👀Are you getting the vaccine? 👀

Hey ZORA fam.

Happy day two trillion three hundred and five (or whatever day it is) of living in a pandemic. There seems to be relief in sight, however, as several versions of a vaccine are becoming more widely available. But even that is causing some stress because people who want and need the vaccine are having trouble getting a spot in line to receive the shot.

Read: Skipping the Vaccine Line and Other Covid-19 Conundrums.

I know for some folks reading this, the existence of a Covid vaccine doesn’t give you any hope at all. If anything, the idea of getting shot up with a miracle drug is something to strongly side-eye, especially for Black and Brown folks who know from experience that the American medical system doesn’t always have our best interest at heart. Personally, I know folks who are deep down in conspiracy theory rabbit holes and have no intention of getting vaccinated. I also know people, both young and elderly, who are desperate for the vaccine so they can get on with some semblance of their lives.

girl, idk what to do about this vaccine.

No matter what side of the vaccine debate you’re on, I think it’s important to remember that this is a scary time and it’s okay to be scared (of getting sick or of getting the vaccine or of whatever’s going to happen next). We’re almost a year into this panny and good news has been few and far between. As for me, I hope people who want to get vaccinated get the opportunity and that people who don’t want it stay safe. As ZORA’s own Adrienne Samuels Gibbs wrote in her essay on the vaccine, “The shaming one way or another should stop.”

I don’t know how helpful it’s been to shame people into getting or not getting vaccinated. And shaming people for breaking quarantine isn’t helping anyone either (I don’t know anyone who hasn’t risked a non-socially distant gathering in the last year 👀). Shit is hard and scary and I think what everyone needs right now is a mask and a heavy dose of grace.

Take care,

Jolie A. Doggett

Senior platform editor, ZORA

✊🏾HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH!✊🏾 Team ZORA wants to hear from YOU! How does knowing your history make you feel powerful? Write an essay on Medium and share it with ZORA. We might feature it in the magazine! More information here.

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Zero to 💯

Who kept it 100 this week? Let’s take a look.

Michelle Obama announces a children’s cooking show: 💯/💯

Forever FLOTUS stays busy giving us the feel-good content we need. This time, it’s for the kids! Waffles + Mochi premieres March 16 on Netflix and is tied to FLOTUS’s health campaign “Let’s Move!” The show follows two titular puppets on their path to becoming chefs. So, grab your little ones and your aprons,’cause it’s time to throw down.

Halle Berry claps back at commentators questioning why she can’t keep a man: 💯 /💯

“Who says I wanna keep the wrong man? cuz…..I don’t,” is the perfect response for sexist trolls coming for Berry on Instagram. Folks really got some nerve, but we laugh at people who imply “keeping a man” should be a woman’s priority. Berry’s reply reminded us of Eartha Kitt who boastfully cackled and deadpanned, “Stupid,” when asked about compromising while in a relationship.

Van Jones gets dragged by Sunny Hostin for being a political opportunist: 80/💯

Jones has been suspect for a while now. His commentary is side-eye worthy and he likes to cozy up to the white elite who are threats to our democracy and culture vultures who appropriate Black culture. So we applaud Sunny Hostin for letting him know “People in the Black community don’t trust you anymore” during a recent episode of The View. But can we please stop giving this man media attention?

Ava DuVernay to produce live-action Powerpuff Girls reboot: 50/💯

At first, I was frustrated that another childhood cartoon favorite was getting remade (no one wants to see cheezy live-action graphics!). But… finding out that Hollywood heavy-hitter Ava DuVernay was going to be behind the script and the production of a Powerpuff Girls remake gives me a little hope that we may get something watchable. A little….

A Utah school made BHM optional for students, and then reversed the decision: 1/💯

After facing public backlash, Maria Montessori Academy changed its mind, as did the parents who wanted their children to “opt-out” of the school’s Black History Month curriculum. This attempt at erasure and exclusion is dangerous, but not surprising. Especially given that the school only has three Black children among its 322 students.

✨ The Best of Us ✨

ICYMI, here are some of our favorite ZORA stories

I Believe Our Voices Have Value

I’m Sending Thoughts and Prayers to the ‘Gorilla Glue Girl,’ Tessica Brown

Please Don’t Forget About Black Joy This Month

The Harlem Renaissance Lives on Inside Me

The GOP Is America’s Abusive Partner

Why Black Americans Must Keep the Pressure on the Biden Administration

Let’s Talk About ‘Kink’

Renée Watson Believes Self-Love Is a Revolution

I Don’t Celebrate Black History Month. I Honor It.

I Have No Reason to Ever Feel Inferior

🗣️ The Last Word 🗣️

“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.” — Oprah Winfrey

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