You're listening to Shortwave from NPR.

Hey everybody, I'm Maddie Safiya.

And I'm Emily Quang.

And today we're gonna dig into a topic you've probably already been exploring with your

own friends and family, which is how to socialize safely during this pandemic.

Yes, and don't get us wrong, I enjoyed my Zoom birthday party as much as the next person,

and being around other people is key to emotional and mental help.

And there are some occasions when it's just really hard not to get together.

Alexia Gaffney found herself in this exact situation while trying to plan her nephew's

graduation.

He got his associate's degree with honors during the pandemic.

Her nephew, like Gaffney, is black.

And he did all of that with all the stress and turmoil of everything that's happening

in the world around him.

COVID and racial inequality and protests and people fighting for our rights.

He defied the odds.

And it's like we're gonna celebrate that.

It's too important not to celebrate.

But planning that gathering, a backyard barbecue.

It was such a big to do.

Wipe down the faucets and the door knob when you come out of the bathroom.

It was a huge challenge with so many risks to weigh.

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