The Filter Ep. 2: ‘Alone Together’ We Talk Race, Politics and the Pandemic
Published March 25th, 2020 at 1:52 PM
Above image credit: In the second episode of The Filter, Ieshia Downton and Vicky Diaz-Camacho talk isolation, race and learn from an expert. (John McGrath | Flatland)In early March, the coronavirus pandemic didn’t seem like it would hit the U.S. this hard. And then it did.
The number of COVID-19 cases continue to spike, so leaders across the country are mandating that people stay at home under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Folks are advised to self-isolate or practice social distancing, which is a public health effort to stop the spread from sick to healthy people, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly ordered that residents in six Kansas counties – Wyandotte, Douglas, Doniphan, Miami, Leavenworth and Johnson – can only go out for essentials. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has issued the same “Stay At Home” order. Other counties in the metropolitan area have joined.
But this virus also revealed other symptoms. Racism. Othering. Political confusion.
“I think that casting the Coronavirus as the ‘Chinese Virus’ is soaking up xenophobia. … It has real world consequences.”
jack zhang, political science professor at KU
So in this episode, we tapped Jack Zhang, an expert in U.S.-China relations who not only has the academic experience to share, but also a few personal takes. Then we had a candid conversation with 90.9 The Bridge’s Michelle Bacon, who delves into how this pandemic has affected her.
We cover topics like anxiety, feeling othered, and how socializing has changed (and changed us) in the past few weeks. So hang and learn with us.
If you have a question about this topic, let your voice be heard. Our public-powered effort called curiousKC is open for your questions. Read more about how you can get involved and submit here.
Want more of The Filter? Listen to all of our episodes by clicking 👉🏽 here 👈🏽and share by using #TheFilterKC.