Why I don’t feel safe wearing a face mask
I’m a Black man living in this world. I want to stay alive, but I also want to stay alive.
By Aaron Thomas
Early reports highlight what many have predicted; those who are impacted by COVID-19 are overwhelmingly people of color, poor people, the homeless, and those living with disabilities. This stems from a lack of equitable access to health care.
Meanwhile, the bigotry escalates. There has been an increase of anti-Asian discrimination because COVID-19 originated in Wuhan, China. Racial tensions are increasingly escalating, and the situation for minorities is getting worse.
As this is a historical moment, it is important that we remember our history. Black men and women in this country have been killed for any and everything. A child with a toy gun, a young girl sleeping in her family home, a man buying an air gun at Walmart. Knowing all that, I just don’t feel safe. Even in a time of pandemic, the discrimination does not stop.
I will not be covering my face until I am able to obtain a face mask that is unmistakable for what it is. Let me be clear, this is not because I do not trust the advice of the CDC — I do. I believe in science, and I have followed all of its guidelines up to this point. I know masks work, and I trust the CDC’s recommendation.
What I do not trust is the innate biases and lack of critical thought about the implications of these decisions. I do not trust that I can walk into a grocery store with my face covered and not be disturbed.
I do not trust that I will not be followed. I do not trust that I will be allowed to exist in my Black skin and be able to buy groceries or other necessities without a confrontation and having to explain my intent and my presence. I do not trust that wearing a make-shift mask will allow me to make it back to my home.
So until I receive a mask, I will get to live out my childhood dream of being on supermarket sweep. And yes, I will attempt to get everything I need into my cart and to the checkout in three minutes or less.
Aaron Thomas lives in Columbus, Ohio.