Black America and Covid
by Sonja J Killebrew
HOW HAVE BLACK AMERICANS BEEN IMPACTED BY COVID-19? Are you a Black American who has lost someone during the Covid-19 pandemic? Are you a Black American who didn't lose anyone and you want to share what it was like to work and live during the Covid-19 pandemic?Are you a non-Black American who lost someone close to you who was a Black American and you want to share their life story?Do you want to share your story about them? I'm a Black American; I'm an educator; I'm a writer.I want to tell your story. I want to provide a platform for people to hear your experience. Your story matters. My mission is to give a voice and a name to the statistics that Black Americans are at a higher risk of infection and death due to Covid-19. I want to hear your unique perspective during the Covid-19 pandemic. If you did not get Covid-19, and you are a Black American, I want to hear how you felt about the vaccine, how you felt about the mask-mandate, how you felt about staying-at-home in 2020.H
Episodes
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Interview 079 with Osumanu Adamu
Listen to Bronx native Osumanu Adamu share about living and working in New York City during the Covid-19 pandemic. He worked in-person from June 2020 until he caught the coronavirus at the end of 2020. He endured it for three months. When he finally recovered he went back to working in-person in...
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Interview 078 with Ray Walker
Listen to Bronx native Ray Walker—the founding director of New York City’s first urban boarding school for young men in Brooklyn, New York—share about living and working during the pandemic. He talks about his ancestors who trace back to Jamaican, Irish, and Scottish descent. He describes the...
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Interview 077 with Sean Waltrous
Listen to photographer Sean Waltrous whose family emigrated from The Caribbean—Trinidad, Barbados, and Jamaica—and who is from Brooklyn, New York share about his life at the beginning, middle, and (approaching the official) end of the pandemic. At the beginning of the 2020 lockdown Sean was…
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Interview 076 with Kevaughn Hunter
Listen to Adjunct Professor and writer Kevaughn Hunter who was born in The Bronx and raised in Brooklyn, New York share about living in New Jersey during the pandemic. His family is from the island of Jamaica and he identifies as either Black or African American. “I remember actually being in…
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Interview 075 with Jahmani Perry
Listen to filmmaker, photographer, and writer Jahmani Perry of Brooklyn, New York—whose parents are from Jamaica, West Indies—share about living and working during the Covid-19 pandemic. He identifies as Black and Caribbean American. In early 2020 Jahmani was living on Long Island. When the...
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Interview 074 with Norma Williams
Interview 074 with Norma W. Listen to retired educator Norma Williams of Queens, New York—whose parents are from Guyana and their ancestors are from Barbados—share about living, working, and retiring during the Covid-19 pandemic: “I was born a negro and then I became Black…I identify as Black...
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Interview 073 with Lauren W
Listen to Caribbean-American Lauren W. of Queens, New York—whose parents are from the island of Jamaica—share about going to school in Washington D.C. during the Covid-19 pandemic. She talks about moving back home in the spring of 2020 during her sophomore year of university. She did her junior...
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Interview 072 with Sabine Gedeon
Listen to Sabine Gedeon—who resides in San Diego, California, grew up in Connecticut, was born in Haiti, and migrated to the East Coast when she was 4-years-old—share about working in California during the Covid-19 pandemic. She identifies as Haitian: “Being born in Haiti and growing up in…
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Interview 071 with Chanel L
Listen to medical assistant and Black American Chanel L.— raised in New York and resided in Queens during the Covid-19 pandemic—share about working in-person as an essential worker during the pandemic. On working-from-home during the pandemic: “…At the beginning of the pandemic I was working at…
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Interview 070 with Daaimah Mubashshir
Listen to playwright, professor, and Black American Daaimah Mubashshir, MFA from Columbia University — born in Alabama, raised in Texas, resided in New York during the Covid-19 pandemic — share about working from home during the pandemic, participating in a survey of Black people’s experiences...
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Interview 069 with Kia Barbee
Listen to Black American Kia Barbee from Queens, New York share about living and working during the Covid-19 pandemic. She shares how her great-great grandmother on her maternal side was a slave and her grandmother’s dad was Indigenous American. She memorializes the life of a relative who was...
