There have been many loaded, anti-Black discussions about personal responsibility and how Black people manage our Black lives, including our health, during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, not nearly as much collective concern—and judgment—has been expended to call out white supremacist institutions and instructors that pathologize Blackness without examining the structural unwellness of this nation.
During the course of producing this series on COVID-19 and its impact on Black America, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with and be in (socially-distanced) community with some of the sharpest minds, biggest hearts, and committed organizers of this generation. However, it was the words of Mr. Robert Taylor of Reserve in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, that have resonated with me for months—and will do so for a lifetime.