming industry has sustained due to the pandemic. -
2021-03-07
In numbers: Tracking COVID-19 Across the Navajo Nation
This article reports the latest Navajo Nation pandemic statistics including the number of new cases per day and percent of Indigenous Peoples who have received the COVID-19 vaccinations. -
2021-03-04For some, there will never be a "back to normal"
"(via @readingstar18) When you say "I can't wait until things get back to normal" know that my life will never be "normal" again. When you say "Soon #COVID will just be a bad memory" know that Covid was a traumatic event and will always be a reminder of how my life drastically changed forever. When people say that #COVID19 is a hoax or only affects the elderly or people with underlying health conditions, remember I lost my young and healthy husband to this horrible virus. When you see something written about me and my family and say its fake news made up by the media as a scare tactic, I know that I am a very real person going through a very real tragedy and I share my heartbreaking and important story to show that #COVID19 can affect anyone. Nine months since my #HealthcareHero husband lost his life and the insensitive comments made by others continues to add to our grief. Covid is very real and has had a lasting impact on my children and me. So please be kind to those who are trying to heal and move forward." -
2021-03-05Virtual Funeral
This is my fourth virtual funeral in less than a year. Although covid has been around for about a year, it didn't really hit home until a few short months ago. Los Angeles has been hit hard, and being from a large minority group I have lost a few people close to me. The first was my best friend's dad, then his brother, then another friend's brother. The photo is of a funeral that I am currently watching. I grew up in a large church in Los Angeles, this beautiful lady very well knew in the Hispanic Pentecostal community. She watched me grow up, attended my sweet fifteen and my wedding. She had the biggest heart and loved God fiercely. She was my mom's good friend and in January she contracted covid, by the end of the month she was gone. I've quickly realized that the only thing harder than losing so many people in such a short time span is not being able to say goodbye. -
2021-03-04Funeral workers, Louisiana's last responders, reflect on 'unimaginable death' seen from COVID-19
Funeral home employees talk about their experiences during COVID-19 and how it has affected them. -
2021-03-03I wish it was a joke
I came across this post on Instagram tonight. I read it as a joke at first, until it hit me that it actually (and sadly) isn't a joke. I scrolled through the comments and realized that so many people replied to this post in memory of their lost loved ones. What comes off as a joke about government and taxes suddenly hits you hard when you take a second to reflect on the statement. Last year I did know anyone who had lost a loved one to covid, a year later I don't know anyone who hasn't. -
2021-02-25Time to Reflect
Although we live in a time where mental health is getting so much recognition it is still nice to be reminded that it is ok to take a minute and reflect. It's been a year since Covid hit, almost a year since our first quarantine here in Arizona and it seems like so many people are trying their best to get back to "normal" life. We are trying too hard to work, study, parent, and live as we did over a year ago. The sad truth though is that people are still dying, they are dying in high numbers and we see those numbers daily. I'm one who has felt bad for not being "productive" especially when Covid directly affected my family, but posts like these remind me that it is not only normal but healthy to feel. Posts like these remind me of the importance of the grieving process. I have lost a lot this past year, but I will not lose my humanity. -
2021-02-27A picture is worth a thousand words
"A gravedigger wearing protective gear walks among fresh plots in between burials of COVID-19 victims at Cementerio do Alto de Sao Joao in Lisbon on Feb. 25. Portugal has recorded over 800,000 cases and more than 26,000 deaths, according to data compiled by John Hopkins University. Amid a national lockdown earlier this week, @apnews reports, the country's daily tally of new cases dipped below 1,000 for the first time since October. Photograph by Horacio Villalobos-Corbis/@gettyimages" -
2021-02-28Why COVID-19 is delaying the issuing of death certificates in Michigan
COVID-19 has slowed the process of many official documents, including death certificates. In Michigan, a process that normally takes 1-2 days can now take 3-4 days. They are also facing issues with the mail service and receiving the necessary documents to issue a certificate. -
2021-02-26Black 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. -
2021-02-24Death, Through a Nurse's Eyes
"A short film offering a firsthand perspective of the brutality of the pandemic inside a Covid-19 I.C.U." This reporter has nurses wear a camera so he can glimpse what happens in the Covid-19 units in an Arizona hospital. -
2021-02-25
A Strange Way to Grieve
