Racism is a public health crisis! Black Power in the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The article argues the covid-19 pandemic–including its laws and representations–has produced a context in which normalized crisis has become both abnormal and unacceptable. By examining a series of circulated images, this article highlights how the ordinances of the pandemic brought about a break in the racialized and racist normalcy of Black death and response. In doing so, it argues that racism and colonial violence are essential to white sovereignty and underscores the role of cultural studies in theorizing Black Power and decolonization. It calls for a critical (re)turn to these concepts to solidify a popular praxis for social justice and equity.