Let’s ignore the history of racism by pushing it to the corners of our brains (oh, and the corners of museums).

Happening in the World: Air quality in New Delhi, India, has reached extremely unhealthy levels—almost quadrupling the limit of what is deemed “healthy.” The Supreme Court of India has ordered a lockdown of the country’s capital, although it is currently unspecified how long a lockdown would last or when it would start. New Delhi schools have already been shut down, some of which had only just reopened due to decreasing COVID-19 concerns (NPR).

Happening in the US: President Biden attended a virtual summit with ​​Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss the increasing tension between China and Taiwan. Taiwan is viewed by China as a province that will eventually be reunited with the mainland. Despite its formal ties to China, the US promised to assist Taiwan in defending itself in the case of an invasion. No decisions were reached on the issue (Washington Post).

Happening in NYC: New York City Hall’s long-standing, controversial statue of Thomas Jefferson will be removed later this week. The ethics of the statue, which depicts the former US president, have been questioned for decades based on the fact that Jefferson was a known racist and slaveholder. The NYC Public Design Commission has decided to send the statue on a decade-long loan to the New-York Historical Society (Gothamist). 

Happening in Our Community: Looking for something to do this afternoon? Join the Kupferberg Holocaust Center’s virtual event today from 12 to 1:30 pm. The panel will feature the authors of Voices from Srebrenica: Survivor Narratives of the Bosnian Genocide and Laura B. Cohen will serve as the moderator. Click here for more information. 

tear the racist monuments down via The Midwood Argus