Musings by Marissa

     The documentary, 13th, reveals the harsh torture that Blacks and Browns have endured for decades upon decades.  Sadly, politics and economics continue to be a motivating factor behind influential White supremacists and leaders to this very day.  The sobering statistics, images, and innocent names and faces of POC who were killed unjustly serve as a painful reminder of the decades of trauma we have knowingly inflicted upon fellow humans.  The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world and it continues to grow at an exponential rate.  With the demise of slavery, which once served as our economic system, four million former slaves were suddenly free, as they were no longer someone's property.  What do you do with these former slaves?  How do you rebuild the economy?  These were just some of the questions posed during the documentary.  Well, as the document reminds us, there are loopholes in the 13th amendment- loopholes that do not protect criminals.  The solut

 

      History repeats itself and this is blatantly obvious when examining COVID-19 and its impact on BIPOC. For generations, Blacks have been at a disadvantage, and not just from a socio-economic perspective. Regardless of financial status, BIPOC are still suffering and dying at a much higher rate than Whites. Research indicates that the trauma and stress resulting from decades of structural legacies of racism is a key factor that must be addressed when considering why BIPOC are hardest hit by the pandemic and natural disasters, as well. Living conditions, low-wage jobs, and lack of quality of healthcare all play a role in the transmission of the virus. However, it goes much deeper than these factors. The structural and systemic generations of racism have inflicted unimaginable trauma and stress upon certain groups of people, ultimately impacting their physical health. BIPOC do not have higher cases of diabetes and heart disease because of the amount of melanin in their skin, or becaus