Major events in history are often retold through the lens of just a few people and capture just a portion of a moment. Far too often, the wider scale of an event and its impact on black and brown people gets shoehorned into a condensed summary.
Which leads us to wonder how the story of COVID-19 and its impact on black and brown communities will be told in the coming years. Will it be simply summed up as a snapshot in time that killed over 100,000 Americans? Will historians reflect on the fact that an outsized percentage of African Americans and Latinos fell victim to this deadly virus? And, if so, will they remark on the fact that this massive loss of lives were a result of centuries-old racial disparities that are systematically perpetuated in our nation?
Will the narrative center around those in our nation’s exurbs who felt a greater impact from the economic fallout or hail the frontline, minimum wage workers — many of whom are minorities– who risked their own health to keep essential services running?
It’s impossible to say what story future historians will tell. However, we have the fortunate opportunity to record our stories today to ensure they do not get lost in the sea of time.
We will be collecting first-person accounts through video interviews, audio recordings, and photographs. If you would like to share your experiences or perspectives on these historic times please, contact The MinorityEye at 803-619-3752 or via email at info@theminorityeye.com
