“I’m not trying to reintegrate, I’m too old,” said Robert Dunn, 89, of the Bronx. “I’m on the fringe. I mean, I go out to the store, and I come back. I don’t socialize very much.”

 Older adults continue to be one of the most at risk populations of becoming ill, hospitalized, or dying from Covid 19. In the U.S., adults 65 and older account for 16% of the population, but 80% of Covid deaths. As of October 4, 2021, there have been 34,284 total Covid deaths total in the city since the start of the pandemic. The majority have been 65 and older.

 “You can see that [the pandemic] wore on [the residents],” said Ivan Arvelo, 50, the manager at Cooper Square Senior Housing in NoHo. “A lot of them are still afraid, a lot of them are still a little passive. There’s a slow reintegration because a lot of people act like Covid isn’t even around anymore.”

 While some seniors find social connection within public places such as senior centers, group classes, or discounted movies, they said they’re uncomfortable re-engaging in these activities.

 “I don’t go into a Sears or any place where there are close people,” said Dunn, of the Bronx. “It’s a big nuisance. I mean, you feel restricted, and you’re not able to live normally.”

 Although 70% of seniors within the city are vaccinated, 28.5% of NYC residents are not.

 “Now, with the lifting of the restrictions, we still are very conscientious,” said Richard Muller, 74, of the East Village. “Even though we’re vaccinated, we wear masks. We don’t understand why people don’t get themselves vaccinated.”

 Muller said that he and his friends are fearful due to fear of transmission from those who are still unvaccinated.

 “I’d say that there’s a sort of a vigilance,” said Muller. “There’s a public concern that some people are not acting responsibly. We’re hopeful, but still cautious because we don’t want to get sick.” 

One in four older adults reported anxiety or depression since the start of the pandemic. Older adults are still recommended to follow current public health guidelines, limiting indoor and in-person social interactions, which contributed and still contributes to isolation among seniors.

“They were isolated for a long time,” said Arvelo. “I mean, isolation is no joke when you’re a senior, and I saw it first hand. They’re more vulnerable and scared that if something does happen to them, they’re the ones that will be impacted the most.”

 While getting out and being social is a problem for New York elders, connecting through technology continues to be challenging as well.

 “I am terrible with technology,” said Amy Weprin, 87, of East Village. “I only use the landline. I have a cell phone, but it stays off.”

 Dunn said that trying to connect through technology is not an option.

 “I don’t even know what [Zoom] is,” said Dunn. “Technology is out of the question. I don’t understand it, and I don’t even try.”

 Arvelo said that he doesn’t think NYC seniors will reintegrate into public life until local herd immunity exists.

 “I think until we get a local herd immunity, that’s when they’re going to really feel safe and start doing the same things they used to do all the time,” said Arvelo. “I think until we have herd immunity they’re not going to want to be around other people.”

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Mason of Mullins, South Carolina, was not there when the landmark Voting Rights Act passed in 1965, she was in Fort Benning, Georgia. As an Army wife, she and her family bounced between bases across the country until 1972, when she returned to her hometown and voted for the first time. 

“Until I heard about voting, I didn’t know too much about it,” Mason said, “So evidently we had a reason we couldn’t vote, because if I had known, I’d have been voting since I was 18 or 19.”

Voter suppression now works in discreet ways: underfunded education, misinformation, and intimidation are all contributors to low voter turnout in minority communities. For Mason, along with millions of other Black Americans, the ability to vote did not magically appear when the Voting Rights Act was passed. Rather, it took years for her to learn about the importance of voting and her eligibility.

“I voted after they put us where we could vote,” Mason said, “And then I might have waited a few years after that before I started. But at one time, it was just for people that was in a higher class than we were.”

Mullins has a substantial class and racial divide, with Black residents being disproportionately impoverished and underrepresented in local politics. Today’s  presidential election has only furthered these divides, causing many Black Americans to pledge Democratic loyalty now more than ever. 

For Mason, her support of the Democratic party lies mainly in socioeconomic issues, as she grew up in a working-class, Southern family. 

“I am straight up Democrat because I was born a Democrat,” Carolyn said, “They care about where I come from. I had to be a Democrat cause I didn’t fit in no category where we was rich.”

Mason voted in the Presidential as well as local elections, which have moved to the forefront of Mullins politics recently. Driving through the town, lawns and empty lots are littered with campaign signs for community politicians, many of them Black Millenials. The dilapidation of the once-thriving tobacco industry in Mullins, along with shutdowns of small businesses and the ever-growing class divide, has pushed Mullins voters to make their voices heard. 

“I heard that the mayor that we had was leaving, and he didn’t want to do it no more,” Mason said, “And our brother decided he would run. I voted for him because I felt like he would help us, and he wanted to do the right thing.”

As for the Presidential election, Mason shares similar sentiments, and there was no question as to whether she cast her ballot for Joe Biden or Donald Trump. Biden’s political affiliation, and the reputation of his opponent, automatically gained her vote.

“I voted for [Biden] because he, it sounds like he could be more helpful,” Mason said, “I voted for him because he was a Democrat. And you know, these black people, their  poor. And I’m in that race. So if he can help me, I needed him to run for president.”

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