A Brief Response to COVID-19: An Invitation to Slow Down

Graduate Student / Community Organizer / Equity Fellow / Non-Profit Intern / Restaurant Worker

Re-orienting the work, not cancelling it.

The labels above represent the different hats I wear in Denver, Colorado. Since moving here, I’ve needed to work several jobs in order to afford my journey in higher education. During the past two weeks, much has changed - not only for me, but for countless students, community organizers, parents, non-profit workers, service industry workers, and health-care providers...to name a few. Many of us are faced with unknowns these days, but I want to invite my circles to open their hearts, let go of judgements, and understand that many of us are grappling with these changes one day at a time. As we re-orient the way we show up in our academic institutions, work environments, and internships, we are also re-navigating our personal lives and negotiating how we socialize and take care of ourselves. While the movement “Stay Home” has hit my online circles hard, I want to highlight that many of us still rely on public support systems and resources. Furthermore, many people don’t have a home to stay in. While anger, confusion, and frustration are all valid responses, let us not target our own community members with these feelings. Yes, we should hold each other and ourselves accountable, but with the understanding that what we see of someone else, whether it is on social media or in a brief exchange at a grocery store, is one string in the fabric of that person’s life. As we are faced with uncertainty, let us all try to love each other (even if from afar). It is quick and easy to attack, lash out, and judge, but loving one another takes strength and a willingness to slow down. To those of us who do have homes to stay in, I invite a posterity of slowing down, re-setting, and re-examining how we can contribute to our communities from afar. I’m so excited to see what we can co-create moving forward as a virtual community. 

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The Communication’s Director for Womxn’s Voices For Earth, Beth Conway, wrote an excellent article in response to COVID-19. To supplement my response, I would love to share it here as a resource for the Platform community and beyond. 

”Taking Care of Yourself and Taking Care of Others”

Cover Art is by Morgan Harper Nichols / Follow her on Instagram: @morganharpernichols