UC Recap – April 6th – April 11th
April 6 – April 11
Uptown Love in the Time of Coronavirus: Clap Because You Care
I think I speak for many in this neighborhood and throughout this great city when I say that the 7 p.m. clapping and noise-making sessions for our courageous healthcare heroes on the frontlines is the highlight of the day, every day. This simple act of stopping whatever you are doing and showing appreciation for those real-life superheroes provides a comfort and solace that is hard to describe. We owe them a debt that we can never repay. The same can be said of all the “essential” workers who keep this society running and who do not have the privilege of working from home.
The timing of the daily appreciation manifestations could not be any better as they usually start after the daily Trump propaganda briefings are over. Tyrant Trump has turned what is supposed to be a medium for crucial information on the nation’s fight against the novel coronavirus into a political rally whose primary goal is the reelection of Donald Trump. Let me state this as plainly as I can, America will not survive a second term of Donald Trump.
Our lives have changed profoundly. We no longer venture outside except for necessities. The once lively Alto Manhattan is eerily and uncharacteristically quiet. When you do go out you can see the fear and despair in the eyes of your fellow New Yorkers. The gnawing uncertainty of what tomorrow will bring and the inability to meaningfully interact with one another is testing our collective sanity.
And then at 7 p.m., at least for a spell, we are not alone. We are united and the clouds over this city briefly part and we can see a brighter day on the horizon. The eruption of joy and togetherness provide the sustenance we all need to survive the pandemic. We are truly all in this together.
Great nations need exceptional leadership in times of crisis. We don’t have that at the federal level where it is so badly needed. The American Experiment is in trouble. This is an existential crisis that goes beyond healthcare. The novel coronavirus is brutally exposing what has become of a once-great country. God help us all!
Pa’lante Siempre Pa’lante!
Keep checking us out at www.uptowncollective.com.
Led Black
Editor-in-Chief
The Uptown Collective
The UC’s mission is to become “the” definitive, transformative and community-based force impacting the arts, culture, business and New York City’s overall perception of Upper Manhattan. Its objective is to reset, reboot and positively redefine Uptown’s artistic, political, cultural and business spheres via the online space as well the collective’s initiatives and functions.
