The coronavirus is not the ‘great equalizer’ — race matters - Caribbean

WEB - Pride - Ajax, 07/04/2020 - COMMENTARY, 1/4 page web, English

Summary: Roberta K. Timothy - The fear and mistrust of health systems expressed by many in Black, Indigenous and racialized communities stem from historical eugenic practices of both governments and individual doctors. These communities have experienced systemic racist violence for generations. They have recently experienced xenophobic responses to COVID-19 and historically, other health crises. The author is concerned how anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism and other forms of intersectional violence will impact the health of our communities during this crisis. The question often asked is: how will we navigate health systems that continuously violate us? Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said: “Our government is going to make sure that no matter where you live, what you do or who you are, you get the support you need during this time.” This sounds good in a speech, but how will it be practiced in a system that does not provide adequate services for racialized and marginalized communities? If we are to truly survive this global pandemic as a global community, we must drastically decolonize and change our health ideologies and practices.