My father-in-law had an accident last April and passed away about ten days later. He was brought to the hospital in the middle of the pandemic. Nobody was allowed to visit and be with him. My husband was able to speak to him over the speaker phone. He missed seeing him in person. The doctors only would allow visitors in the last moments near death. My husband did not make it in time. Later, he had to retrieve his cremated remains from the car in a sort of curbside pick-up fashion. It was very awkward for him. The usual quiet moments in this situation did not happen. We wanted to hold a memorial for my father-in-law, but because of covid19, we kept pushing it back saying to ourselves, “Well, maybe in October…Maybe in December…” Now we have decided to forgo a traditional memorial for an online one. Soon in March we will have a Zoom memorial with a slideshow of pictures, video, and music, and it will be on his birthday. We hope people will make some remarks. It is stressful getting this together, and I hope it goes well on Zoom. None of us are experts with any of this technology. Handling the affairs of a loved one’s life when they have died is hard enough in normal times. It is even harder during a pandemic. As I write this journal entry I think about my husband and the hardship he and his side of the family has gone through during this time. Knowing them, they would not want to share anything like this on a public archive. I am involved in this grief, but it is different for me. My role is mainly to support. For an archive like this, its collection is all decided on what the public wants to share. Emotionally difficult stories like this may not be shared firsthand as often. My story is also not in depth as it could be if I were the person centrally involved in this grief. I hope that future historians read stories like mine and realize how strange and difficult this time was for grieving people. Nothing is normal. Having a memorial where people get together and support each other through grief with kind words, pats on the back, and long hugs is totally out of the question. We just have to do the next best thing and move on with our lives as we cope with an uncertain future and wonder when life will go back to the way it was before the pandemic or if we have truly lost this aspect of our culture, customs, and traditions. -
2021-02-25Floral Heart Project comes to Milwaukee on March 1 day of COVID-19 mourning
Originally an art project, the Floral Heart Project has morphed into a memorial for those that have died of COVID-19. The project is going to Milwaukee on March 1st to install a heart-shaped floral wreath at the Museum Park Center. -
2021-02-22Black 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. -
2020-04-05Anxiety lingers as N.L. officials trace majority of coronavirus cases to funeral home
Funeral home in Newfoundland was linked to a superspreader event -
2020-04-17COVID-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. -
2020-10-07COVID-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. -
2021-02My Grandmother Watches Over Me
Beep. Beep. Beep. I open my eyes and stretch. I smack that snooze button. The eagle stars at me. During these Covid-19 days, I’m able to spend time thinking about memories. Eyes close; I see darkness. I walk into my Grandmother’s house. A room has the eagle statue and a large window to see the birds. The eagle stars at me. All of a sudden, I am around family members at my grandmother’s memorial service. Beep. Beep. Beep. I open my eyes and stretch. I smack that dismiss button. The Eagle stars at me. My Grandmother is watching over me. -
2020-07-22Funerals of Family Abroad: Losing a Grandfather in the Heat of the Pandemic
Covid-19 has taken many things from me over the almost year that it has been running rampant around the United States, however, the biggest thing that Covid-19 has taken away from me was the opportunity for me to attend my Opa's funeral this summer. He, unfortunately, passed away from complications related to a stroke and my grandmother was able to see him in the hospital, but it was heartbreaking to not be able to attend his funeral in person. His death was rather sudden and so my family had not really been expecting it. When I first heard of his death I immediately thought about the fact that I would not be able to go to his funeral and that the last time I had seen him the year before would be the last time that I would be able to see him. -
2020
Russian death rates of 2020 pike due to covid
It is a newspapers article by a Russian media Medusa that demonstrates that Russia has one of the highest covid-related death rates in the world. -
2021-02-03Funeral homes overwhelmed by surge of COVID-19 deaths in Fresno
COVID-19 has caused a surge in deaths worldwide. Funeral homes in the United States are feeling the effect, with many workers sometimes working more than 12 hour days 7 days a week. There has also been a shortage of caskets and urns as well as a strain on the supply of creation boxes. -
2020-10Keep Trucking Along
