Time - USA (2022-01-31)

14 Time January 31/February 7, 2022

The aparTmenT fire ThaT
killed 17 people, including eight
children, in the Bronx on Jan. 9
was one of the deadliest fires in
modern New York City’s history.
It was also the second major fire
incident of the New Year in the
U.S., after a row house in Philadel-
phia caught fire on Jan. 5, result-
ing in the deaths of 12 people—
nine of whom were children.
The deaths in these incidents,
which took place in predomi-
nantly Black neighborhoods, have
been labeled “accidental.” That
makes them part of a
larger trend: statisti-
cally, the Americans
who typically die as
a result of accidents,
including fires, are
disproportionately
people of color.
Jessie Singer is the
author of the forth-
coming book There
Are No Accidents,
which looks at the
current and historical
racial and economic disparities in
accidental deaths. Singer spoke to
TIME about how fires fit into this
dynamic—and why she believes
the discussion around accidental
deaths should change.
TIME: You’ve studied the
disparities that exist when acci-
dents happen. How does the fire
in the Bronx fit into that story?
SINGER: The accident in the
Bronx could have been prevented
with sprinklers, with self- closing
doors that actually worked, with
a functional alarm system, with
a heating system that worked so
that people didn’t have to use
supplement heat. We know where
these accidents are most likely to
happen—to [people of color] who
live in poverty.
Accidental deaths have been
growing since the early ’90s, and

with that, the racial and economic

disparities are growing. Accident

is just a magic word we use to

delegate some horrors that we’d

rather not look at too closely, and

that we’d rather not talk about.

We can say, “It was just an acci-

dent,” and move on.

Accidental deaths are ex-

tremely affected by deregula-

tion, so as the federal government

shrinks and our agencies that

are meant to protect us become

smaller and more defanged, we

are less protected from accidents

and therefore more likely to die.

Your book explores how we

talk about accidents. What do

you see as the issues with the

current narrative?

By definition, an accident is an

unpredictable, un-

preventable event.

Nothing about [these

kinds of incidents] is

unpredictable or un-

preventable. We’re

focused on what in-

dividuals could have

done, which ignores

the systemic patterns.

Accidents focus

on this idea of human

error, that someone

did something wrong.

If we look at the data, accidents

happen under dangerous condi-

tions. That’s what we should be

focused on.

What is a more constructive

way to talk about accidents?

I think if people hear the word

accident, it should make [them]

ask questions: How was it an ac-

cident? Has it happened before?

Why did it happen again? How

are we going to prevent it from

happening again?

In asking those questions,

we make ourselves aware of the

systemic, deeply racialized and

deeply classist nature of how

these horrible tragedies repeat,

and move on from these simplistic

narratives about the last person to

interact with the accident before

it became deadly.

—JOSiah BaTeS

Q&A

What’s behind the

racial disparities in

‘accidental’ deaths

‘If we look

at the data,

accidents

happen

under

dangerous

conditions.’

—JESSIE SINGER

THE BRIEF NEWS MILESTONES

DIED

Ronnie Spector

A voice for all timA voice for all timee

BY DIANE WARRENBY DIANE WARREN

Ronnie Spector’s voice made pop songs into Ronnie Spector’s voice made pop songs into

symphonies. You could feel the angst and passymphonies. You could feel the angst and pas--

sion in every note. You can sing great, but if you sion in every note. You can sing great, but if you

don’t have that passion, that heart and soul, it don’t have that passion, that heart and soul, it

means nothing. Spector, who died on Jan. 12 at means nothing. Spector, who died on Jan. 12 at

78, had it all. You felt it. When she sang, you felt 78, had it all. You felt it. When she sang, you felt

every word. She led the girl group the Ronettes, every word. She led the girl group the Ronettes,

which had 1960s hits such as “Be My Baby” and which had 1960s hits such as “Be My Baby” and

“Walking in the Rain.” She later released solo “Walking in the Rain.” She later released solo

albums and collaborated with other high-profile albums and collaborated with other high-profile

artists like Patti Smith and Keith Richards. I artists like Patti Smith and Keith Richards. I

hope people will remember her as the great arthope people will remember her as the great art--

ist she was, although I hate saying the word ist she was, although I hate saying the word was.was.

Spector was strong, too, having survived an Spector was strong, too, having survived an

abusive marriage to Phil Spector, who had also abusive marriage to Phil Spector, who had also

been the Ronettes’ producer. In her memoir, been the Ronettes’ producer. In her memoir,

she wrote about fleeing their home barefoot she wrote about fleeing their home barefoot

in 1972, worried he would kill her. You could in 1972, worried he would kill her. You could

always hear that strength in her voice.always hear that strength in her voice.

I was thrilled when she agreed in 1987 to I was thrilled when she agreed in 1987 to

sing a song that I co-wrote with Desmond Child: sing a song that I co-wrote with Desmond Child:

“Love on a Rooftop.” When we wrote it, I knew “Love on a Rooftop.” When we wrote it, I knew “Love on a Rooftop.” When we wrote it, I knew

I wanted her to do the I wanted her to do the woooahwoooahs that only she s that only she

could do. “I invented those,” she once told me. could do. “I invented those,” she once told me.

And you know what? She did. No one does those And you know what? She did. No one does those

like Ronnie Spector. The fact that she sang one like Ronnie Spector. The fact that she sang one

of my songs was the f-cking coolest thing ever. of my songs was the f-cking coolest thing ever.

Last year, I heard that a biopic was being Last year, I heard that a biopic was being

made about her life and told her that I would made about her life and told her that I would

love to do a song—to honor her. She said she love to do a song—to honor her. She said she

wanted me to as well. I remember I told her wanted me to as well. I remember I told her

that I had been nominated 12 times for an that I had been nominated 12 times for an

Oscar but never won; she told me that she Oscar but never won; she told me that she

wanted to break my losing streak. wanted to break my losing streak.

She’s one of the best singers ever in pop She’s one of the best singers ever in pop

music, a voice of her time and a voice for all music, a voice of her time and a voice for all

time. That’s a fact. time. That’s a fact.

Warren is an award-winning songwriterWarren is an award-winning songwriter

SPECTOR: TOM SHEEHAN—SONY MUSIC ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES; TALLEY: SQUIRE FOX—AUGUST; POITIER: SAM FALK—THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX; SAGET: RON GALELLA—RON GALELLA COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES