The coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly changed life. Whether it’s the closed schools, shuttered businesses and unemployment or quarantines, it has literally and fundamentally altered us. In some instances beautiful things–like kindness and generosity–come to the forefront. People have started embracing and enjoying simple things and even utilizing technology to connect. Here are some of the best things to come out of the pandemic to date.
D-Nice Home School
DJ and hip hop pioneer D-Nice decided that social distancing didn’t need to mean social isolation. So the Bronx native pulled out his turntables and hosted a dance party via Instagram Live. What started as him spinning for his friends from his kitchen has become D-Nice’s Home School at Club Quarantine. It started with a group of 200 and grew daily over the last two weeks. It regularly pulls in 150,000 people. The virtual club has attracted everyone from J.Lo to Barack Obama, George Lopez to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. It’s also inspired other artists to follow suit. Quest Love is hosting Quest Lovers Rock, a slow jam “after hours” that goes is bringing more original mixes to the masses. Meanwhile Swizz Beats and Timbaland are having live battles too. Music is healing and D-Nice is leading the way.
Random Acts of Kindness
The millions of people who have lost their jobs due to the closing of businesses is weighing on everyone’s minds. Shea Serrano, a San Antonio writer, couldn’t sit back and do nothing. He tapped into his network to raise $10,000 and used Twitter to let people know he was going to help people pay their bills–student loans, rent, food, you name it. His message got retweeted 9,600 times and he has helped countless people get some breathing room and not stress over losing income due to job loss. Serrano is one of many doing his part. Some people are donating goods, delivering food, sharing their talents. The outpouring of compassion has been good to witness during these uncertain times.
Essential Workers Get Some Love
On a daily basis doctors, nurses, EMT’s and healthcare workers are exposing themselves to the virus and risking their lives to help the sick and dying during this pandemic. With social distancing in effect, there are even more everyday heroes to acknowledge. We’re talking about the delivery people, store clerks, grocery workers, pharmacists and janitorial/sanitation workers. The well deserved props for their daily sacrifice has been pouring out in the form of daily clap outs, musical tributes, care packages and free restaurant meals.
Culture Comes to Your Home
Since no one can visit a museum or see a concert these days, art institutions are ready to come to you. Since the quarantine began different museums and galleries are now providing digital access to their patrons, new and old.
El Museo del Barrio, a New York City staple that features US Latino and Latin American art, launched the “El Museo en Tu Casa” initiative.Visitors can see past performances, artist interview and highlights from different collections on their website. They’ve also partnered with the New York Latino Film Festival where you can view short and feature films on their website. Lest we forget you can also take virtual tours of The Guggenheim, The Ford in Washington DC and even the Louvre thanks to Google Art.