ART & DESIGN BY AMY LIAO
UNMUTED Examining the local evolution of Black Lives Matter amidst a global pandemic.
BY FAREEHA AHMAD, MAYA CHU & MARTA LEIRA
T
he streets of Iowa City were lined with protesters demanding racial equality. Groups chanting “Hands up, don’t shoot” and “Say their names” filled every corner of the city while voices echoed across graffiti-lined streets. Megaphones boomed over the crowd as organizers shared their experiences, and the stories lingered in the ears of those who listened. Many Iowans attended the local protests motivated by recent instances of police brutality against Black Americans this summer. According to the New York Times, 15 million to 26 million people in the U.S. alone have attended rallies in support of the Black Lives Matter movement since the killing of George Floyd in May. These numbers represent the greatest turnout for a movement in the history of the U.S.
PRE-EXISTING PANDEMIC
Systemic racism refers to the structures in society that place many people of color at a disadvantage in various aspects of life. According to USA Today, effects are shown through “success indicators,” including unemployment rates, income and education. COVID-19 has exacerbated the systemic inequalities that the Black population already faces which leaves them especially vulnerable to the pandemic. According to the CDC, COVID-19 hospitalization and infection rates are significantly higher for Black Americans than their white counterparts, at 2.6 and 4.7 times, respectively. “We already knew that African Americans fare worse in terms of the number of health outcomes,” said Jessica Paige, University of Iowa Sociology and African American Studies
Professor. “But now, in addition to that … countless faces of African Americans have passed away, and it’s like taking these health disparities and enhancing them and making them visible for everybody.” Because COVID-19 has also left millions unemployed, countless individuals are forced to decide between paying this month’s rent or putting food on the table. It has been difficult for many to stay afloat, but marginalized communities have been hit the hardest by these economic effects. “I think all these things, these moments of unrest, are never about one thing, and they never arise suddenly,” Paige said. “This has been happening, and I think the pain has been so significant from the pandemic that it’s just making people even more frustrated, frightened and in some cases, desperate.” According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate in August was 8.4% but was significantly higher for Black Americans at 13%. Similarly, the median net worth of a Black household is $17,700 compared to $171,000 for white families, as reported by The Guardian. These economic factors can already be limiting, but Paige feels the pandemic has only heightened their influence. “There are people who have lost multiple family members, who are not working, who don’t know how they are going to pay their rent,” Paige said. “Then you add in the police brutality piece [and] you have this visual once again of the ways in which the United States has abused and killed Black people.” Due to these disparities, Angie Jordan, the director of the South District Neighborhood Association, is working to promote equity within the area. She is facilitating multiple programs, one being the “Neighborhood Nest” which aims to provide childcare and a safe learning environment for children of working parents.
