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The grief right now is real. Grief for a past life that will never be again. Grief for lost lives and lifestyles. Grief for an uncertain future plagued by climate change and infectious disease.
But let us not misunderstand this moment. The etymology of the word “apocalypse” means to “uncover” (apo = un, koluptein = to cover).
We are being called to see the beyond the lie of separation, to act beyond our individual circumstances and to imagine beyond the status quo. This is an inflection point where our collective grief can transmute into collective care.
Bayo Akomolafe reminds us “these times are urgent. Let us slow down”.
Make room to feel and grieve and reach out to one another. We are all we’ve got. And we are our best hope for the future we all deserve.
Kerri (she/her)
The stimulus plan does not stimulate most people [[link removed]]. Instead it gives 500 billion to corporations. We need a people’s bailout. [[link removed]] [click to tweet [[link removed]]]
Trump says he’s considering a plan that would kill a lot of people [[link removed]]. How the president is laying the groundwork to reopen the economy over health experts objections [[link removed]]. [click to tweet [[link removed]]]
We’re losing the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s why the American approach is failing [[link removed]] and what it will take to change course. [click to tweet [[link removed]]]
Working from home reveals another fault line [[link removed]] in America’s racial and educational divide. While many are hunkered down with laptops at home, others must show up for work…for all of us. [click to tweet [[link removed]]]
If you’re sheltering in place, be sure to check in with yourself. Here are six daily questions to ask yourself in quarantine [[link removed]]. [click to tweet [[link removed]]]
We’re coming together around community care. Check out our Coronavirus Community Care Guide [[link removed]]. And here is this week’s call to action:
REAL-TIME RELIEF: Our wellness community is hurting right now, so we are partnering with Reclamation Ventures to organize a coordinated response to help keep marginalized instructors and businesses afloat. In the absence of systems that protect workers in times like these, we are raising funds to provide real-time relief in the form of one month’s lost revenue to underestimated applicants who are of the greatest need. Sign the solidarity pact [[link removed]], make a contribution [[link removed]] and take the survey [[link removed]]!
SOLIDARITY: When millions of employees risk their lives to show up to work during this #COVID19 outbreak, companies need to #ProtectAllWorkers with paid sick leave, strong safety measures, cover lost wages and provide free testing. Here’s how you can help [[link removed]].
ADVOCACY: The call is for a #PeoplesBailout [[link removed]], not a corporate bailout. Here’s what we’re fighting for:1. Health is the top priority, for all people, with no exceptions.2. Economic relief must be provided directly to the people.3. Rescue workers and communities, not corporate executives.4. Make a downpayment on a regenerative economy while preventing future crises.5. Protect our democratic process while protecting each other.
That discomfort you’re feeling…it’s grief [[link removed]]. And it’s important to put a name to it so that we can know how to work with it and not around it. It’s the grief of cancelled events and lost work. It’s the isolation of physical distancing. It’s the lives and livelihoods lost and threatened. It’s the anticipatory grief associated with an uncertain future. And it’s the grief that comes with realizing that we will never be the same; we are forever changed. Grief is our discomfort, but it is also a doorway to healing. Michelle Cassandra Johnson says “By grieving, we are able to digest and compost our broken heartedness turning it into a lesson on how to awaken to the causes of suffering. When we recognize our suffering and the suffering others experience, we can aspire to heal and mend our collective broken heartedness." Here’s a resource for honoring our collective grief and healing in community [[link removed]].
People and the economy are not the only thing at risk from this virus. COVID-19 will test our democracy. The most urgent need now is for Congress to appropriate enough money to the states to put in place necessary changes to our election system. And while the current stimulus bill addresses funding for election protection, experts say it is not nearly enough. Here’s the Brennon Center for Justice’s recommendation for how to protect the election from Coronavirus [[link removed]]. Meanwhile, 223 days until the election.
Community care is how we show up in this moment and respond to those with the greatest need. It is rooted in interdependence and a mutual responsibility to one another and the whole. Join us Thursday, March 26th at 630p for a FREE online meet-up [[link removed]] on how to organize community care. Sign up here [[link removed]]. Artwork by @AOC
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