Resources for Dismantling Systemic White Supremacy

young Asian woman wearing medical mask holding sign "I am not a virus"

The introduction of COVID-19 has brought changes into our lives. Many of us are experiencing health and financial concerns for ourselves and those we love. These concerns are real. They also land with uneven impact within our families and society.

The NAACP issued a report entitled Ten Equity Implications of the Coronavirus COVID-19 Outbreak in the United States. The report details how some communities are at both greater risk and impact for the spread of the coronavirus. There is information about the impact on various communities, such as those who are incarcerated, elderly, indigenous, living with special needs or disabilities, poor and working poor, homeless, GLBTQ, working parents, immigrants, Asian American and more. The report also addresses the short and long-term health impact of many cleaning products. It includes suggestions about how we can advocate for ourselves and others struggling with disparate impacts. For more information, please visit the NAACP's website.

Another excellent source is this article from them., “Where Was this When My Friends Were Dying?: HIV Crisis Survivors Reflect on Coronavirus.” Reflections from four people living and working with HIV/AIDS offer a lens into pandemics and loss and how society embraces and rejects certain groups and the true human cost this creates. As the article notes, “[Coronavirus] shows us that one of the deadliest of all diseases — prejudice — continues to shape who lives and who dies in America.”

Many of our congregations partner with local organizations that support groups mentioned in the NAACP report. How can your congregation continue to be a good partner during this time when need is great and impact painfully uneven? How can you assist members within your congregation who are unevenly impacted? And as always, if you are unevenly impacted, much tender care and love.