By Ethan RileyAugust 13, 2025 Politics The Mask Slackers of 1918: Uncovering a Forgotten Chapter in Pandemic HistoryThe New York Times’ 2020 article, ‘The Mask Slackers of 1918,’ explores public resistance to mask mandates during the 1918 flu pandemic, drawing parallels to modern debates on face coverings amid health crises.