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Interview 068 with Marilyn Wilson
Listen to Black American Marilyn Wilson, MSW — from St. Louis, Missouri, and currently living there — share about living and working there during the Covid-19 pandemic. “So the beginning of the pandemic was very scary for me. Very, very scary for me.” Marilyn recalls. “I want to acknowledge that...
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Interview 067 with Eryan Cobham
Listen to Black American Eryan Cobham from Queens, New York and now living in Chicago, Illinois share about working-from-home and living with his wife and two children in 2020 and three children in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic. His parents are from Panama and he identifies as Black, African...
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Interview 066 with Sonja and Starr
Listen to Black American Sonja Killebrew from the South Side of Jamaica, Queens, New York share about working as an online professor at City College of New York and briefly as a substitute teacher in New York City during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her father was African American and Indigenous...
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Interview 065 with Jerome A. Parker
Listen to Black American Jerome A. Parker — from The Bronx and living in Brooklyn, New York — share about moving his parents’ possessions from The Bronx, New York to North Carolina in 2020 because they contracted Coronavirus and they were quarantining in their new home. Jerome shares about sadly...
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Interview 064 with Erachie Brown
Listen to nurse Erachie Brown – born in Jamaica, Queens, New York – who is the descendant of a Foundational Black American share about her ancestry: her mother was from South Carolina and her family protected their land from the KKK; her father was from Jamaica, West Indies and he migrated to New...
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Interview 063 with Kiki Orr (Part 2)
Listen to Black American Kiki Orr – born and raised in Harlem, New York – share about her 2022 television debut on the family-friendly HBOMAX reality dating show: “My Mom, Your Dad” with host Yvonne Orji from “Insecure.” Hear Kiki interview a cast-mate from the show on her podcast: Just Bloom....
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Interview 063 with Kiki Orr (Part 1)
Listen to Black American Kiki Orr – born and raised and residing in Harlem, New York – share about living in Harlem and working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic. Sonja: “And what would you like to share about your ancestry?” Kiki: “'You know it’s so interesting, because I was listening to…
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Interview 062 with Heather Kollar
Listen to Black American Heather Kollar — originally from The Bronx, New York and now living in Newark, New Jersey — share about living and working as an entrepreneur during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her company, h2ocleanse, specializes in state-of-the-art water and air purification. We are both...
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Interview 061 with Justin Jehriko Turner
Listen to Black American Justin Jehriko Turner — from New York and living in New York — share about remote-teaching English to college students at City University of New York during the Covid-19 pandemic. He is an educator, writer, fashion photographer, publicist, and founder of Metropolitan...
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Interview 060 with Carla M. Cherry
Listen to African American Carla M. Cherry — a native of Bronx, New York — share about living and working as a New York City teacher and attending graduate school online during the Covid-19 pandemic. Carla and I met through the City College of New York MFA Reading Series where she performed her...
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Interview 059 with Dwight Dale
Listen to Jamaican American Dwight Dale — originally from Queens, New York and now living in Orlando, Florida — share about living with his wife and four daughters and running a business in Florida during the Covid-19 pandemic. “…All the news of COVID-19 started coming about roughly about March…
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Interview 058 with Keisha Fullerton
Listen to Jamerican Keisha Fullerton — originally from New York and now living in Atlanta, Georgia — share about working and running her business during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her parents are from the island of Jamaica. She is a designer and owner of her own apparel collection, Raiment. Keisha...
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Interview 057 with Joseph Lemare Jr
Listen to African-American Joseph Lemare Jr from Brooklyn, New York and now living in Shreveport, Louisiana share about working in retail in-person in New York City during the Covid-19 pandemic, catching Covid-19, and moving to Louisiana in 2022. He is of Haitian descent. He shares about catching...
