Behind the Face Mask: Stories of COVID-19

The circumstances of the 2020 election were certainly unprecedented. This episode includes reflections from both first time voters and even the dedication of a 103 year old regular to the polls, as they navigated and addressed the unique challenges of this year. These testimonies were collected by Wake Forest University students and the Winston Salem community as part of Deacs Decide.

Although we were all affected by this pandemic, how much each of us suffered was far from equitable. Voices of Winston-Salem’s community of social workers, community leaders,  protest organizers and activists uncover the racial justice issues that persist in the area, and how the COVID-19 virus has perpetuated the racial disparity deeply rooted in the history of this city.

The people of Winston Salem, along with the rest of the country, are realizing that life didn’t need to be how it was for so long. Things are going back to “normal”,  but at the end of the day, if that was “normal”, do we really want to go back to it?” This virus, as Calvin Pena put it in the last episode, is “an interesting Catch 22”: it has affected our community in indescribable ways...but, it has given us time to think. It has given us time to question the status quo, and decide for ourselves what we want the “new normal” to look like.

In this episode, we continue to hear from small business owners here in Winston-Salem as they detail their experiences with the novel coronavirus. While it has been tough for these local shops, the hard work and creativity Winston-Salem business owners paired with the support of the community has made the light at the end of the tunnel visible for many of our local businesses.

As the tsunami of COVID-19 crashed throughout the world, it destroyed almost everything in its path. When it comes to the economic fallout of this pandemic, small and local businesses continue to be the most affected. The voices of the people behind those mom-and-pop-shops that make our Winston-Salem community so great describe the struggles that COVID-19 caused for them, and how they have begun to push through.

As we kick off another school year, go back in time with us to the end of last semester.

On March 11 2020, Wake Forest University granted an additional week of spring break to students so professors could prepare to teach their classes online….with a hope that one day students would return to campus. They did not.

The students of Wake were asked a series of questions about their life post-COVID, and the continuities and themes that arose among the answers became quite surprising. As much as we struggled with getting home, saying goodbye to our friends and professors, and coping with the transition to online classes, we weren’t alone. We were in it together.