The University of Nevada, Reno’s Department of Gender, Race, and Identity will discuss the long-term social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in communities of color, immigrant communities, and in relation to gender and family, with two upcoming events this month.
From 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 8, GRI will host a panel discussion with speakers from the community and campus at the university’s Joe Crowley Student Union Theater. “The Pandemic – Where are we now?” The panel will feature Black Wall Street’s Donald Griffin, Asian Community Development Council’s Vida Lin and Domestic Violence Resource Center’s Kristen Kennedy.
“COVID-19 and its social, economic, and political fallout have affected all of us differently in ways that are related to our own racial, ethnic, class, gender, and sexual identities,” Prisca Gayles, assistant professor of gender, race, and identity, called. “The current cumulative data show that Black, Hispanic and Indigenous communities have experienced higher rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths due to health system inequalities. Hate crimes against Asian American and Pacific Islanders have increased drastically during the pandemic and have not decreased. Violence against women rose to record levels around the world after the lockdowns. Panelists at the February 8 event will address these issues directly and how they addressed them on the ground.”
Additionally, a storytelling workshop will be held on Friday, February 10 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the university’s JCSU Graduate Student Lounge. The workshop, led by Vanessa Vancour from Vancourage, will allow participants to share their own experiences during the pandemic. This workshop has limited space, so participants are encouraged to do so register beforehand.
To highlight her own cultural identity and experiences, Jahi, a Salvadoran-American painter and social worker, painted Stop Dancing for the White Man in 2020. This piece was chosen by GRI to promote this February’s panel and workshop.
“The intent behind this painting is to highlight the complex emotions as we appreciate this country that has provided sanctuary to our immigrant parents, while acknowledging that their displacement is due to US intervention,” Jahi said. “The upside down American flag symbolizes a great need for life or property, something that feels like a constant for marginalized communities in times of national crises like the pandemic.”
GRI will hold numerous events throughout the spring semester. Each month is dedicated to a specific topic:
- February 2023: The Pandemic – Where are we now?
- March 2023: decolonization of nature
- April 2023: Visions of change
The events are part of a year-long series funded by the American Council of Learned Societies and organized by GRI addressing the broad topic of Community-Based Knowledge and Visions for Racial, Health and Climate Justice.
Find out more about GRI’s upcoming events