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Interview 056 with Leslie Gilliam
Listen to Black American Leslie Gilliam — originally from Wilmington, Delaware and now living in Los Angeles, California — share about living with her two kids (10 and 4) and working as a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist during the Covid-19 pandemic. “It was incredibly stressful…Online…
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Interview 055 with Reverend Onaje Crawford
Listen to Black American Reverend Onaje Crawford, M. Div., MSW, from North New Jersey share about living with his wife and children and working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic. Reverend Crawford is a pastor, educator, and social worker. He shares how 2021 was “interesting… So the drop off…
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Interview 054 with Toni Ann Johnson
Listen to Black American screenwriter and novelist Toni Ann Johnson — from upstate New York and a long-time resident of Los Angeles, California — share about working and living during the Covid-19 pandemic. Toni Ann shares: “I am technically mixed. So I have as much white European blood as Black,...
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Interview 053 with P.C. Bright
Listen to licensed real estate salesperson Peter-Charles Bright — born and residing in Brooklyn, New York — talk about living and working during the Covid-19 pandemic and having quality time with his daughter in 2020 when daycares and offices closed to prevent the spread of the virus. When asked…
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Interview 052 with Ginny
Listen to Black American Ginny share about living and working in Shanghai, China during the Covid-19 pandemic. She identifies as Black, African American, and Caribbean American. Her mother’s family is from Jamaica, which is how we’re related. We’re cousins and we met when I was living in Shanghai...
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Interview 051 with Dr. Daryl McCartney, MD, FAAFP
Listen to Dr. Daryl McCartney, MD, FAAFP, who is a family physician in Statesboro, Georgia share about working in a hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic. He is a graduate of Howard University College of Medicine. “At the time I was a Chief Medical Officer for a Health Center in southern Georgia...
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Interview 050 with Dr. Gail Young, PhD
Listen to Dr. Gail Young, PhD in Health Behavior, share about living with her husband and two young children in Florida during the Covid-19 pandemic. She was born in Jamaica and lived there until she was 19-years-old when she matriculated to Howard University. She shares that part of her ancestry...
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Interview 049 with Dion Flynn
Listen to Black American Actor, Comedian, Impersonator, and Improv Specialist Dion Flynn, Master of Arts in Acting from NYU — who lived in Michigan until he was 2-years-old, then lived in Maryland until 17-years-old, and enlisted in the U.S. Army, then lived in Albany, New York, then New York…
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Interview 048 with Melissa C. Potter
Listen to Black American Melissa C. Potter — born in Jamaica, Queens, raised in Rockland County, New York, and residing in Westchester County — share about pivoting into social impact and strategy work in TV from the music industry. She shares about how the 2020 Q3 and Q4 was a gift and curse for…
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Interview 047 with Muhammad Yasin
Listen to Black American Muhammad Yasin — from Ohio and living in Indiana — share about working as an executive in tech and the organic development of remote work for employees in his company that began in 2019. They asked questions like: “How do you collaborate when everyone’s not together?” “We...
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Interview 046 with Natasha Herring
Listen to Black American Natasha Herring, MFA, from The Lower East Side of New York City and now living in Harlem share about living in New York City during the Covid-19 pandemic and working for a part of an organization that trained homecare workers and nursing home workers. “So that was really...
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Interview 045 with Sean Fields
Listen to Black American Sean Fields — from Far Rockaway, Queens and now living in Rosedale, Queens, New York — share about living and working in-person during the Covid-19 pandemic. His family ancestry is African American. Sean shares about living in a multi-generational household and navigating...
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Interview 044 with Lovey Roundtree Oliff
Listen to Black American Lovey Roundtree Oliff — originally from Brooklyn and raised in Queens, New York — share about living in Exeter, New Hampshire with her husband and two sons during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her mother was born in Haiti and her father was born in Virginia. Lovey worked as a...
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Interview 043 with Michael Singleton
Listen to eCommerce entrepreneur Michael Singleton from Queens, New York share his experience living in Manhattan, New York during the Covid-19 pandemic. He shares about gaining a roommate from Kazakhstan and also about losing a really good friend during the pandemic. Michael talks about spending...
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Interview 042 with Lorna Martin
Listen to Black American Lorna Martin — from Brooklyn and now living in Queens, New York — talk about living as a retired New York City public school teacher during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her experience was “one of renewal: mind, body, and spirit.” She describes how learning to schedule her time...
