Covid 19 Exposes Disparities that has Long Been a Problem
We live in a society today where injustices are all around us. You turn on the news you see it, you go for a walk you see it, you go to work you see it, and it is something that has become the norm to hear about repeatedly, because it happens so frequently. In the mist of this, we as a society are constantly trying to figure out how to handle these issues that we see from day to day. We may ignore them because we feel like we do not have the solution, we may protest with others to get our point across, or we may find other outlets to express ourselves, while still feeling like we do not want to be seen as a radical.
If you are a Black person, you know this struggle way too well. According to Du Bois, it is called the "Double Consciousness". Double Consciousness according to the Sanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy is "inward twoness, putatively experienced by African-Americans because of their racialized oppression and disvaluation in a White-dominated society". This statement above is trying to describe how African Americans feel split when they are in society. Meaning, that they embrace their culture and ebonics at home, while realizing that they cannot bring these things into White society, because they must assimilate into the White cultural norms. This split is usually seen in job settings, where Black people feel they must act a certain way to be seen as professional, and not fully be able to be themselves.
After reading this far, you may be wondering what does any of this have to do with Covid-19 disparities? It actually has a lot to do with it, because it is just expressing the fact that injustices against people of color have been happening since the beginning of time. Due to this realization, Black people have found ways throughout history to cope with these injustices like the "Double Consciousness" mentioned above. This now brings me to the topic of the disparities happening during this Covid-19 crisis. I first want to start off by saying that these disparities against people of color is not something that just begun during the Covid-19 pandemic. These are issues that are just more visible now due to the current situation that we are all going through.
In the Article Connecting the Dots Between Environment Injustices and the Coronavirus, Wilson explains these disparities well in the interview he was asked to be in. In this article, Wilson talks about how there are environmental injustices happening all around us. Environment injustices usually happen in lower-income poorer areas, or in urban settings that are usually occupied by people of color. These injustices could range from having an incinerator, landfills, and highways being built in these poorer areas. You may be thinking why is this really an issue? It is an issue because of the pollution that comes along with it. The truth of the matter is that poorer areas have less say of what can come into their neighborhoods than White people who have more money. Wilson stated, "Poorer areas do not have a strong political voice when it comes to environmental decisions, whereas White higher-income communities have more political and economical power to decide what they want in their neighborhoods and don't". There has been a huge link as to why this injustice is causing more people of color in poorer areas to die.
In March of 2020 when this pandemic started to rise, Trump administration announced that they were suspending enforcement of environmental regulations during this crisis. Let us all stop to think about this decision. By them doing this, rules that have only partially helped lower-income areas because they do not have much say so to what happens in their neighborhood, are not being dropped, and if something environmental happens that is detrimental to these people's health, they are really on their own. If that does not scream injustice for a group of people, then I do not know what does. Due to these poor decisions, people in these areas have been dying at rapid paces.
In the article Wilson stated, "Part of the reason folks have a higher risk of mortality when you have the Covid 19 infection is due to underlying health conditions like asthma, diabetes, and heart diseases. These health problems have been seen more in the Black and Latino poorer areas. Since the environmental regulations are now suspended during this pandemic, higher pollution levels have risen, and people with asthma have even more reduced lung capacity, which eventually leads to death. With the other diseases, the diet of this population is killing them, because they are not getting the nutrition that they need to fight off a virus that does great damage to the body. Even diet and behavior is driven by context. If you only have fast food in your neighborhood, and don't have access to a grocery store, or decent healthcare, you can see how this becomes problematic".
This article that I have shared throughout my blog shows injustices that have been happening for decades, but are just more visible now because of the current crisis. This is why it is so crucial for people to educate themselves, and realize that the government is not out to help everyone, and usually not the poor. These disparities are the reason why numbers are still rising of people of color in poorer areas dying from Covid 19, when these things could be resolved if different regulations and equalities was put in place for everyone. It is not okay for a certain demographic of people to have more power than the other, because the majority of us pay taxes, and we are all U.S. citizens. In the mist of this pandemic, let us all remember that there is someone out there that needs you to speak out on these difficult topics, so that they may see another day to live.
