The United States, built on African slavery and the genocide of native people, is firmly rooted in racism. The legacy of this violent history becomes clearly visible as the COVID-19 pandemic exposes stark social and economic inequalities in the richest country in the world. Though COVID-19 does not discriminate, there is a striking racial gap in the death toll: in Chicago, though black people make up only about 30% of the population, they account for 72% of COVID-19 deaths; prisons and immigrant detention centers, where appropriate health care has been virtually absent, have been transformed into centers of infection and death; the Navajo nation has more known COVID-19 cases per capita than any state in the union. Meanwhile, the White House misdirects public anger towards China, putting Chinese-Americans at risk of harassment and violence while increasing tensions with the most populous nation on Earth.

What accounts for these gaps? Can they be merely explained by personal prejudice? What is “systemic racism” and how does it relate to capitalism? How can we build international solidarity with the Chinese working class as Trump escalates tensions? What is the role of socialists in fighting racism in the time of COVID? 

Join us Tuesday, May 19th at 7 p.m. on Zoom as we discuss these questions and more with a talk from our guest speaker Dennis Kosuth.

Details

When: May 19, 7–9 p.m.
Where: Attend from anywhere with Zoom 
Find the readings here: https://www.eastbaydsa.org/night-school/

In solidarity,

East Bay DSA Political Education Committee