In a country with segments of people who deny science, act on revelation, see regular events as either conspiratorial or supernatural, COVID-19 offers a platform for misinformation and agitation.
“He doesn’t speak the language of transcendence, what we have in common,” said Jennifer Mercieca, a historian of American political rhetoric at Texas A&M University.
This is not the first time that disinfectants appeared at the center of a health crisis or as part of a politicized resistance to sound medical advice.
"John Thelin, a University of Kentucky professor and the author of the definitive 'History of American Higher Education,' told me that he’s never seen anything like the dual crisis colleges are facing right now."
Good history requires empathy and imagination. So too does understanding how the coronavirus affects not just us or our family and friends, but also other people, including all the less advantaged, whether in the USA or abroad.
Without strengthening labor laws, and extending them to all sectors, we cannot ensure workers have the power to protect their own health and safety on the job and the health and safety of our communities.
Theodore Gaffney eagerly signed up for an assignment where he found himself risking his life and documenting one of the most tumultuous 48 hours in civil rights history.
The Stanton Foundation sponsors a weekly award for published essays that "illuminate current challenges and policy choices by analyzing the historical record, especially precedents and analogues."
Before the United States and other countries can return to business and life as usual, we will need some innovative new tools that help us detect, treat and prevent covid-19.
