Racial Disparity and the Coronavirus Pandemic

By adminSpring 2020

Times of crisis tend to reveal deep-seated issues and inequities within a society, and the current coronavirus pandemic is certainly no exception. As COVID-19 spreads rampantly, it’s becoming clear that people of color, especially black Americans, are disproportionately affected by the virus. This disparity is not specific to COVID-19 or, as several federal officials have suggested, a product of individual behavior; rather, it’s rooted in many years of structural and social inequality.

Sources: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/28/black-activists-officials-see-major-threat-souths-plans-reopen/, www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/opinion/sunday/coronavirus-racism-african-americans.html, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/us/coronavirus-race.html

CAUSES OF INEQUALITIES

The economic and social conditions of many black Americans and other minority communities make them more susceptible to the virus. Causes include the facts that:

  • Black Americans are more likely to live in densely populated areas and multi-generational households
  • Black Americans are overrepresented in service-sector and “essential” jobs
  • Black Americans make up a disproportionate number of the country’s incarcerated population
  • Black Americans have higher rates of underlying conditions, and less access to quality health care

Sources: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/racial-ethnic-minorities.html, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/10/4-reasons-coronavirus-is-hitting-black-communities-so-hard/

These factors are the products of years of institutional racism in housing, employment, and the justice system, and they all hinder social distancing, thus making black Americans more vulnerable to the devastating effects of COVID-19.

The discriminatory systems that resulted in these disparities can only be dismantled through political and economic action. Strides must be made to combat housing discrimination, improve access to high-quality education and healthcare in black communities, and reform the country’s criminal justice system. The coronavirus pandemic will eventually subside, but unless a change is made, marginalized communities will continue to suffer.

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