[Drawing of two speech bubbles that say “What are we doing during COVID-19?” surrounded be drawings of a hand holding a phone with a smiling person, a poster for a dance event with a banner that says POSTPONED over it, the VENMO logo surrounded by dollar signs, a face mask, sudsy soap, a bag of groceries in front of a closed door, the flattening the curve graphic, and a few decorative branches with leaves on it.]
[Drawing of a picture frame with a sunrise and clouds that says “Understanding the Big Picture” surrounded by a circle that says ableism —> dismissing COVID-19 because it has the largest impact on elders & those with pre-existing conditions (i.e. not YOU), shows who you think is disposable —> we need to center (drawing of arrows pointing towards each other) elders & disabled folks in how we respond to COVID-19 —> Drawing of a laptop with text: the quickness to respond to COVID-19 with accessible & remote work, education, & events when disabled & chronically ill people have been denied access to these things in the past HIGHLIGHTS how ableism operates. / circle that says capitalism —> Coronavirus highlights (again) how our capitalist system hurts people —> capitalism already killed people before COVID-19 —> “Everyone’s a Socialist in a Pandemic” by Farhad Manjoo NYT 2020 —> Box with paper sticking out of it that says WE NEED: universal healthcare, paid sick leave, debt relief & not just for/during coronavirus / circle that says racism & xenophobia —> (drawing of a newspaper that reads “Wuhan Virus”) Anti-Asian racism has spread with coronavirus. Chinese businesses have suffered and violent attacks have increased. —> Historically, viral outbreaks & xenophobia have gone hand-in-hand —> from yellow fever to SARS to Ebola —> “The State has a long history and present of using quarantine & pandemic as a means of harming & controlling people” - Maryse Mitchell-Brody
[Drawing of a circle that says “Sharing Resources + Mutual Aid” surrounded by a drawing of toilet paper with text that reads “Stockpiling & Hoarding resources will not save you, but will harm people who can’t afford or are unable to buy food, meds, toiletries all at once. —> And reselling?!?! that’s trash” (drawing of a trash can); Drawing of Venmo logo surrounded by dollar signs with text that reads “Check-in with people in your community - your people without paid sick leave, freelancers, artists/musicians/writers who have lost jobs & gigs, etc.; Drawing of circles surrounding each other with text that reads “Pod Mapping —> adapted from Mia Mingus & the BATJC by Rebel Sidney Black —> A Concrete way to connect & plan with your people; a drawing of a baby bottle next to texts that reads “Childcare! Support the parents & caregivers in your community, esp. single parents, parents without leave, etc.; A drawing of a car with text that reads “Pickup groceries or prescriptions for immunocompromised family, friends, neighbors, & people in your community.”]
[Drawing of a smart phone with text that reads “Staying Connected even with Distance” —> drawing of a letter in an envelope with text “Become a pen pal with a person who is incarcerated” —> drawing of a stack of cash with text “Give money to a bail fund, an abortion fund, a sex worker giving circle. —> Drawing of headphones with text “share resources (articles, poems, podcasts) with your networks. —> Drawing of poster for a dance event with a banner that says POSTPONED over it with text “Cancel or postpone events, conferences, & meetings —> drawing of a multi-person video chat on a tablet with a speech bubble that says “hey y’all” and text that reads “OR! Hold them online when possible” —> drawing a hand holding a phone with a smiling person with text that reads “Call a friend, an elder, folks in your pod!”]
[Drawing of a pillow with text that says “Taking a Break” —> drawing of a puppy surrounded by hearts and text that reads “boop your dog’s nose” —> drawing of a bowl of chicken and dumplings with a spoon and text that reads “cook a meal” —> drawing of a book with text that reads “read a novel” —> drawing of a piece of paper with the words “doodle,” an upside down smiley face, a flower, and a doodle" “s” next to a drawing of a pencil —> drawing of a person moving surrounded by music notes with text that reads “dance in your living room” —> drawing of the Twitter logo with text bubbles that read “…” and “Stop scrolling”]
RESOURCES
I am so grateful for all the organizers, writers, social workers, and artists who have already created and written so many important articles on COVID-19 and how we can respond with a social and healing justice lens. Here are some of the resources that helped me in my thinking. Many of these resources have additional links that I recommend checking out as well.
“Coronavirus: Wisdom from a Social Justice Lens” episode of the Healing Justice Podcast (link)
Caring Across Distance: Some Things to Consider Before Movement Gatherings During COVID-19 by Maryse Mitchell-Brody (link)
“Everyone’s a Socialist in a A Pandemic” by Farhad Manjoo (link)
“How a Chinese Immigrant Neighborhood is Struggling amid coronavirus-related xenophobia” by Rachel Ramirez (link)
“How to Take Action without Leaving the House” by Mad Trans Dreams (link)
“Please Stop Treating Me Like I’m Disposable When You Talk About The Coronavirus” by Zipporah Arielle (link)
“Pod Mapping for Mutual Aid” by Rebel Sidney Black (link)
“When Xenophobia Spreads Like a Virus” by NPR’s CodeSwitch Podcast (link)