If you are a Black person, you know this struggle way too well. According to Du Bois, it is called the "Double Consciousness". Double Consciousness according to the Sanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy is "inward twoness, putatively experienced by African-Americans because of their racialized oppression and disvaluation in a White-dominated society". This statement above is trying to describe how African Americans feel split when they are in society. Meaning, that they embrace their culture and ebonics at home, while realizing that they cannot bring these things into White society, because they must assimilate into the White cultural norms. This split is usually seen in job settings, where Black people feel they must act a certain way to be seen as professional, and not fully be able to be themselves.
After reading this far, you may be wondering what does any of this have to do with Covid-19 disparities? It actually has a lot to do with it, because it is just expressing the fact that injustices against people of color have been happening since the beginning of time. Due to this realization, Black people have found ways throughout history to cope with these injustices like the "Double Consciousness" mentioned above. This now brings me to the topic of the disparities happening during this Covid-19 crisis. I first want to start off by saying that these disparities against people of color is not something that just begun during the Covid-19 pandemic. These are issues that are just more visible now due to the current situation that we are all going through.
In the Article Connecting the Dots Between Environment Injustices and the Coronavirus, Wilson explains these disparities well in the interview he was asked to be in. In this article, Wilson talks about how there are environmental injustices happening all around us. Environment injustices usually happen in lower-income poorer areas, or in urban settings that are usually occupied by people of color. These injustices could range from having an incinerator, landfills, and highways being built in these poorer areas. You may be thinking why is this really an issue? It is an issue because of the pollution that comes along with it. The truth of the matter is that poorer areas have less say of what can come into their neighborhoods than White people who have more money. Wilson stated, "Poorer areas do not have a strong political voice when it comes to environmental decisions, whereas White higher-income communities have more political and economical power to decide what they want in their neighborhoods and don't". There has been a huge link as to why this injustice is causing more people of color in poorer areas to die.
In March of 2020 when this pandemic started to rise, Trump administration announced that they were suspending enforcement of environmental regulations during this crisis. Let us all stop to think about this decision. By them doing this, rules that have only partially helped lower-income areas because they do not have much say so to what happens in their neighborhood, are not being dropped, and if something environmental happens that is detrimental to these people's health, they are really on their own. If that does not scream injustice for a group of people, then I do not know what does. Due to these poor decisions, people in these areas have been dying at rapid paces.
In the article Wilson stated, "Part of the reason folks have a higher risk of mortality when you have the Covid 19 infection is due to underlying health conditions like asthma, diabetes, and heart diseases. These health problems have been seen more in the Black and Latino poorer areas. Since the environmental regulations are now suspended during this pandemic, higher pollution levels have risen, and people with asthma have even more reduced lung capacity, which eventually leads to death. With the other diseases, the diet of this population is killing them, because they are not getting the nutrition that they need to fight off a virus that does great damage to the body. Even diet and behavior is driven by context. If you only have fast food in your neighborhood, and don't have access to a grocery store, or decent healthcare, you can see how this becomes problematic".
This article that I have shared throughout my blog shows injustices that have been happening for decades, but are just more visible now because of the current crisis. This is why it is so crucial for people to educate themselves, and realize that the government is not out to help everyone, and usually not the poor. These disparities are the reason why numbers are still rising of people of color in poorer areas dying from Covid 19, when these things could be resolved if different regulations and equalities was put in place for everyone. It is not okay for a certain demographic of people to have more power than the other, because the majority of us pay taxes, and we are all U.S. citizens. In the mist of this pandemic, let us all remember that there is someone out there that needs you to speak out on these difficult topics, so that they may see another day to live.
Never really considered the environmental impact. That's amazing you made those connections. And while your correct on many points. The thing that gets me is the fact this country was built on the backs of slaves. America is as great as it is due to having free labor to get everything off the ground. And some of those companies that used this slave labor and who would later go on to burn, rape and pillage our people are still around today. And the government wants to say that there isn't enough money for reparations. Yet we can pass 2 trillion dollar stimulus Bill's and give everyone in the country a check tho right? So damm ridiculous. This covid is exposing the bull in our system. We definitely need to support one another especially as minorities cause it's clear that at the top those in power care little for us.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts. Yes, the injustices that are happening today are very difficult to watch, yet alone reflect on, but I am grateful that people are now speaking up about these injustices, instead of taking the approach that this is just the way it is. Our voices and what we have to say are very powerful, so never stop using your voice for change. Stay strong!
ReplyDelete-Davida