Counternarrative: I've been trying to distill my thoughts into words about #COVID19 and #Black #America. We would be complicit in #structural #racism to assume the cases & deaths look the way they do because we're "all not taking this seriously and playing basketball" 😑😒🙄 1/
Instead, historical social, economic, educational, health, etc. inequities brought us where we are. Yes, some Black and Brown people are "killing the game" and have "gotten ahead". But, many don't have the luxury to shelter in place/work from home. 2/
The alternative- be SUBJECTED to HUNDREDS (if not thousands) of exposures a day as an essential employee (e.g., nurse, doctor, cashier, driver, postal worker), riding public transportation, grocery shopping for family and/or neighbors, etc. 3/
Are there people who aren't taking it seriously? Of course. But just as there are in other racial/ethnic groups. Like we've seen with #HIV and other #SocialJustice health issues, don't let the numbers cause you to lose sight of the real culprit behind them: #racism 4/
And given what we know about bias in care (e.g., Blacks less likely to: be taken seriously, given certain treatments, receive proper life-sustaining measures), I am not surprised by these numbers. It's just sad to watch it play out 💔 BUT, I have hope for the future 5/
Fellow #healthequity & #SocialJustice advocates, what if we are here "for such a time as this"? To make sure that others are protected, taken care of and SAVED from unnecessary, premature death? I don't have all of the answers to make this happen, but the future depends on it! 6/
