Amidst the uncertainty and frustration in the time of COVID, I found my reactions to our contemplative practices to reflect these emotions. During the “like a raisin in the sun” exercise, I felt agitated by the Sunmaid Raisins Hollywood commercial. The commercial associated California raisins with the glamour of Hollywood, but much like its’ glowing description of Hollywood, it failed to account for their deeply troubling underlying issues. As we learned through our coursework, the modern production of raisins relies on the routinization of labor, including the exploitation of migrant workers. One of the raisin production videos showed individual workers harvesting raisins, but the subsequent video depicted the Korvan mechanical grape harvester doing the work instead. This made me consider the fate of the migrant worker, while their jobs may be unpleasant, they are still being displaced by the mechanization of labor and are losing what little work they can find.

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Finally, hearing Langston Hughes’ poem “Harlem,” written in the face of horrific oppression during the Civil Rights movement made me think about the bravery exhibited by black activists during that time and made me frustrated with the rampant anti-quarantine protests occurring today. Privileged people throughout our country are protesting for their “freedom” amidst lock-down orders, and what saddens me is that they have mistaken science-based, lifesaving measures as oppression and are mobilizing against it while many of them stand idly by while our political system facilitates hunger amongst racial and economic minorities. I am especially disturbed by these issues now with the virus exacerbating the systemic food insecurity of vulnerable people. Though I am hopeful that one day we will remedy these issues, I am disappointed in the priorities of our fellow Americans, and know we have a ways to go.

Link to Sunmaid Raisins Hollywood commercial: https://youtu.be/cJZcFq8ige8