73 - Black Lives Matter
73. Black Lives Matter
I hope everyone stays safe, uses their time to educate others or themselves, and can overcome apathy. This is a point in time that will soon be referred as “history”. I urge everyone to be on the right side of it.
73. Black Lives Matter
Hello and welcome to another episode of Curioscity. My name is Calvin Yeager, and today, I’ve decided that it’s not the right time to do a normal episode of this show. I’m clearly referring to the continuing social injustice that is, once again, at the forefront of the United States’ mind. These injustices have been an issue with my (and likely our) country since long before its inception, so when I say it’s not the right time to do a normal episode of the show, I don’t mean that last week was really any different. Next week likely won’t be, either.
You may wonder why I’m choosing to talk about current and seemingly political events today. However, Curioscity is not a political show, and talking about the Black Lives Matter movement or rights for those who have been persecuted is not political either. I do not imagine that my audience encompasses many who actively disregard the Black Lives Matter movement so I do not plan to make an appeal to reason just to have it fill an echo chamber. I also recognize that I am not the most articulate or most qualified individual and therefore I can’t promise to deliver some kind of beautiful gem to my listeners.
What I can do is make some small recommendations.
The first starts with an understanding: protests and public attention are necessary to bring the conversation surrounding minority rights to the forefront of people’s minds. That being said, there is still a virus with an assumed mortality rate of about 1% active in most parts of the world (especially the US). This virus will spread through protests and it will more negatively affect Black people and other people of color. The CDC has said: “current data suggest a disproportionate burden of illness and death among racial and ethnic minority groups”. John Hopkins Medicine has published an article saying: “According to media reports, in Chicago, where African Americans comprise a third of the city’s population, they account for half of those who have tested positive for the coronavirus, and almost three-quarters of COVID-19 deaths. Likewise, in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, African Americans make up 70% of deaths due to the coronavirus, but just 26% of the county’s population.” These effects are almost certainly due to socioeconomic factors including but not limited to being major components of essential workforces and a lack of healthcare. If you attend a protest and have the opportunity (that is, you are not subject to injustices and brutality), please do your best to adhere to safe practices: social distancing and mask wearing, among others. If you don’t feel well, please strongly consider not attending a protest. We can still make our voices heard while doing our best to protect the other members of our communities.
The second: educate yourself as to how you can best contribute to what’s happening right now. This might be through your time (i.e. educating others about safe protest practices, speaking to legislators, etc); this might be through your presence (i.e. attending protests); or this might be through your donations. A website I’ve seen other podcasts link to is https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/. Another, sent to me in March of 2021, is https://www.websiteplanet.com/blog/support-black-owned-businesses/. I’ve donated. I’m not rich, and you don’t have to be either. It’s definitely important to consider how you fit into this whole mess. It’ll be person-dependent and will require some introspective thinking… and that can be scary.
The third recommendation I’d like to make is to be wary of apathy. If you’re unaware, the definition of apathy is a lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern. Every aspect of that definition is true in different aspects right now. Right now, people might be experiencing apathy because they are not concerned for the welfare and livelihoods of Black Americans. The likelihood is that those same people may not care about the welfare and livelihood of other underrepresented groups, including other people of color and women. Later this year, it’s possible many Americans might feel apathetic about elections and might not go out and vote because they are not interested in the outcome or enthusiastic about putting in effort. If there is a time or place for apathy, it is not now.
I hope everyone stays safe, uses their time to educate others or themselves, and can overcome apathy. This is a point in time that will soon be referred as “history”. I urge everyone to be on the right side of it.
Stay curious.