Mask4Mask Nashville, a queer coalition of organizers, calls upon organizations in the Nashville community to join us in committing to safety and accessibility with regards to COVID-19. As Sins Invalid’s “Principles of Disability Justice” teach us, disability justice is crucial for collective liberation.
COVID-19 is a disabling and rapidly-mutating vascular illness. Those who are most vulnerable to it have been abandoned by society and the state to fend for ourselves. Not only have public health agencies failed to protect us, but our own communities have moved on as if the pandemic never happened. As we enter the fifth consecutive pandemic year, there is still wholly inadequate institutional support for those most vulnerable to post-COVID complications, particularly people of color, working class people, and disabled people. A different world was possible, however, and it still is. The pandemic could inspire us to fight for clean air, dignified working conditions, and robust health infrastructure. Instead, the spaces we need to access the most—grocery stores, workplaces, healthcare settings, and community spaces—are inaccessible to the vulnerable. Many people may not believe that COVID still exists because its spread is now more difficult to track. But the spread of COVID is an act of state violence, and intersects all other dimensions of our struggle, including our fights to end policing, for universal housing, and for a livable planet.
As organizers, we know the state doesn’t look out for our wellbeing and leaves the marginalized vulnerable to early death and disability. We know they frame tragedy as “business as usual” to quiet the masses. We know pandemics serve as tools to further oppression. Compared to other harsh actions by the government, it has been easier for those in charge to numb us to the impact of uncontrolled COVID spread. However, fairness in health is connected to every aspect of our fight for justice. Multiple studies show that white people feared COVID less after learning that other races were hit hardest. Without a cure for COVID and its numerous complications, limited access to and acceptance of vaccines, and testing that is not accessible, the ongoing consequences of the pandemic contribute to a decline in life expectancy each year. The racial disparities in COVID deaths continue to be staggering, with Native Americans experiencing the highest death rate at 3x that of white people, and Black children dying at 2.7x the rate of white children. The state abandoned the vulnerable, all the while encouraging local governments to funnel unused pandemic funds to police departments. Yet, with at least 4,628 dead from COVID in just November 2023, a growing estimate of 65 million suffering from Long COVID, the science is clear. The COVID strategy in the West has led to more contagious variants and killed millions. It is our duty to not worsen the impact of disease that comes with brutal violence worldwide.
COVID safety is easier when we do it together–we can help invest in our communal health and push towards a more accessible society.
We urge organizations to commit to taking the following precautions when organizing events:
Require universal masking with high quality filtering facepieces (KN95, KF94, or N95 standards) in indoor and crowded outdoor spaces*
When organizing indoors, utilize ventilation and HEPA-grade filtration to clean the air of viral particles. INHALE Nashville provides free loaner air purifiers
When possible, utilize outdoor spaces or virtual/hybrid options for holding events
Utilize pre-event testing if possible, and have attendees with possible symptoms attend virtually
Utilize post-event testing and contact tracing if possible
Utilize access statements detailing accessibility information, including COVID precautions, when posting information about events
Designate at least one person to oversee access. This might look like handing out masks at the door and sharing information on the importance of COVID precautions
If there is food involved, provide a “take home” option and a space where people can eat at a distance from others, preferably outside. Do not unmask around someone who hasn’t given consent for you to do so
Incorporating COVID precautions into our lives only makes our fight for liberation stronger. Universal masking, testing, and vaccines strengthen our ability to organize together safely. Please encourage your members to participate in all of these mitigations so we can fight together for years to come. To aid organizers in implementing these protections, NashMask4Mask can provide free N95 masks to individuals and organizations. We are happy to host teach-ins with organizations about the importance of COVID safety for our collective liberation.
Our full statement, with additional resources, is linked here.
*risk of COVID transmission is greater when gathering unmasked, even outdoors
Organizations in Solidarity:
Nour Nashville
INHALE Nashville
Comfrey Counseling
BDS Action Group Nashville
TN Student Solidarity Network
Nashville Women in Jazz
Neon Guard Nashville
Poder Popular / Nashville People Power Committee
Studio Strange
SONG (Southerners on New Ground)
Nashville Community Crisis Response
Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi
Nashville Musicians for Change
Middle Tennessee Democratic Socialists of America
Nashville Peoples' Budget Coalition
Resource Generation Nashville
Touch Grass Nashville
Well Deep Remedies
Nashville Mutual Aid Collective
Renters Union Nashville
Garden Buddy
Jews for Justice Nashville
Black Alliance for Peace, Nashville City-Wide Alliance
