It's time for us to acknowledge our ancestry and our history. This is a touchy subject for Americans, both Black and white. Because the entire time that our ancestors have been on American soil we, Black people, have lived in a pandemic. A pandemic is defined as a widespread disease prevalent over a whole country or the world. I'm not talking about Ebola or COVID-19, or polio or tuberculosis. I'm not even talking about HIV or the opioid crises. Yes, all of these are widespread diseases that have cost and continue to cost countless lives and have taken away the quality of life for so many more. This pandemic is something more sinister. It can pop up and rear its ugly head anywhere. This is a pandemic of racism and white privilege and it's as American as apple pie.
This pandemic comes wrapped in the American flag, and often in the Confederate flag as well. This pandemic uses phrases like states rights, liberty, freedom, and patriotism. They talk about a tyrannical government and Making America Great Again. And they do all of this while being fully armed and openly carrying military grade weapons in full combat gear. They proudly parade on busy city streets in the middle of the day without fear of being stopped and questioned. Law enforcement looks away because to the powers that be, the pandemic is normal.
It's in this culture of hatred and bigotry that we have lived in all of our lives. Those protesters are angered that someone would dare impose a stay at home order that keeps them from their God given right to get a haircut, get their nails done, or go to their favorite restaurant, tattoo parlor, or bowling alley. They become unhinged as their privileges, as white people, are stripped away. And it is no coincidence that there were no widespread protests before the news broke that COVID-19 was more deadly for Black people. The connection is clear. Let's sacrifice the Black population for the good of the economy. The pandemic of racism and white privilege is running rampant. But over the years we haven't just lived through it, we have thrived.
Black people have been in America for over 400 years. More than half of that time most of our ancestors were enslaved. Approximately ten percent of Blacks were considered 'free'. But even freedom was not totally free. There were still travel restrictions, commerce restrictions, housing restrictions and education restrictions. And many had to carry papers certifying that they were indeed free. Freedom is tenuous when someone can strip it away by simply tearing up a piece of paper. But in spite of all of the restrictions and segregationists laws, we have been able to thrive in a pandemic of racism and white privilege.
Our ancestors didn't just survive, they thrived And they thrived during times of meager resources. They learned to take what little that they had and make something functional and beautiful with it. When there was no money, they pooled their resources with their family and neighbors to make sure that that everyone had something. Few banks would lend to Black people and if they did, the rates were usually much higher. But our ancestors traded in their skills and talents and bartered to secure what they needed to meet their needs.
When schools were closed or not available to Black children the necessity of education was preached as much as the story of salvation. There was always time set aside for learning in the home. Older children taught the younger ones and playing school was a normal childhood activity. It was not unheard of for parents to parade their children before guests to recite some bit of knowledge gleaned in school or even, 'cipher' their numbers or recite the ABCs. Many children in the south were sent up north to stay with relatives so that they could finish high school.
Day care centers and senior centers did not exist. And the few nursing homes that were around were reserved for those poor souls who had no living relatives. Families took care of each other. Multiple generations lived under one roof. If someone fell on hard times or the parents died, the children were taken in and raised by other family members. The rural life was mostly farming with a garden, some chickens, and sometimes pigs and a couple of cows. You couldn't go back to the city from a visit to see the folks in the country without some fresh vegetables or a slab of meat.
We shared what we had, took care of our own and thrived during a time that could have killed our spirit and hope We did it with creativity, the strength in knowing who we are, and the grace of God. We have already survived everything that has ever tried to destroy us, and we can get through COVID-19, too. We are living in a scary and uncertain time. We are concerned about our health and the health of our family and friends. Many of us have limited funds or even no income at all. It seems like everything is shut down by an unseen pandemic. But just as out ancestors relied on their faith in God and in each other, we can too. We can use this time to grow our faith in God through prayer, and Bible study. And we can connect or reconnect to our family and friends. We may be in different physical spaces, but with technology we are still connected. We can thrive in this pandemic by reading, studying, or picking up a new habit or dropping a bad one. We can create art, music, and poetry. And we can create recipes, hair styles, and some very fashionable masks.
Let's choose to thrive during this pandemic and come out of it better and stronger than ever. We can do this! Let's take this God given gift of time and use it to thrive, for God's glory and our good!