CMCoachella Valley’s Opportunity To Rise Up
text CHRISTY JEZIORSKI
2020 has been a year of loss and pain for most of us. From the pandemic and its domino effect that revealed the weaknesses of our institutions including healthcare and education, the face of systemic and overt racism that reared its ugly head, to an upcoming crucial election that has us on edge. It feels like we can’t get a break. It’s as if we’re being tested, though the times are rightfully forcing us to question our humanity and our purpose. Here, I invited notable members of the desert community to provide their insight on the times we’re facing. First, I’d like to share my own thoughts with you.
I was born and raised in Palm Springs, and once I turned 18, I left. I couldn’t wait to get out of here. Something in me knew that there was more to life, and the valley always seemed to fall far behind in progress. The slow pace felt like death, and the lack of opportunities and outlets for young people (especially young people of color) seemed to set us up for mediocrity. My biggest fear at the time was getting stuck here, and so I spent the next 18 years living, studying, and working in three states and two other countries before I returned to the desert for family reasons.
At first I was impressed by some of the developments – there was a local music and art scene, new and updated structures, and a revamped notoriety as an international vacation destination. Tastemakers from LA made attempts to add their touch to the area, giving the valley a cooler, more millennial vibe. However, to say that the Coachella Valley as a whole experienced progress and growth is an overstatement. It has housed progress for the privileged few, disparities have remained, and 2020 revealed the extent of the work that still needs to be done. I’ve been reminded times over of why I left in the first place.
The Coachella Valley is relatively small. Because of that, I believe our lives are so intertwined, and that a concerted effort to make a real and positive difference can be achieved. We have the potential to be a model for our county, state, and nation – from flattening the curve on covid-19, to addressing the systemic racism that certainly exists here. Now the economy is in shambles, and our inability to effectively cooperate with and help one another continues to amplify its detriment.
Sadly, we’re dealing with the refusal and tantrums of many to wear a mask in consideration of the health of other humans. We’re witnessing the denial of leaders to take a step back, sit with, and learn from accusations that racism is being reinforced within local institutions. We watch as people pass us by rocking symbols and facial expressions to remind us that we’re wrongfully in their part of town, or to say “go back” to where we came from. We are so divided, and this is why we’re going to be behind, yet again, when other communities begin to recover.
Writer and activist James Baldwin once said, “I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” I’d say I’m doing the same. Just as a parent would want the best for her child, even if it takes tough love, I want the best for my hometown. Why has it become so difficult to place humanity at the forefront? The failure to do so has brought us to this place in time.
I say all of this because if we want the state of our nation to get better, we must confront the monstrosities that people are capable of right here in the desert. We must challenge those who are in power that get away with abusing it. We must have the difficult conversations with difficult people. We must vote.
My hope is to unearth the realization that, although we’re small, we’re a capable community – one with the power of possibility. Ultimately, I want you to know that you’re important and you have power. Don’t write it off like what you say or do doesn’t matter. 2020 isn’t over yet – there’s still time. An awakening has yet to happen because, like Groundhog’s Day, the same things keep happening over and over again. It’s going to take a revolution of the mind, solidarity, and action. It’s in unity where we’ll rise. – Christy Jeziorski
How can spirituality be examined to explain the times we’re experiencing?
The current state of our country and global community requires honest self-reflection which in turn sparks radical inner transformation of one’s generational bias and ingrained prejudices. We must be able to turn the mirror towards ourselves and ask, “Am I authentically doing my part to help create the change needed in our communities?”
Let us reclaim our power, liberty and justice. Remember who your ancestors are and do not let their efforts be in vain. This is our initiation – this is our revolution.
How has the pandemic shed light on the inequities that exist among communities of color in the Coachella Valley?
The desert highland gateway estates neighborhood is a tight-knit working class community where most of the city’s black population has lived since the early 1960s. Like most black communities in america, this neighborhood has dealt with systemic racism as well. Recent social unrest in the country, along with the covid-19 pandemic, have exposed the disparities and inequities that existed for years.
Through faith, the desert highland gateway estates community action association will continue advocating for this community and serve as a base for communication within the community and the city of Palm Springs during this time of much-needed change.
What role have you taken in this fight for social change?
Not enough of one, if I’m being honest. Besides social media and personal conversations with people, there really hasn’t been much protest and a political presence here in the valley. I’m hoping this article will encourage people who demand justice and equal human rights for all to come together and let our voices be heard.
What are some of your biggest concerns for the community relating to the pandemic and how do you think they can be effectively addressed?
The overall area of concern, clearly, is public health. Filipinos, like our Bipoc (black, indigenous, people of color) counterparts have a disproportionately high mortality rate, with 40% of those who contracted the coronavirus in southern California dying. We need everyone to wear masks and to adhere to social distancing. Mental health is a priority as well. With isolation and domestic abuse on the rise as more people stay at home, we need to focus on self-help. We can only help those most vulnerable and the sick by being healthy first.
In addition, both riverside county and the city of Palm Springs declared racism a public health crisis. Filipinos, as members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, have faced prejudice and discrimination because of the racist associations of covid-19 as a “China virus.” Economic hardship is also widespread. Check in with your less fortunate family members and friends who may need support with food and resources. Remind your families and friends they may be entitled to support via government programs like medicare, Medi-Cal, Calfresh, Calworks and other nonprofit organizations like find food bank, senior advocates of the desert, inland caregiver resource center, and the Mizell center. Ultimately, speak to one another and share the love.
In these times of uncertainty, what is it that we should know about the people in the desert communities?
The Coachella Valley is a tapestry of interwoven and interdependent communities and the pandemic has made the vulnerabilities in our working class families painfully clear. Thousands of people struggled to feed their families and pay rent for years before the pandemic, and some of our neighbors are only now feeling the physiological effects of poverty. Covid-19 doesn’t care about zip codes, but our zip codes are helping to determine who has a better chance of survival from a preventable disease, yet we traverse these imaginary boundaries to work and shop. Essential workers are not sacrificial workers; it is up to every single one of us to band together, as parts of the tapestry, wearing our masks to fight the pandemic together. We survive extreme heat waves by checking in on our neighbors and we will survive this pandemic by wearing masks and practicing distancing; this is how we support first responders, nurses, and teachers.
Links: www.Inity.Co / @initycreatives