Candid Conversation: A Community Discussion about COVID-19 and it’s Aftermath

by Alexus Moore

What has been going on.

Between 1865 and 1880, the Black Belt, a cheeky play on words that denotes parts of the south from Texas to Virginia where the soil is dark and rich, but also implies the heavy occupation of Black people, was formed in effort to provide security and opportunities for economic growth and advancement. Albany, Georgia, located in Dougherty County, is a city that W.E.B DuBois famously dubbed “the heart of the Black Belt” where there were “ten thousand Negroes and two thousand whites. Today, much has not changed with the population approximately around 71% Black and 26% white. The city of Albany proclaims itself as a “city of excellence” and is referred to as the “good life city”. However, questions surrounding these monikers linger. Such as: Is excellence afforded to all? Who is the city good for?

Trends that we see in Albany, Georgia surrounding racial minorities and covid19 are not unique to this city. Despite regional differences there are similarities throughout Metro Atlanta and the coast of Atlanta. On May 16th the Women of Color initiative (WoCI), an organization that supports women of color involved in policymaking and leadership positions within the state of Georgia, held a community forum on “COVID 19 & the Aftermath: Strategies for Coping and Creating Lasting Change. Since the pandemic has impacted Black and people of color the most, the first goal of this panel was to discuss how people on the frontlines in Atlanta, Albany, Augusta, Gainesville, and Savannah are experiencing and navigating the toll of COVID-19. Hearing from organizers and community leaders is imperative in order to highlight their narratives and truth as one’s story is their legacy and paves the way for liberation. The second goal was to remind Women of Color that they are not alone as they struggle to deal with COVID-19 and that within them, their families, and communities they have the strength and the tools to not just survive but to thrive.

Below are the highlights of what the panelists from the impacted communities had to say.

Before social distancing warnings were announced, the city of Albany was hit hard by the virus and was labeled a hot spot. The spread of the virus is attributed to two funerals, one on February 29th and another a week later. These funerals resulted in several positive cases of COVID-19 and fatalities as well. Around the same time there was a major 5k race that took place so claims of the outbreak due to multiple funerals may be false. As Jeannette Lucas, a WoCI lead organizer in Albany, GA detailed how the Albany COVID-19 statistics are comparable to counties much larger than them with the numbers being equal or higher. Which was a result of the county only testing 1% of the population. Now more testing is being done, but testing materials are running out.

Patt Gunn, a WoCI lead organizer off the coast of Savannah, GA is as our Elders say “yet holding on.” Initially testing sites were not set up in vulnerable communities. Therefore “culturally it has been a challenge as initially a lot of the sites were set up in places that people would not go to.” News about the severity of COVID-19 surfaced in early March. However, Savannah only received testing sites during the first week of May with the help of their local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) who along with Savannah organizers pushed for the mandate that testing centers must be set up.

Maria del Rosario Palacios, a community organizer in Atlanta/Gainesville, briefly spoke about the impact COVID19 has had in Gainesville, GA. She stated that “as of May 15, there were 2,034 positive cases with 50% being Latinx.” An overwhelming percentage when you consider that the Latinx population countywide is approximately 25%

Monica Khant, from the Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network (GAIN), discussed what is most needed right now is “healthcare, resources, and other ways for immigrant populations to feel supported as government funding such as the stimulus check excluded those without social security numbers. Although the U.S government is neglecting certain populations it is comforting to know that non-profits and other organizations have picked up the needs of the community. Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network raised $40,000 to hand out to their clients as well as raised funding to provide 40 families with rent assistance for three months.

Similarly, Tamieka Atkins, Director of ProGeorgia and WoCI Convener addressed the ways that we as a community are taking care of each other amidst COVID-19, meeting critical needs, and not letting “democracy die in darkness” by trying their best to stay engaged in voter registration, civic engagement, community outreach. Atkins also discussed how it is a beautiful thing to watch mutual aid come back to the forefront and shout outs Metro Atlanta Mutual Aid. A program that has provided for Queer, Trans, Femme, Black, and Indigenous WoC.

Ben Hasan, Commissioner for District 6 in Augusta/Richmond County, briefly talked about the opening of testing sites,  the precautions put into place for the reopening of the local government, and how COVID-19 has impacted over 900 businesses which has increased the level of unemployment in the area. Hasan also points out how the federal government did not think about local governments when distributing emergency funds and how local governments will continue to operate and assistant their constituents. 

One of the questions posed to the panelists was “sum up in one word where you stand and how you feel when someone says COVID-19.

Jeannette: Hurt and looking for change

Patt: Azuka, a Zulu word that means “help is imperative”

Maria: Privilege and lack thereof

Monica: Leadership (impressed by creativity and depressed by lack thereof)

Ben: Hopeful

Tamieka: Angry but a determined angry

Where do we go from here?

After this robust panel discussion, we are left with the question of “Where do we go from here? As Tamieka Atkins eloquently stated “We cannot go back to normal because normal was not working for any of us. It is not going to work to build for our families or communities two, three, or four generations from now.” Historically, and to this day, the U.S. government has neglected and failed to adequately provide and care for Black and communities of color – a reoccurring theme that the panelists touched on. As Atkins also pointed out, “Georgia has 159 counties and the counties with the highest number of cases are also the highest number of counties with a population who look like us and that’s not a coincidence.” Therefore, a takeaway from this panel conversation is that we must build and hold onto community and relationships. We need solid trust among each other so that in times of need we can unquestionably care for each other. We also need to hold leadership accountable and promote more leaders of color who are community minded.