COVID-19 Will Repeat History Unless We Rewrite It

They say history repeats itself.

If that’s the case, then we needn’t look very far back from where we currently find ourselves amidst the international COVID-19 disease crisis to see similarities in societal situations spanning human history.

While most draw parallels from previous Medieval plagues and mass disease ghosts of our centuries past (infectious spread, mortality rates, mask & sanitized societies, etc.), the pattern of this particular pandemic is also echoed in that of recent political and social issues within the past half century alone.

These various events may not seem to be cut from the same cloth at first glance, but as we dig deeper they reveal the same reality that catalyzed them all. A few noteworthy examples include:

The Civil Rights movement of the mid 20th century that saw Americans -as well as their Canadian constituents — fighting to end institutionalized racial discrimination and disenfranchisement in the United States after centuries of racial segregation. The movement’s martyrs died in their activism for justice, many random victims of vigilantes determined to halt their progress.

And although the Feminist movement began taking root a century prior to in support of legal rights for women, it wasn’t until the 1960’s and 70’s that the Women’s Rights Movement swept over the nation, demanding equality for every area of women’s experience — stemming from their suppression and struggle in politics, in the workplace, in familial dynamics and especially in their sexual protection and liberation.

Around the same time, Canada saw the Gay Rights movement developing for the protection and free rights of the LGBT community, with the decriminalization homosexual acts in 1969 following inhumane violence against non-binary non-heterosexuals.

Although tied to all aforementioned movements in some respect, it’s important to also distinguish the Black Feminist movement of the United States, predominantly powered by the The Combahee River collective in the mid 1970’s, specifically advocating for the incredibly discriminated and unrepresented experience of the Black lesbian woman (although their platform wasn’t singularly focused on the bisexual and homosexual female, but of all Black women).

Even most recently this year, we saw the Black Lives Matter movement erupt in response to public discrimination and police brutality towards Black men, sparking a social media frenzy and blanketing the country in protests, riots, and demand for systemized racism reform.

So what do all of these powerful change making movements have in common?

They were all initiated, charged, and seen through to success by the power of the people. It was by our very own public civilians, whom realized that if true change were to occur, they had to take matters into their own hands. They banded together and through cultural creativity, backed by the the bleak data and the masses in numbers to fuel their discourse, the blaze began.

Now, we as a collective country see the freedom that so many have fought on our behalf to enjoy upon the fruits of their backbreaking labour, is being taken away. Granted, this pandemic can be categorized more of a “natural disaster” — closer to that of an unexpected but devastating hurricane than that of a social uprising — but the effects and impacts of it have largely been the same.

A global economic recession with some of the highest unemployment rates we’ve ever seen. Our healthcare sector completely overburdened. Businesses deteriorating at a rapid rate, dreams shattered as they struggle to survive. Severe mental health deterioration with issues magnified within marginalized groups. Fractured families struggling to make ends meet. As a result; widespread fear, anxiety, stress, trauma and death.

History repeating itself.

But it doesn’t have to.

We sit at the unique juncture in time in which we have the ability to actually rewrite history.

What is needed right now is collaboration — from top down to bottom up, both sides advocating for the same result. We can avoid the divide that every previous social-political problem has caused in the ostracism of the movement’s leaders from that of our elected ones.

We can no longer sit tight holding our breath, awaiting the elusive end to the crisis and alleviation of our collective struggle that may not come for a long time yet — if ever. Instead, much like the public servants that became leaders of movements past, we the people must creatively come up with answers ourselves. We need to find a way to relearn how to relive under this new normal — because we aren’t going back to how it was, ever. While we all may have held out hope in the beginning stages of the first round of lockdowns, that ship has since long sailed. And how much longer are we willing to live under such constraints and restrictions?

Experts predict that if forced lockdowns continue, we could see 61% of small businesses closing in the city of Toronto alone -Canada’s largest metropolis and business driver of its national economy.

Is there a way that we can safely reopen our societies and operate responsibly while protecting the most vulnerable within our communities?

We believe that there is, yes.

It will take cooperation from our government bodies, with expedited tracks to approval of viable solutions, and all hands on deck.

It may take a village, but luckily we are all in ours together. The call for leaders and creators alike to step up to the plate and come up with a creative solution is right now.

After all, what side of history would you want to be on?

Being part of the solution, or sitting on the sidelines watching our world burn? We know where you’ll be able to find us.

P.S. Read Part II here: The Pandemic Solution We All Need Right Now