In the beginning of the year 2020 no one knew just how historical this year was going to be. As a high school senior, senoritis was really kicking in and graduation was in sight. One day, in my global studies class, on the news, we heard of this crazy virus going around in China. I remember thinking, “Oh, it’s fine. It won’t affect me in anyway.” Little did I know there was a whole storm of challenges, obstacles, and battles coming my way. At first, I thought I was just getting a nice two-week break from school and we would be back, and everything would be fine. That two weeks has tuned into over 150 days of lockdown and a completely changed way of life. Every single person all over the world was affected someway by this virus, which is crazy to think about. Nearly everyone struggled with mental health and life changes throughout this time. I did as well, and although my mental health was at its utmost low during the Covid-19 pandemic, and is still recovering as the virus is still taking its toll with a new strand and heightened cases, I want to bring attention to an even bigger struggle I dealt with during this unpredictable, utterly horrible time period: the loss of my best friend. On October 26, 2020 my grandmother passed away at the glorious age of 90. My grandmother had health issues for the past five or so years of her life, but her state started to rapidly decline in August of 2020. At this same time, I was preparing to leave for my first semester as a student-athlete at Duquesne University. Leaving my family, my friends, my hometown, and my significant other was already so difficult but adding on the fact that leaving and knowing that it would take away my last moments with my grandmother was a pain I never thought was possible. I chose to still go and start off the semester since my grandma was moving around hospitals and I could still call her and see her on weekends if I wanted to go home and do so, and it was what she wanted me to do. I talked to her right before leaving for school. With the pandemic, she was only allowed two visitors everyday between the times of 2 and 5pm. So, with the majority of our family living around the hospitals, we had to all schedule times each day so everyone could get a chance to talk to her because of the one visitor limit in the hospital rooms. And I will never forget talking to my grandmother through my face mask about college and hearing how excited and proud she was for me to be where I am in my life today. Only a few days after that conversation, my family and grandmother made the decision for her to go into a hospice facility. This hospice facility was far more strict than the hospitals. My grandmother was allowed no visitors in her room. The only way we could talk to her was over the phone. We are extremely lucky that she was given a room with a window. My family would go and stand at her window so we could see her and more importantly so that she could see us while we talked on the phone with her. I came home for a weekend or two to talk with her through her window and got to see her in her chair with her favorite blanket smiling at all the accomplishments and stories I wanted to share with her. Once her health was at its lowest and her long, well deserved time here was nearing an end, me and my two siblings got to go into her room and say our goodbyes. The next morning my mother got a phone call that my grandmother had passed away. Losing someone, especially someone so close like my grandmother was to me, is the hardest thing in life. But with a global pandemic on top of it … the difficulty and feelings of it all cannot be explained. In the end, I know my grandmother would want us to keep living our lives and “keep trucking along” as she used to say. So that is what we did. Knowing now that she is at peace, out of pain and that she does not have to deal with this crazy world situation in her unstable health condition anymore, gives me and my family closure and security during this time of uncertainty and fear. And I will always know she is right beside me, pandemic or not, watching over me and cheering me on each and every day. -
2021-01-18Stories of Resilience
As Covid-19 continues to rage and take lives, there are also the lucky ones that survive. This article shares the stories of 14 Covid-19 survivors. Though the people featured come from different age groups, races, socio-economic statuses, and geography, they all share the common experience of coming out on the other side of a lengthy hospital stay. The stories range from an infant who has spent most of his life in the hospital and has survived both a liver transplant and Covid-19, a woman who is now considered a “long hauler” with debilitating symptoms that plague her long after diagnosis, a nurse who caught the virus saying goodbye to own mother who was dying of Covid-19 and regrets nothing, a man who fought two weeks on a ventilator determined to live to see his daughter get married, and a couple who survived together and were able to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary. These stories remind us of the seriousness of Covid-19, as one survivor states "This is not a joke. This is for real. Take it seriously. It can happen to anybody." However, these stories also remind us of the tenacity of the human spirit, the skills of the medical staff, and the hope that is still alive within this pandemic year. -
2021-02-04My Grandma's Passing
Travel restrictions and emotional impact. -
2021-01-07THE COLOR OF CORONAVIRUS: COVID-19 DEATHS BY RACE AND ETHNICITY IN THE U.S.
This data sheet looks at the affects of Covid-19 mortality rates by race in North America. They do not interpret the data but the site says the following: We call on state and local health departments to release timely data about COVID-19 deaths with as complete racial and ethnic detail as is possible. As the data reporting improves, so too will our understanding of the devastating impact of this disease. This will inform states and communities about how to direct resources more equitably as well.