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What is this series about?

Two issues have been at the forefront of the news in America recently: COVID-19 and systemic racism. In this discussion series, we delve deep into the intersection of these two topics, their exacerbating effects on other social justice issues, and what we can do as active citizens in the Athens community to help. The goal of this roundtable series is to have lively peer discussions and for everyone to learn more in depth the relevance of this issue to not only the community but to each individual. ​

When is each discussion?

The virtual roundtables will take place on September 30th, October 28th, November 18th, and December 9th during the Fall 2020 Semester. All roundtables will be held at 6:30PM on Zoom. 

Past topics covered in the roundtable:

Join the peer-to-peer discussion where we all share our experiences, knowledge, and future actions we can take in the realm of Education and it's intersection with Systemic Racism and COVID-19!

Meet your Facilitators!
Sarah and Kelton

Name: Sarah Vidyasagar
How did I get involved in IMPACT?
  • How I got involved with IMPACT:
    I heard about IMPACT before I even stepped into my first class as a college freshman! A few days after accepting my admission into UGA, I spent the day in Athens with a couple of my friends talking to different upperclassmen. I heard about the spirited football cheers, nasty Creswell bathrooms, and IMPACT at UGA. I was immensely intrigued when one upperclassmen talked in depth about how a one-week service trip was the highlight of her three fun-filled years at UGA. I knew that going on an IMPACT trip was an opportunity I did not want to miss at UGA, so I signed up as soon as applications opened. I went on an IMPACT trip with the service focus of Community Health and Well-being to Indianapolis, IN during the Spring Break of my freshman year. The trip made me feel much more at home at UGA, gave me lifelong connections, and helped me learn what service I could do to impact my community. I was so happy to have that special experience and wanted to go on another as soon as I could. I then went on a Winter Break trip in  December 2019 to Tuscaloosa, Alabama focused on Affordable Housing, and this past Spring Break I was a site leader on the service trip to Philadelphia, PA that focused on serving with the disabled community! I’m so lucky that the upperclassmen I talked to told me about IMPACT at UGA because these trips have made me into a better person and a more informed service leader. I can’t wait to lead my second trip to Charlotte, NC with the service focus of Shelter and Resource Access, and further my growth and knowledge in service!
Why am I interested in my trip focus? 
  • I first became aware of systemic racism senior year of high school when I watched the documentary, Thirteenth. I really learned more in depth about the topic, however, this summer like most other people when it came to the forefront of the news, political debate, and social media. It was interesting to observe and participate in the call for racial social justice while in the middle of a large pandemic. COVID-19 has exacerbated many issues in our society, and I am really excited to dive into it’s intersectionality with systemic racism. These two issues are very present in our own community and country so I am especially interested in discussing it with my peers.  I want to deepen my knowledge so I know how best to serve with my community in Athens.
Favorite IMPACT memory?
  • My all-time favorite trip so far was my trip to Tuscaloosa, AL that was focused on Affordable Housing. Our group did a lot of indirect service building a house with Habitat for Humanity. It was tiring yet rewarding. My favorite memory was when we all ate our sandwiches adjacent to the house we were helping to build on the top of the scaffolding. We were able to talk in the sun right on site of the project we were helping with. I don’t even remember what we talked about as we scarfed down our PB& J’s but I remember laughing hard and feeling extremely happy.
    Fun Fact: This trip was also where I met my co-SL Kelton!! ​
Contact info
​Sarah Vidyasagar
she/her/hers
770-367-5872
smv84065@uga.edu
Contact Info: 
Kelton McConnell
 Kelton.Mcconnell@uga.edu
he/him/his
​ (706) 540-7299
Name: Kelton McConnell
How did I get involved in IMPACT?
  • ​During my first year at UGA, I heard from multiple people about IMPACT and how wonderful the experience was, but I, unfortunately, missed the deadline to apply my first year. The next year I  made sure to sign up in time and that trip marked a turning point for my college career! I met so many wonderful people that I would likely have not met otherwise, and the service and introspection aspects of the trips assisted tremendously in my maturation and growth to whom I am today. After my trip, I wanted to share this eye-opening experience with others, and I sought out becoming a site leader to assist another generation of  IMPACT participants to learn about social justice and their roles within it.  
Why am I interested in my trip focus?
  • COVID and systematic racism are currently under a major spotlight within the US, as COVID cases and deaths keep rising and the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement continues to protest against police brutality and oppression. These topics highlight major systemic issues that permeate multiple social systems in the US, from food systems to aging communities. These foci interest me because the extreme gravity and awareness of COVID and racism require long-overdue action and there are many intersectionalities with other social, economic, and political issues that dictate more discussion. 
Favorite IMPACT memory?
  • ​During my first IMPACT trip, our group would visit the YMCA to shower every night, and every time we drove there, we would play “YMCA” by The Village People while singing and dancing along! (The drivers, of course, refrained from dancing) This IMPACT trip is also where I met my co-SL Sarah!

ABOUT OUR TOPIC:

Systemic racism consists of racism that has become integrated into social levels and has transcended interpersonal racism to become institutional. It permeates every level of society, such as food security, housing, education, employment, and healthcare. COVID-19 has highlighted the systemic inequity and racism present in the US by emphasizing the societal discrimination on social determinants of health.  
KEY TERMS:
Social Justice: justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society
Healthcare: the organized provision of medical care to individuals or a community
Equity: the quality of being fair and impartial
Systemic Racism: systems and structures that have procedures or processes that disadvantage populations based on race
COVID-19: coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an illness caused by a virus (SARS‑CoV‑2) that can spread from person to person and is responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic 
Racism: a belief that race accounts for differences in human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
Colorism: prejudice or bias against persons based on color/complexion of their skin
Redlining: illegal discriminatory practice in which a mortgage lender denies loans or an insurance provider restricts services to certain areas of a community, often because of the racial characteristics of the applicant’s neighborhood. 
source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/redlining

MORE ABOUT OUR TOPICS:

General Information Expanded:

Image Source: https://fpg.unc.edu/node/9611

How COVID-19 and Systemic Racism Looks in Athens/GA:

  • Currently, 3 out of 10  people in Athens are living in poverty.
  • There are no hospitals or clinics in 16 surrounding counties, which puts more of a stressor on hospitals in Athens. This can be seen in the lack of ICU beds during COVID-19 in Athens, with 92% of the beds being full.
  • 59.8% of Athens-Clarke County households have someone with at least one chronic condition, 9% have an adult aged 65 or older with a serious illness.
  • 29.2% of Athens-Clarke County citizens are Black; 10.8% are Hispanic or Latino
  • 51.9% of deaths from COVID-19 are White people when they make up 60.2% of the Georgia population. 42.2% of deaths from COVID-19 are Black people when they make up 32.6% of the Georgia population
  • UGA has a toxic relationship with marginalized communities

GA Racial Demographics and COVID-19 Deaths: 

Source: ​https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-daily-status-report

INTERSECTIONALITY with other topics

Systemic Racism, COVID-19 and Ageism Systemic Racism, COVID-19 and Community Health and Well-being Systemic Racism, COVID-19 and Food Justice
Systemic Racism and COVID-19 within Education