Collective Loss, Collective Care

Notes from America with Kai Wright

WNYC Studios

News Commentary, Politics, History, News

4.4 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 15 March 2021

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

More than half a million Americans - our family, friends, neighbors, loved ones - have lost their lives to the virus over the past year and our collective grief continues to compound, but communities have come together in remarkable ways to take care of themselves. Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Gregory Porter checks in with us on the first anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic to talk about grieving his brother lost to the virus, the power of community, and finding encouragement through song. Activist Dean Spade, the author of “Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next)” and Associate Professor at Seattle University School of Law, offers a primer on the political history of mutual aid and communal care-taking before taking listener calls. Companion listening for this episode: “What COVID Revealed” (COLLECTION) COVID-19 revealed hard truths about our society, but it could also force us to make new choices and transform our lives. “Rage, Grief, Joy” (6/18/20) Something has been pushed to the surface that can no longer be repressed. And it’s transforming everything— from what we tolerate politically to how we mourn those we’ve lost. “Lessons From a Year in Isolation” (12/28/20) A first draft of history for 2020, told through three very personal efforts to find -- and keep -- human connection amid a pandemic. “The United States of Anxiety” airs live on Sunday evenings at 6pm ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts. To catch all the action, tune into the show on Sunday nights via the stream on WNYC.org/anxiety or tell your smart speakers to play WNYC. We want to hear from you! Connect with us on Twitter @WNYC using the hashtag #USofAnxiety or email us at [email protected].

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the United States of Anxiety, a show about the unfinished business of our history and its grip on our future.
0:07.0	Tonight, the governor confirming that coronavirus has arrived here in Manhattan.
0:12.0	This is a moment we all knew would come,
0:15.0	but that doesn't make it any easier.
0:16.0	This is the 10th hospital that I have been in
0:19.0	and to see the heartache that goes so far and so wide it's really hard to take.
0:26.8	You know we're torn our hearts out to the patients and the staff.
0:29.3	I'm tired.
0:31.8	My hope is that we're not waiting to go back to what we call normal, but that this
0:36.8	experience helps us shape what we want the new normal to be.
0:39.7	I need to make sure that folks aren't hungry, that people are secure as
0:42.4	as housing is concerned. We're bound together by the to make sure that folks ain't hungry that people are secure as
0:42.5	as housing as concerned.
0:43.7	We are bound together by the loss and the pain
0:46.6	the days that have gone by.
0:48.8	We're also bound together by the hope
0:51.4	and the possibilities of the days in front of us.
0:57.2	I'm Kywright and welcome to a special national broadcast of our show.
1:01.1	It's an emotional moment for so many of us. This past week we hit the official. of our
1:05.0	most of our show.
1:06.0	This past week we hit the official one-year mark of this pandemic.
1:07.0	And for most of this hour, we're going to talk about all the remarkable ways
	...

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