Items

• 
  2020-05-19

  Sounding the Alarm

  Virtual town halls educate and empower the black community during the pandemic "In March, we began distributing food, water and face masks to unhoused people in South Sacramento and Oak Park in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. We did this as members of the Sacramento Area Black Caucus, the Sacramento Poor People’s Campaign and the Sacramento Services Not Sweeps Coalition. All three groups are focusing our collective advocacy efforts on the pandemic and how it is impacting people experiencing homelessness in our community. What we encountered alarmed us. We saw that many of the homeless were not wearing face masks and weren’t observing social distancing. They didn’t seem to understand the danger, which was even more disturbing. When we asked, they usually replied that they didn’t have a mask or couldn’t find one."
• 
  2021-10-07

  Exposing Systemic Racism in all Areas

  While some believed the pandemic aid solved food insecurity, that couldn't be further from the truth in black neighborhoods.
• 
  2020-07-16

  I Came to the Protest to Defend Human Rights

  "I came to the protest to defend human rights. This movement isn’t about race versus race, it’s about dissolving the negativity that our world is creating. The Black community is struggling, literally fighting for their lives, and everyone needs to stand with them to help bring a better world so Black people don’t walk the streets in fear of being a victim of the system." - Oz at the Roll4Justice rally on July 4, 2020
• 
  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.
• 
  2021-02-26

  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.
• 
  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
• 
  2020-05-28

  Learning about the Civil Rights Movement During the Pandemic

  I am currently taking a Civil Rights Movement history course. Due to the pandemic, the original in-class mode of learning has been converted to online learning. Although the class has only been in session for three days, I have gained a lot of new knowledge about this ever-evolving movement. After my online class session ended for the day, I decided to take a nap while my mother was watching PBS. However, my ears perked up when the program she was watching, called North Carolina Weekend, began a segment on Nina Simone. Simone used her skills as a pianist, singer, and songwriter to voice the plight of the African American community during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. The segment discussed her contributions to the music industry in addition to an exciting announcement. Her birthplace was going to become a historical landmark in Tyron, North Carolina. Additionally, a park in that same city had already debuted a statue of her in 2010. They call the location where the statue is at the Nina Simone Plaza. I think the pandemic has given people a lot more time to learn, reflect, and react to things going on in the world. Learning about the extraordinary people and events of the past Civil Rights Movement helps me to see that there is another movement emerging (e.g. the recent outcry in response to Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd's deaths), or, to show that the Civil Rights Movement never died but was only silenced for decades.
• 
  2020-03-25

  "COVID-19's Impact on the Black Community: Remembering Those Who Have Lost Their Lives [Updating]"

  From the website: "The coronavirus has—and will continue to—affect people from all walks of life, at every age, background and socioeconomic status. As COVID-19 spreads across the country, we at The Root are committed to chronicling its impact on the black community. We will continue to write stories of noted individuals who’ve lost their lives to this deadly virus. But we also wanted to remember and honor the artists, teachers, activists, thinkers, innovators, leaders and other unsung heroes who’ve also been taken too soon by this deadly disease. We will update this list regularly as this pandemic continues to touch our community."