Friday, May 1, 2020

The Coronacation Diaries, Episode 47

If They Were Black


If they were Black, brandishing weapons in the faces of cops, would they live to see international news coverage of their rage? Would anyone listen to their claims of suppression and injustice?

If they were white, would their death rate from the virus be obscenely high? Would the health risks of growing up poor and white still make them highly susceptible to the worst effects of the virus?

If they were Black, wearing face masks into the bank, would they get polite service? Would they be told to have a nice day, stay safe out there, come back in real soon?

If they were white, would they be so damn angry about fishing? About their cottage up North? About their landscaping? About their roots?

If you get infected with #Coronavirus & you die, I doubt you or anyone else will care what your hair looks like. This is a woman from today’s protest in WI. Just dumb. 
— Khary Penebaker (@kharyp) April 19, 2020


If they were Black, would they be able to get a doctor's appointment? Emergency dental care? A physical? A Covid-19 screening?

If they were white, would they be screaming "Heil Whitmer" at the Governor, demanding we all go back to work, because the virus is really just the flu and only 4,000 people in the state have died?

If they were Black, would they even be alive today? Would we listen to what they have to say? Would their lives even matter?


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