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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.

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. 125039

The essay uses this staggering number to anchor a broader critique of: He reflects on the danger posed to his

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