Holly Graff

Rogers Park, Chicago, at Sheridan Road and Greenleaf Avenue demonstration on Wednesday, June 3, 2020, called by Black Lives Matter activists. The instructions included “Wear a mask, please.” Approximately 600 people participated and 80% of the cars streaming by were honking.

I was born in Chicago, I live in Chicago, and I have lived here for most of my life. My three children were also born here and live here. I am a very recently retired professor of philosophy. At Oakton Community College I taught ethics, social and political philosophy, and women’s and gender studies. I attempted to do this in an anti-racist way by emphasizing the systemic racism that mars Western philosophy and by emphasizing philosophers such as Frantz Fanon, Cornel West and Charles Mills. The current uprising against all the aspects of racism is the most inspiring event that I have ever witnessed.

I also taught health care ethics. I never found a general text for health care ethics that included a focus on public health. In my classes I discussed public health as well as pandemics of the past (including the lingering HIV pandemic) and the ethical approaches to the challenges that epidemics present. It was inevitable that we would face a pandemic of this scope again, and it is agonizing to see the avoidable suffering and death in our country and many other countries. Ignorance, racism, greed, and unchecked capitalism enable the coronavirus to flourish. I had planned to use my remaining time to work on writing about environmental ethics, but my plans are now changing.

I fear for my three adult children and for all those who cannot stay safely at home. At least we have all now learned what workers are essential and what voices must be heard and prioritized.