Addressing the structural inequities behind COVID-19 disparities

People of color are suffering disproportionate health and economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, spurred by deep social and racial inequities, according to experts. They say the pandemic should be a wake-up call to address these structural issues.

“For generations, communities of color have faced vast disparities in education, in job opportunities, in income, in inherited family wealth, and in health care,” said Dean Michelle Williams of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in an August 19, 2020 GEN article. “The Covid-19 crisis has laid bare these issues.”

Addressing inequities will require “radical, large-scale investment” in numerous areas, Williams said. But she is hopeful that the COVID-19 crisis can propel change. “If we remain vigilant about voting, if we hold our elected officials accountable, and if we each do our own part to help each other, hope can turn into reality,” she said.

Read the GEN article: It Will Take Years for People of Color to Recover From the Covid-19 Fallout