The Power of Messaging During a Pandemic

by Angela Waters Austin

Let’s examine the language we use when we share information about our neighbors surviving COVID-19. ( I am preaching to myself here, too).

Everyone loves survivors. Identifying communities as vulnerable and then attributing cultural factors as contributing to vulnerability reinforces implicit bias and is more likely to increase incidents of racial/ethnic targeting. We don’t talk about cultural factors when white people are engaged in communal activities that may increase risk. We especially don’t talk about, or criminalize, the culture of whiteness that is putting Black and Brown people at risk.

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