‘What’s In It For Us’ podcast reflects on anniversary of COVID-19 pandemic

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It’s Women’s History Month and to celebrate the month, the What’s In it For Us? podcast is proud to feature all femme guests hosts for the entire month of March.

Joining Dr. Christina Greer this week is the founder of the Been Down Project, Amber Crowder. Tune in as our hosts discuss the traumatic anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, Deb Haaland becoming the first Native American woman leading the Department of the Interior, and the recent #StopAsianHate movement. With all the hurdles Black people, Indigenous people, and Asian people face—we want to know: what’s in it for us?

“March 9 was when CNN started to use the word pandemic to describe the outbreak,” says Dr. Greer.

Many of Americans, including Dr. Greer, have not been in the office for more than a year now. From Italy going into lockdown to the cancellation of major events, each day there was new information about virus. Unlike Dr. Greer however, guest host Crowder experienced the initial stages of the pandemic while she was incarcerated in West Virginia.

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Crowder remembers the lockdown she experienced: women would be allotted “10 minutes to shower” each day, regardless of bathroom emergencies. The women were restricted from going to the TV room, hence the information on COVID-19 was based on a prison circuit’s rumor wheel. 

“I’m pretty sure there was a COVID outbreak in prison, we had a large outbreak of something and it wasn’t the flu, but I can’t prove that theory,” says Crowder to Dr. Greer

In other news, President Joe Biden has proven his commitment to having a “more diverse cabinet” with his recent appointment of Haaland, a historical win. Haaland is the first Native American woman to be head of the Department of Interior and will be in charge of our natural resources and “one-fifth of the surface area of the United States,” notes Dr. Greer.

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“This is a huge win for Native people, and Black folks who care about these issues, who constantly stood shoulder to shoulder with Native peoples,” continues Dr. Greer

On a more serious note, the continuing rise of anti-Asian American hate has had grave consequences. Dr. Greer notes that Asian Americans are often considered “forever foreigner” when they have just as much rights and access to the U.S. as a “10th generation” American would. Though the recent anti-Asian violence is disturbing, Dr. Greer notes that “substantive coalition building” has arisen throughout the country from all sides.

Despite former President Donald Trump‘s xenophobic efforts to title the COVID-19 pandemic as “Chinese virus,” coalition building has continued. Dr. Greer and Crowder both remind us that as news develops, all eyes are on Vice President Kamala Harris and her response to the hate crimes since she’s both Black and Asian. 

Stay tuned to What’s In It For Us. The funny, politically edgy Black commentary podcast. Now streaming on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Stitcher.

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