(ThyBlackMan.com) COVID-19 has brought the world to its knees. In America race is always an issue. It’s built into the fiber and soul of this land. It’s so ingrained that it is hard to see anything else as the primary issue for black Americans because matters regarding race tend to affect our everyday life. Many of us have been denied jobs, bank loans, have seen discrimination in education, and every facet of life. In addition to the systematic issues there are the concerns regarding the legal justice system. There is police brutality, and the kind of racism that kills literally.
Black Americans know life can become a nightmare in the blink of an eye. We have to consider the race in every situation because it will show itself, and to ignore that fact can be life altering…or life ending. Class it the other element, among many that is a constant in the country. The haves and have nots is more than a show on Tv; it is a reality that can also be the difference between those that get far in life verse those that hit constant roadblocks.
The reality in the wake of COVID-19 is race takes a backseat to class. This is a different space for black people. Honestly, it’s hard to have a race discussion right now when this virus kills it doesn’t care about race, financial status, country, sex, or nationality. It infects indiscriminately, and it is forcing a discussion about the state of humanity. It is exposing the US for its lack of preparation, and it’s exposing the class divide in a way we are used to with race. As this virus broke loose in this country it seemed as though you had to have a certain status to guarantee you could get tested. There weren’t enough tests so it you were poor or not of the “elite” class financially you had to go home and deal with your symptoms. Unfortunately, some people died in this state. They couldn’t get tested in time…and by the time they made it into the hospital it was too late.
Black people know race will show itself in this situation as it does in everything. Yet, this isn’t the discussion right now. We have to make sure our need to make an argument doesn’t make us devoid of the humanity needed to help be a part of the efforts to help humanity however we can. Unfortunately, when history writes the story of COVID-19, in the United States, it will be a horror story about greed, faulty leadership, egos, and class. Americans are dying because to these things. Acknowledging class issues in the battle of this virus doesn’t mean race is dismissed or overlooked. It’s just not the forefront argument.
We need to be finding ways to make sure we survive the various quarantines. There are medical professionals and first responders of various backgrounds fighting to keep as many Americans alive as possible. If this nation is to heal it must care about the poor person with the same care as the celebrity, athlete, and politician. Unfortunately the class divide could grow deeper as this virus gets worse.
Staff Writer; Adonicka Michele