COVID Diaries POC
Focus
The reactions of Black people during this pandemic and their thoughts regarding the virus, George Floyd’s death, racial injustice and presidential politics.
History
I attended a historians’ meeting in April 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. The organizers mentioned how documentation for the Spanish Flu pandemic was not comprehensive. And they also mentioned how people of color were not included in a lot of that documentation. Robert Snyder, Manhattan Borough Historian encouraged audio documentation and documentation of people of color. I volunteered. — Savona Bailey-McClain
“When Savona approached me about the project, I was immediately interested in the ways story sharing might prove to be a survival strategy during the pandemic. The soundscapes put experiential knowledge at the forefront and provide an opportunity to learn from one another. Rather than using statistics to tell the stories of people of color in quarantine, Covid Diaries empower the speaker and the listener. This oral history project highlights the resilience of our communities and the power of voice. I produced the soundscapes to immerse the audience, generate relatability, and build bonds.” -Nadia DeLane
Collection
We have collected audio diaries, portraits and music.
Nadia DeLane’s painting Cityscape Blue is being used for the title card for the sound work Memory Opus I in the exhibition New York Responds: the First Six Months at the Museum of the City of New York.
Form of Collection
Digital photographs and recordings using the app rev.com
Emphasis
Our project is not devoted to a specific neighborhood. We are focused on people of color. And we will continue collecting and reaching out to Latinx and Asian populations as well.
Time Period
It still continues.
Public Access
Not yet, but our blog discusses the project at: https://coviddiariespoc.wordpress.com
Director
West Harlem Art Fund
Contact Persons
Savona Bailey-McClain and Nadia DeLane
Email: westharlemartfund12@gmail.com
Telephone number: 347-365-0132; 718-213-6735
Websites: https://westharlem.art
.