125039 May 2026

he uses to blend personal memoir with political commentary.

The number is a central recurring figure in the essay "Day 10," written by Kiese Laymon . This piece is part of his 2020 collection, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays . Meaning of the Number 125039

Laymon juxtaposes the mounting death toll with the refusal of leaders, like Donald Trump and Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, to mandate masks or acknowledge policy errors. he uses to blend personal memoir with political commentary

He reflects on the danger posed to his ninety-year-old grandmother, a Black woman from Mississippi with a compromised immune system, whose caregiver had contracted the virus. Meaning of the Number Laymon juxtaposes the mounting

In the context of the essay, represents the official U.S. death toll from COVID-19 as of the specific day Laymon was writing (late June 2020). Key Themes

While the Mississippi legislature finally agreed to remove the Confederate emblem from the state flag during this period, Laymon weighs this symbolic victory against the ongoing physical and economic toll on Black communities.