The air is literally White-on-Black crime [This Black-Ass Life]
Welcome to the 37th installment of This Black-Ass Life! We already talked about how Winter is not for us, but did you know Spring and warmer weather in general can be racist, too? Let’s get into it! We also show how you can support the environmental justice movements and we continue to root for Jordyn.
Don’t forget: We've managed to grow this list thanks to y'all forwarding to friends so please keep it up! Forward this link to subscribe to five friends. And send us topics you'd like to see covered, texts from your Black-ass people, and any Black-ass anything from around the world and web.
l. The Facts
Are your eyes itchy? Are they red? Is your nose useless because you can’t even breathe through it? It’s Spring! Besides the torture that is allergy season, warmer weather/the environment in general is also a dangerous time for Black people.
First, studies show that while White people do the vast majority of the polluting in America, Black and Brown people suffer the consequences and literally breathe in the toxicity they emit.
And air pollution is seriously dangerous for all of our health. A new study indicates that air pollution accounts for 100,000 deaths per year in this country. More Americans die from air pollution than both car crashes and murders combined.
Consequently, the commencement of warmer weather is an extremely vulnerable time for Black people since there are more irritants and particle pollution in the air.
Particularly for the 2.6 million Black people in America who suffer from asthma, which surprise, surprise, is a disease that affects us more:
As of 2015, Black people are 20% more likely to have asthma than White people.
Black children are even more likely to have asthma than their White counterparts even after adjusting for socioeconomic position and community.
Terrifyingly, Black children are also TEN TIMES more likely to die from the disease.
The CDC also found that both adults and children with asthma are more likely to have asthmatic symptoms and be hospitalized when more ozone and particle pollution are in the air, which typically tends to be higher in warmer weather.
Why does it matter?
We face the brunt of environmental racism, which means devastation for our health, economies and communities. Please watch this video from Vann Newkirk on environmental racism being The New Jim Crow.
When we get sick, Black people face many hurdles before getting hopefully adequate care. Physicians and care providers don’t believe us, treat us poorly and minimize our pain.
And when we do get them to believe us, the medicine isn’t made with us in mind even though we represent the majority of the target audience. Medicine isn’t made for people of color, it’s largely designed for White bodies.
What can my Black ass do?
Support 350 New Orleans, which fights against environmental injustice including advocating for residents of a place locals call CANCER ALLEY.
Check out how you can support these Black women environmental justice leaders.
Support Oli’s Angels founded by a Black woman to help mothers to help expecting mothers in Allegheny County, PA with doula and midwife resources, and to provide bereavement counseling for mothers whose babies have died.
FYI: In Allegheny County, White infants had average infant mortality rate of 4.75 deaths for every 1,000 live births, while the rate for Black infants was 13.73.
ll. Other Things
Somebody get Barba.
Barbra Streisand was better off talking about her cloned dogs than victim blaming in support of Michael Jackson. YIKES all around.
Confessions is 15 years old and sounds like it came out yesterday.
Jordyn Woods is thriving and we & the Smiths are glad about it.
Here’s why Winston Duke wore a Howard sweatshirt in Us. I (Mitu) would personally appreciate much more coverage about his thighs, which apparently make a lovely appearance in Us.
Us also scored the #1 biggest original horror movie opening ever so please stop treating the success of non straight-cis-White-men-led movies as anomalies, thanks!!
Our Black-Ass song of the week (Jumoke):
I have three songs this week cause I can. YES Lizzo and Missy! Mad corny, but I like Idris Elba’s verse on Boasty. Burna Boy sings about the very pathetic state of Nigeria’s economic woes and it’s a sobering, important bop.
BONUS: Black-Ass song of the week (Mitu):
Dedicated to Zion Williamson because now the joy of my world is in Zion. Beautiful, beautiful Zion.
Things we are looking forward to / things we are not looking forward to:
I (Mitu) look forward to finally watching Us. I’ve avoided spoilers and I was too scared to watch this weekend, but I promise I will watch next weekend before someone spoils it.
I (Jumoke) look forward to not watching Us because I have enough anxiety as is. A hearty hell no on that one. NOPE! But I will pay for a ticket next weekend and see something else because I will alway be happy to put money in Black people’s pocket.
lll. Text from a Black-Ass Thread
Thank you to our reader who submitted this desperate plea to be removed from a Black-ass group text. Who among us hasn’t been trapped in a never-ending text, WhatsApp, iMessage and/or GroupMe chain with 20 people of which you only know 2?
Stay Black, thrive, take your Flonase and we’ll hit your inbox next on April 8.