We explore how Black women continue to rely on their inner circle as the world shifts and responds to the coronavirus.
COVID-19, also referred to as the coronavirus, has stopped the world in its tracks and the worst is still ahead of us. As part of a group of Coronaviruses that can infect both animals and humans, COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that spreads very quickly from person to person. Initial outbreaks of COVID-19 were first spotted in Wuhan, China in December 2019, with many people becoming infected with mild to severe flu-like symptoms and also pneumonia. Experts had no clue what the actual virus could do or how fast it could move throughout China and the rest of the world. At the time of publication, there were over 400,000 cases of the virus and thousands of deaths thus far. I think just like most of us, I didn’t take it seriously until cases were found only miles away from my house. COVID-19 has exposed the weaknesses of America’s healthcare and socio-economic systems, but more importantly, it has highlighted the ways in which we all need each other to survive.
The global shift and response to COVID-19 have not only caused complete frustration and information overload, rightfully so, it has also impacted everyday regular human interactions. This virus has made going to work, going to the grocery store, getting gas, hanging out with family and friends, just plain scary. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and local and federal governments have all been yelling at us to stay our butts in the house to stop further spread of this virus because a lot of us are likely to be asymptomatic and can easily infect people who are immunocompromised.
I received dozens of phone calls and texts when we all heard announcements about mandates regarding COVID-19 that all said, “Loy, are you okay? Come get food if you run out or if you get hungry.” That is what you call community and collective consideration. I do not believe there has been a time in recent history that the world has been forced to respond to a global crisis in the same way COVID-19 or “The Rona,” has forced us to. The need for community has always been vital, but because there is little known about this virus, especially regarding what the proper means of testing and treatment are, there’s been even more of an urgency around strengthening one’s community.
I’ve gotten tons of emails, from government officials to beauty companies, telling me how they have swiftly responded to the ongoing pandemic nearly every day for the last few weeks. There has been an upsurge of kindness amongst community members as well, especially towards numerous vulnerable groups of people who have higher chances of catching the virus. At the same time, there has been an extreme sense of panic, fear, and anxiety. We’ve been told to practice social distancing, which is an effective method of reducing the spread of the virus, but that also requires a level of personal isolation that can be extremely lonely, especially for innately communal people like those of us in the African Diaspora—and particularly isolating for women.
Historically, Black women have been able to create spaces that are safe, productive, healing, and fun that encourages us to live in our truest and authentic selves. These spaces have become essential meeting points and in many ways, places of refuge for women who experience some level of intimate partner abuse or violence. Due to COVID-19, experts are worried that there may be a rise in domestic and child abuse, since many women and children will have to be in close quarters with their abusers, for longer periods of time. The need for creating these spaces has always been an indispensable part of community building amongst women in the African diaspora. For example, susu is a well-known financial savings network or club that African diasporic women have been utilizing for decades to build homes, send themselves and their families to school, or help them become more independent from their husbands, and reach their personal goals. It is ingrained in us to build and maintain these spaces because it speaks to the greater role of humanity.
When these micro- and macro-communities that Black women have created are impacted or removed—just like how many of them have been now—it makes me think about how important it is to find new and creative ways to continue the conversations and the support.
Many people, including service and creative industry workers, have lost an insurmountable amount of income during this time. The pandemic has single-handedly forced all of humanity to figure out how to be of better service to each other while creating an equitable world that reduces these large socioeconomic gaps. Whether this will continue is another story, but the reality is a lot of the people who are most affected are Black women, despite currently having lower infection rates, we are still susceptible to being negatively impacted by the virus. Recently Dezann Romain, a 36-year-old Brooklyn principal—a Black woman—died from complications relating to the virus. It can happen to us and it is happening to us.
On Instagram and Twitter, Black women have shared tips and started challenges that speak to being more kind and gentle with ourselves, as well as, sharing things we can do while social distancing and being self-quarantined. The communities we maintain, build and strengthen around COVID-19 will be crucial in supporting those who are most impacted now, but also afterward when the worst of the virus has passed and rebuilding begins.
Communities and their members are the cornerstone of any society and will absolutely remain powerful tools of influence. The coronavirus is literally going to shift the ways in which we connect with one another in a major way and for Black women, it is even more doubly important that the support and encouragement we show each other continues and multiplies.
I know it’s a tough and intense time for all of us, so here are some things you can start doing, or continue doing, that can be of help to you and others to get through the woes of social distancing:
- Text, call, or video chat (FaceTime or WhatsApp) with your family and friends daily
- Start or join a small book club with a few friends
- Go outside for a walk, while being mindful of social distancing
- Eat foods that give you energy and promote good nutrition, to avoid emotional eating
- Make a bomb playlist with songs that make you happy
- Unload your feelings and thoughts by journaling
- Do indoor workouts to stay active and ask your friends to join via video calls
- Schedule a weekly virtual coffee meetup or happy hour with coworkers and loved ones
- Watch movies and join digital conversations, hosted by Netflix and other streaming platforms, to connect with others around the world
Whatever you choose to do, make sure to not be so hard on yourself, but reach out and stay connected to your community—because we all need it.
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Dr. Loy L. Azalia is a gender, culture and education scholar-practitioner. She specializes in education policy, women and girls empowerment, critical men and masculinities studies in post-conflict and under-resourced/economically distressed communities within Africa and the Black Diaspora. She is the co-editor of ‘Pan-African Spaces: Essays In Black Transnationalism,’ which explores black identity from a global perspective.
Dr. Azalia also runs Akullu.com, a personal and creative outlet to share her experiences, ideas, insight, and resources that better equip black women and anyone who resonates with the content with the tools necessary to achieve true wellness as well as their personal and professional goals. Akullu’s goal is to also inspire and cultivate critical thought and dialogue around topics of gender, culture, wellness and lifestyle that directly impact Black personhood. Keep up with Dr. Azalia on Instagram and Twitter.
