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While the Mississippi legislature finally agreed to remove the Confederate emblem from the state flag during this period, Laymon weighs this symbolic victory against the ongoing physical and economic toll on Black communities.

that address the intersection of race and the pandemic. How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays 125039

He reflects on the danger posed to his ninety-year-old grandmother, a Black woman from Mississippi with a compromised immune system, whose caregiver had contracted the virus. While the Mississippi legislature finally agreed to remove

he uses to blend personal memoir with political commentary. he uses to blend personal memoir with political commentary

Laymon juxtaposes the mounting death toll with the refusal of leaders, like Donald Trump and Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, to mandate masks or acknowledge policy errors.

In the context of the essay, represents the official U.S. death toll from COVID-19 as of the specific day Laymon was writing (late June 2020). Key Themes

The essay uses this staggering number to anchor a broader critique of: