Call for Chapters 

Race, Ethnicity and the Covid-19 Global Pandemic

Editors: 

Melvin E. Thomas, Ph. D.  Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, North Carolina State University

Loren Henderson, Ph. D.  Associate Professor of Sociology, Anthropology, and Health Administration and Policy, UMBC Innovation Fellow, University of Maryland Baltimore County

Hayward Derrick Horton, Ph. D.  Professor of Sociology, State University of New York-Albany

Dear Colleagues 

We are seeking proposals for chapters for possible inclusion in the forthcoming edited volume, “Race, Ethnicity and the Covid-19 Global Pandemic.“  This volume will present the most authoritative and up-to-date theory and research on the causes and consequences of the covid-19 pandemic on racial and ethnic minorities in the U. S. and world.    These original essays will provide a critical examination of the progress and direction of debates, as well as a foundation for future research.  Please send your proposed title, abstract (no more than 400 words), name, and affiliation to melvin_thomas@ncsu.edu by July 30, 2020.

We are particularly interested in chapters that address the following issues:

1.      Discussions that apply social science theories to enhance our understanding of racial disparities in covid-19 infections and deaths in the U.S. and/or globally.

2.      Multivariate analyses of the racial disparities.

3.      Cross-national studies of the covid-19 pandemic and how it impacts racial, ethnic or religious minorities.

4.      Qualitative studies of how racial and ethnic minorities deal with covid-19 related issues.

5.      Historical analyses of pandemics and their impact on racial and ethnic minorities.

6.      Analyses that link racism in the U.S. healthcare system to covid-19 deaths.

7.      Analyses that provide solutions to racial and ethnic disparities linked to disparate covid-19 infections and deaths that can be that can used to mitigate the impact of future pandemics.

 CHAPTER FORMAT 

Standard format will help ensure coherence. Full chapter should be within 7000 -8000 words (approximately) including, reference, tables, figures etc.   

Please send abstracts of 300–400 words, and a biography of each author of 50–80 words, to Melvin Thomas at melvin_thomas@ncsu.edu by July 30, 2020^.  Please give the subject header as “Race, Ethnicity and Covid-19  Proposal’. Notifications of acceptance will be sent no later than August 31, 2020. Chapters of 7,000 to 8,000 words will be due by October 30, 2020.

Greetings,

 

This is a reminder about an upcoming application deadline for an undergraduate student opportunity. The African American Studies Department at The University of Maryland African/Black Diaspora Seminar Project is happy to announce an opportunity for undergraduate student participation in its Mellon Foundation seminar series, “African/Black Diaspora Academic and Public Discourse.”  We welcome undergraduate student applications from your academic institution. Applications for this seminar series are due by June 16, 2020.

The seminar welcomes undergraduate students with academic interests in African/ black identity(ies) and the relationship between and among members of first and second-generation African immigrants and US-born African Americans. Undergraduate students in their junior or senior year who major in the humanities and the humanistic social sciences specializing in African, Africana and/or African American Studies and are leaders in related campus student organizations are encouraged to apply.  

 

Undergraduate students will participate in student panel discussions about their research and share personal reflections, ideas, and experiences around the key identity issues and themes of the project. How did these topics personally affect them and their collective experiences on these and other campuses?  Undergraduate participants will be selected from the regions where the seminars will be held namely:  Washington, DC/Maryland/Virginia.  Four seminar meetings are planned to begin in October 2020 and conclude in September 2021. 

Please see the attached document for more details about the seminar and application process. Applications are due by June 16, 2020 and should be sent directly to the Sarah Scriven, Project Coordinator – sscriven@umd.edu. 

The aftermath of George Floyd’s murder has left many of us feeling shocked and angry at the officers and the racist system as a whole. For many of you, utilizing the Black Lives Matter hashtag on Instagram and Twitter is a proclamation of your outrage at the injustices that continue to affect the Black community. But simply posting a photo of multicolored fists in the air with the hashtag isn’t enough, and here’s why.

Misconceptions surrounding allyship can make well-intentioned people feel that posting a photo with a dignified caption is sufficient. But an Instagram post or a tweet isn’t actually benefiting anyone. It’s a performative act that floods timelines with useless information and blocks access to resources that could otherwise advance the movement. 

It can be difficult to understand what to say or how to help when you don’t know where to start, and that’s okay. The most important thing is that you sincerely want to help. 

You don’t have to get sprayed by tear gas or lead a protest to be an ally, nor do you need to throw yourself into dangerous situations to prove your support for the Black community. But being an ally does mean that you are informed, supportive and are willing to educate those around you. 

Being an ally is not only understanding the space you are occupying, and the privilege that accompanies it, but also using your privilege to speak for others. Being an ally is listening first and speaking second. It’s allowing yourself to be corrected, realizing you don’t know everything and being ready to learn. 

Allyship starts with acceptance. It’s about accepting that you need to step back and evaluate your preconceived notions about activism and accepting that you have to put in more effort to be effective and informative. 

Acceptance is followed by listening. It means taking a break from the hashtags and Twitter activism threads to conduct some research on your own. Start by reading Black authors to learn more about white privilege, racism and discrimination. Some helpful texts include 8 Books on Race and Privilege to Learn How to be a Better Ally, James Baldwin’s “Notes of a Native Son,” Danez Smith’s “dear white america” and spoken words such as “Letter to Your Flag.”

You don’t need to become an expert in racism or systematic oppression. You do, however, need to educate yourself by listening to Black voices and their stories to help you better understand issues faced by the Black community. 

Understand that educating yourself isn’t a one-time action, but an ongoing process. 

Instead of posting hashtags, it’s about taking your activism further by providing resources and other forms of information for your followers. It’s about informing others by using your platform and privilege to promote information and Black voices, rather than speaking for them.

Beyond social media, it’s necessary to include activism in your daily life. This is the part of allyship that is looked over and feared the most. It can be scary to do, and not everyone is secure in calling out those around them or holding others accountable for their words and actions. However, it’s also the most important part. 

Examine who you follow and who you surround yourself with. Are they allies as well? Is their speech harmful? Could you inform or correct them? It’s difficult to call out your peers and family on topics like this, but it’s a tough conversation that must be had, again and again. 

When you share your knowledge and assist others, you are fulfilling what it means to be supportive of the Black Lives Matter movement. It isn’t always about being on the front lines or being the loudest in the room. It’s about your sincerity and willingness to inform yourself and to take action where and how you can.

Written by Nailah-Benā Chambers, Global Studies major and Chinese minor, Class of 2022

The post How to be a better ally appeared first on The Retriever.