Pandemic Perspectives: Stories through Collections are a series of members only panel discussions from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
The blame game associated with the Covid-19 pandemic is nothing new. Xenophobia, ethnic scapegoating, and racial fault have long been associated with communicable diseases. Drawing on museum collections, speakers will explore the history of government leaders, the media, and the public at large blaming immigrants and underserved communities for epidemics, and will discuss how to break this pattern for the future.