Blog Post #1

From @courtneyahdesign on instagram

When we talk or think about systemic issues of racism and classism in the United States (both of which are intertwined) we have to remember that regardless of the intentions of politicians or policies, certain groups have been historically set up to struggle more significantly. While social activists, journalists, and academics have been pointing out these equalities for decades, the advent of social media discourse has brought these issues to a wider audience. One example of this occurred during the early stages of the 2020 global Covid-19 pandemic. Local and global media outlets alike were posting think pieces about what “no school” meant for students who rely on schools for things other than education, particularly meals. While most educators have been aware of this issue for decades (with many districts offering some sort of “to-go” meals throughout the summer breaks) this was suddenly “shocking” news for everyday Americans. 

Jack P. Shonkoff, M.D. and David R. Williams, Ph.D. explore a similar issue in “Thinking About Racial Disparities in COVID-19 Impacts Through a Science-Informed, Early Childhood Lens” where they argue that black Americans are at higher risk for exposure and death from Covid-19 due to the ways in which our society has systematically segregated, oppressed, and withheld resources from this group for generations. The authors explain, “there is increasing evidence that health-threatening conditions early in life—including poor nutrition, exposure to pollutants, and excessive family stress associated with poverty, racism, and other forms of economic or social disadvantage—can have disruptive effects on developing immune and metabolic systems that lead to greater risk for a variety of chronic health impairments”

Furthermore, Kimberle Williams Crenshaw explores the issue of health in black communities in her article, “When Blackness Is a Preexisting Condition”  where she argues that “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. Their deaths will overtake them silently and without fanfare, unless we are able to speak of common threats in a non–color-blind way that matches the devastating scale of the crisis at hand.”

Finally, the documentary In Sickness and In Wealth shows how people with access to power and resources are more likely to survive and be treated for illnesses. 

It is something so obvious when reading the data and hearing about the lived experiences of people in these communities, and yet, what is being done to make sure that all people live equitably? The debate rages on, with many people who continue to blame the individuals and not the system. The “American dream” lingo pervades these discussions with phrases like “if they just tried…” or “if they just got a better job” etc - leveling the blame in entirely the wrong place. Why is it so difficult for people with privilege to recognize that they have privilege? That their ability to access healthcare and better jobs is not necessarily a result of their own “ambitions” but rather a system that allows them to obtain these things without much thought or regard for the struggles of others?