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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
I moved into my first apartment this past week! Which is exciting and nerve-wracking. I moved in with two of my closest friends from home, so I'm happy I'm in good company. They both lived in Harlem prior to the pandemic and moved out over the summer. They were trying to move to Brooklyn and wanted me to join them, so here I am. Moving during the pandemic wasn't that unusual, we wore masks and cleaned everything before we began unpacking. But in the five days since we've been here, and have all been working here since we're all working remotely (and all trying to find new/better jobs), rates have begun rising in the area. We joked about whether we were making a mistake, since this might be the darkest winter ever--everything closed and cold. But I'm taking comfort in the fact that if I'm stuck inside for the entire winter, I'm doing it with two people I love and enjoy spending time with. Truthfully, we would've never gotten this apartment if it hadn't been for the pandemic. The monthly rent we're paying was lowered from last year by over $500. We frankly wouldn't have been able to afford it. And it's beautiful. It's bright and airy, and I have a skylight (as does one of my friends) and it just feels right. So we'll figure it out. Whatever happens, I have faith we'll figure it out together.
October 7, 2020
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Let's talk about racism. Have you seen any messages or memes that you thought were racist or offensive? If so, talk about what you've seen or heard.
The divisions in the country are in an uproar and racism is at the center: the white supremicists are fighting tooth and nail for what they think of as their right to dominate the rest of us. Start with Marjorie Taylor Green, the right wing star of the week (see my journal entry), continue with Kevin McCarthy's "we all bear some responsibility for the 6 Jan attack on the Capitol and his trip to consult with Trump in Florida, continue with the hypocritical messaging of the Republicans that holding people accountable for violating their oaths of office to the Constitution is "divisive", continue with the posts and speeches of the people involved in the attack on the Capitol (no remorse, but the opposite), continue with the open campaign of Republicans to gerrymander so that Republicans are assured majorities, to get Republican legislatures to pass laws that allow them to override elections, watch Fox News, and watch the migration to other platforms. Continue with the astonishing failure of the Capitol police, DoD and DoJ to explain publicly what happened on 6 January, to explain how explicit warnings of armed attack failed to trigger any defense perimeters for the Capitol. Continue with the slow but steady identification of supporters, sympathizers and fellow travelers of the Poor Boys and other right wing groups inside police and other institutions. Unfortunately, we have seen all this before both in the history of the U.S. and elsewhere (Weimar Germany). May the Biden initiatives and all the Stacey Abrams style organizing be enough to hold the country together. There is a change a coming, but the resistance is fierce.
February 5, 2021