Sickness When in Wealth
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 because of the language that they speak. The trauma and stress cause the body to have pre-existing conditions that are discussed in the article Why COVID-19 is hitting Black women so hard. When we talk about culturally responsive teaching, we immediately think about the amygdala and the role it plays in one's ability to learn. If a student is stressed or faced with trauma, he/she is not able to learn and take in new information. Stress and trauma have a systemic effect on the body, from one's ability to learn to one's ability to have a healthy immune system- they are interrelated. How do we allow certain classes to cause so much pain and trauma to classes or groups of people that they consider "less than"?
Clearly, it should not take a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina, or, a pandemic like COVID-19 to shed light on the inequities that BIPOC continue to be plagued with as we witnessed in Crenshaw's When Blackness is a Preexisting Condition, In a broken system, with nothing but false hope and broken promises, BIPOC have lost hope and faith. Quite frankly, I do not blame them. It is maddening to watch so many people needlessly suffering. The quote "people of color whose chances of survival were handicapped by generations of human-engineered disasters before they found themselves in the path of a natural one" says it all. Viruses and natural disasters are not to blame, as they are not solely at fault. Human beings are at fault here- and they have been for generations. So, while some try to blame pre-existing health conditions for the racial disparities in COVID-19, they are ignorant or unaware of the deeper underlying issues at play. If things do not change now, when will they change? As previously stated, history repeats itself; however, it doesn't have to.
People need to get honest, face reality, and get used to feeling uncomfortable to create sustainable change. I, for one, am sick and tired of hearing, "we're all in this together"! Wake up and look around! "WE" are not all in this together, and until we are, BIPOC will continue to suffer and racial tensions will continue to rise. There is hope for the future, but we must act now. Misleading people into thinking that hope is on the way will not suffice. We have lost far too many people to this vicious virus. If we can take what we have learned about structural inequities and use it to create change, at least something positive can come out of a devastating situation. As Shonkoff and Williams so eloquently stated, "If we embrace this all-in approach, we may be able to look back someday and see how this terrible moment in time pushed us to finally address the adverse childhood conditions and structural inequities that make some communities more susceptible to disease than others. The documentary, In Sickness and in Wealth shows us that affluence and education is directly related to one's health and the type of job they will obtain in the future. That would be the ultimate "vaccine" against the many threats to health and well-being that can affect us all."
As educators, it is our job to keep the momentum going and we must fight for our students. Students in inner-city schools deserve everything that students in White suburbia have. Yesterday, I left work and I protested for the gross inequities that are occurring within the Providence Public School Department. Many educators are so upset that they have decided to leave the profession. I will stay and fight for my kids, their families, and their communities. We owe it to them. Many people have asked me if I am concerned about retaliation from the new "leaders" in Providence. My response is "absolutely not! Someone needs to advocate and voice their concerns, as the governor, commissioner, and superintendent are failing our children miserably."
As far as I am concerned, we are not ALL in this together if we are excluding certain groups of people. When will people wake up?
You mention that human beings are at fault for coronavirus, and for systemic inequalities, and that you have hope. Is your hope that human nature itself will eventually change; or that we as a species will rise to the challenge, be conscious of and seek to work through our flaws and baser tendencies?
ReplyDeleteI believe (in fact, I hope) the human species will never outgrow the unpleasant emotions that are the root cause of all human conflict, both internal and external, (hatred, anger, fear, shame) because we define our humanity by the way that we handle those emotions. If those emotions were to be bred out of us, then our species would stagnate. They make us seek growth. Yet isn’t ambition part of the reason we got here in the first place? Is it possible to maintain humanity’s ambition to improve while eliminating the natural ambition for power?
Hannah,
DeleteI don't know if you meant to respond to my post. I never said that human beings are responsible for the virus, as I am certainly not a conspiracy theorist. Additionally, the hope I mentioned is in reference to the readings for this week. As for systemic inequalities- if human beings are not responsible, please enlighten me and tell me who is at fault. The articles referenced a past POTUS. Hurricane Katrina was mentioned and I don't know about you, but I certainly became teary eyed when I read about the 91-year-old woman who died in her wheelchair, while waiting for help that arrived far too late.
Also, I talked about creating change- yet, I never said that we should outgrow the unpleasant emotions. Actually, I said the complete opposite. As for hope, that was yet again a reference from the readings and video. I thought it was evident that I would like to see humans rise to the challenge and create permanent change.
WE are all in this together is a joke. We are not all treated equally in the United STates. BIPOC will continue to suffer because there are no resources in their communities.
DeleteI agree with when you say"as educators we must keep the momentum going and fight for our students. As a BLACK teacher I fight daily for my students success in the class and outside. I hope we outgrow the root causes of the inequalities.
Hi Ky,
DeleteIt is absolutely a joke. Luckily, we do have people who are serious about this, and we will continue to fight for our students BIPOC in general. I just left a training with Highlander and I have to say that I was impressed with many of colleagues and responses. However, out of 125 teachers, only 14 teachers were present. I know how incredibly stressed we are right now, as it is NOT a fun time to be a teacher in the PPSD. However, as professionals, we need to stop talking and do more acting. Would it have killed them to stay at school for another hour and a half?
I am joining the PTU's social justice committee and I encourage you to join me! We need caring, devoted and empathetic teachers who have been on both sides! Keep doing what you're doing- you are an inspiration to your students.