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Interview 041 with Akim St. Omer
Listen to Black American Akim St. Omer — born and raised and residing in Brooklyn, New York — whose grandparents migrated from Trinidad to Brooklyn in the 1960s/1970s talk about how working during the Covid-19 pandemic “has been the most challenging yet rewarding times professionally” for him. He...
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Interview 040 with Shelly
Listen to Black Caribbean American Shelly share about living in Shanghai, China during the Covid-19 pandemic. She describes buying masks in the winter of 2019 to wear while taking the metro to and from work. She shares about catching a flu-like virus in winter of 2019 and feeling very ill. She…
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Interview 039 with Taiquan Coleman
Listen to African American Taiquan Coleman — born and raised and residing in Brooklyn, New York — whose ancestors migrated to Brooklyn three generations ago, share about working for a New York State Senator in March of 2020 and giving out flyers about Covid-19 to seniors centers at the beginning…
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Interview 038 with Yolanda Moreland
Listen to microbiologist and science teacher Yolanda Moreland who identifies as Black and Panamanian American share about living in Arizona in 2019 and hearing about people experiencing the symptoms of Covid-19. She talks about teaching from home in her living room while her son was in school on...
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Interview 037 with Joshua Bloodworth
Listen to African American attorney Joshua Bloodworth who also identifies as Black share about living and working from home in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York during the Covid-19 pandemic. He shares the positive outcomes of his two Black teenaged sons' 2020 transition to going to school...
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Interview 036 with Farayi Wiley
Listen to African American Farayi Wiley share about living in the San Francisco Bay Area of California during the Covid-19 pandemic. She shares about the joys of working from home in finance and gaining back three hours on weekdays from her commute to work. She studied economics and political...
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Interview 035 with Courtney Martin
Listen to Courtney Martin talk about working in-person in San Diego, California throughout 2020 and 2021, while living with his wife and two elementary-school-age children and having backyard-outdoor gatherings with a diverse group of close friends with children. During the Covid-19 pandemic he...
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Interview 034 with Elisheba Fowkles
Listen to Elisheba Fowkles, MFA, from Brooklyn, New York and now living on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois with her husband and two young children talk about living in the Midwest during the Covid-19 pandemic. She was laid off just before the stay-at-home orders in 2020 and she was able to…
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Interview 033 with Janèa Twine
Listen to Janèa Twine share about living and working in New York during the Covid-9 pandemic. She talks about working in person and following the New York Covid-19 office protocols. She shares how she and her boyfriend grew closer during the pandemic. Sadly, she lost her boyfriend’s dad at the...
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Interview 032 with Esosa Ogbahon
Listen to Black American Esosa Ogbahon, M.Ed., — born in Nigeria, raised in Brooklyn — talk about living with his family in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, New York during the Covid-19 pandemic. He speaks about working as a school administrator and the process of transitioning to school online for New York...
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Interview 031 with Malene Chandler
Listen to Malene Chandler – born on Long Island – resident of Rochdale Village, Queens, whose family is from Jamaica – talk about getting laid off from a job in 2019 and aiming to find remote work in 2019 for the flexibility to travel with her daughter who is a competitive tennis player. Malene...
About this show
HOW HAVE BLACK AMERICANS BEEN IMPACTED BY COVID-19? Are you a Black American who has lost someone during the Covid-19 pandemic? Are you a Black American who didn't lose anyone and you want to share what it was like to work and live during the Covid-19 pandemic?Are you a non-Black American who lost someone close to you who was a Black American and you want to share their life story?Do you want to share your story about them? I'm a Black American; I'm an educator; I'm a writer.I want to tell your story. I want to provide a platform for people to hear your experience. Your story matters. My mission is to give a voice and a name to the statistics that Black Americans are at a higher risk of infection and death due to Covid-19. I want to hear your unique perspective during the Covid-19 pandemic. If you did not get Covid-19, and you are a Black American, I want to hear how you felt about the vaccine, how you felt about the mask-mandate, how you felt about staying-at-home in 2020.H
Hosted by
Sonja J Killebrew