Protests spark worries about new coronavirus outbreaks

The death of George Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis after a white office pinned him to the ground with a knee to his neck, sparked protests across the United States and fears of more coronavirus outbreaks. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, whose city was one of many to experience civil unrest, urged protesters to get COVID-19 tests. “There is still a pandemic in America that’s killing black and brown people at higher numbers,” she said.

Class discussion: Is it wrong to engage in political protests if it endangers public health? Why or why not? What concerns you more - the deaths of African-Americans confronted by police or people dying from COVID-19? Can we deal with both crises? Why is the coronavirus more likely to kill African-Americans than other groups? Why are African-Americans more likely to be arrested or killed by police than white people? Is racism really the legacy of America’s “original sin” of slavery?