Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Black Man Pens Powerful Thread About Privilege When It Comes To Being Able To Wear A Non-Medical Mask In Public

Black Man Pens Powerful Thread About Privilege When It Comes To Being Able To Wear A Non-Medical Mask In Public
Robin Gentry / EyeEm via Getty Images

The CDC has now revised its advisories to have folks wear masks or other face coverings outdoors.

Medical grade masks are in short supply, so people are being told to make their own or use scarves or bandanas.

But when you're not a White person, that opens up an entirely new can of worms that most of us may not have considered.


Two Black men posted a video from a Wood River, Illinois Walmart showing a white police officer trailing them through the store, after telling them not to wear masks.

The men were clearly wearing medical style masks.

Coronavirus in woodriver Illinoiswww.youtube.com

The men stated:

"We're being asked to leave for being safe."

User Aaron Thomas continued this conversation on Twitter—noting how both wearing and not wearing a mask threatened his life as a Black man.



With increased police presence in some places—such as New York city—enforcing social distancing, this becomes all too real of a threat.





There is a shortage of N95 masks, prompting the guidance for masks from the CDC to be extended to be any piece of fabric that covers the face.

However, this complicates the problem further.

People of color are routinely criticized at best and attacked at worst for wearing face coverings, even if they coverings are religious in nature.





Thomas expanded on his thoughts in an opinion piece for the Boston Globe titled:

"Why I don't feel safe wearing a face mask: I'm a Black man living in this world. I want to stay alive, but I also want to stay alive."

There is no data yet on police response to the use of masks, aside from the incident in Illinois.

Hopefully people will spread Thomas' message. People need to come together to tackle this pandemic.

That support needs to include making sure the protections available to some are available to all.

The book White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son is available here.

More from Trending

Screenshots from @mstarland's TikTok video
@mstarland/TikTok

Pregnant Mom Calls Out Husband For Falling Asleep While Watching Their Two-Year-Old

There's nothing quite like discovering how much louder actions speak than words when your partner falls asleep on the job.

Especially when you're 38 weeks pregnant.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Jake Tapper and Mike Turner
CNN

GOP Rep. Ousted From Chairmanship By Trump Calls Out Colleagues For Russian Propaganda In Resurfaced Clip

Speaking to anchor Jake Tapper on CNN last April, Ohio Republican Mike Turner said that Russian propaganda had "infected" the GOP in a clip that has resurfaced after President-elect Donald Trump had him ousted as House Intelligence Committee chair.

At the time, Turner made it clear that his fellow Republicans were parroting Russian propaganda about the war in Ukraine and its relationship with NATO members. That claim came after House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Michael McCaul, who said he thinks "Russian propaganda has made its way into the United States, unfortunately, and it’s infected a good chunk of my party’s base."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @poorandhungry's TikTok video
@poorandhungry/TikTok

TikToker Dumbfounded After Discovering A Troll Signed Her Up For The Special Olympics

Some people are natural born givers and like to lift other people's spirits and find unique and fun ways to make them laugh.

TikToker @poorandhungry, or "Syd," is one such person who maintains a TikTok and Instagram account with funny parodies, quips, and skits that leave her audience rolling with laughter.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @myriamestrella8's TikTok video
@myriamestrella8/TikTok

Lesbian Speaks Out After She And Partner Were Targets Of Homophobic Bullying On Disney Cruise

A l Disney fan and her partner believe they were targeted in a homophobic bullying incident while traveling on a Disney cruise.

Myriam–a.k.a. @myriamestrella8–recounted the disturbing incident in the first of a couple of TikTok videos that went viral.

Keep ReadingShow less
Man walking by warehouse forklift
Pickawood/Unsplash

People Describe The All-Time Worst Jobs They've Ever Had

Dream jobs are the ones where they don't feel like work at all.

Very few are lucky enough to earn a living while fulfilling their passions. In contrast, others show up despite the arduous tasks involved in raising a family or living a comfortable life.

Keep ReadingShow less