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  2023-12-14

  Aaron Danner Professor Clarke Comp II 13 Dec. 2023 COVID-19 Archive Entries

  During COVID, I unearthed some pre-existing online culture in certain spaces, like the larger Black online communities. With the pandemic especially disproportionately affecting communities of color, sometimes it could be fun to send photos back and forth, especially when there was nothing better to do. These entries into "A Journal of the Plague Year: The COVID-19 Archive" somewhat reflect my background (black, chronically online, good music enjoyer). Through careful consideration, the images above contribute to the COVID-19 Archive by centering on the Black online experience during the period. Entry 1: Photo - "I’ll take the seen bro" This photo, posted sometime in 2022, directly references group chat culture and highlights the isolation that such online social hubs sort of erased, to some degree, which provided an outlet from which experience further caused damaging effects. In the span of the 36-odd months between the start of covid 2020 and this time Fall of 2023, many things surrounding sociability changed. This entry envisions the underlying happy-sadness within the digital spaces at the time. We were thankful to have someone to share these posts with even if we couldn’t see them in real life. By the presumed “end” of COVID, many become “chronically online”, or at the least, the youth became even more enthralled with social media communities than before. Saying “I’ll take the seen” demonstrates a joking willingness to sacrifice one’s online profile (an exaggerated act) concerning group chat message viewing and response. Entry 2: Photo - Sosa in the Ukraine” Also from around 2022 (speculatively), entry #2 involves an enlarged edit of Chief Keef along over a cityscape with the caption “On the way to Ukraine 🚶💥🔫🏃‍♂️.” This edited image of Chief Keef (@chiefkeefsosa on Instagram) reflects on the early stages and meme culture of the COVID-19 period Ukraine conflict. The transcendent Chicago star posted this image as the conflict overseas began to heat up. During this time, the underlying danger of the war as well as the widespread long-term effects of the pandemic were still fresh on the internet. The post’s lighthearted attitude was quickly absorbed by the rest of the internet, where the image continued to circulate. Surely, future researchers will unearth photos like these in amazement at how simple memes assisted so many in pain during isolated periods. They helped maintain comedic and cultural connections despite physical distancing measures. Circulation and archival of images from the Black community, from the pandemic period, will provide a more complete record for the future.. The selected items offer a window into the complexities of the Black experience during the pandemic, shedding light on both the challenges faced and the enduring spirit of resilience and resistance that defines the Black community. Through these submissions, I invite a more comedic perspective of the socio-cultural impact of the pandemic, ensuring that this part of the COVID narrative won't be forgotten.