Written by DEI in collaboration with Jocelyn Mitchell-Williams, MD, PhD
Associate Dean for Diversity and Community Affairs
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
In times of crisis, the health disparities that already exist among marginalized populations become increasingly evident. The COVID-19 pandemic is a prime example of this. Members of Black and Hispanic communities across the country are contracting the virus and subsequently dying at much higher rates than the majority groups. In Michigan, Black people make up 40% of COVID-related deaths but make up only 14% of the population. The same kind of statistics are popping up all around the country. The reasons for this are many.
Black & African – American – Black refers to people of the African diaspora, which includes those in the Americas, the Caribbean, and Europe. African – American refers to Americans of African descent. Some prefer one term over the other.
Structural conditions play a critical role in the disproportionate rate of COVID-19 infection in marginalized groups. Health experts tell us what we need to do to protect ourselves – it’s stated over and over again every time you turn on the television or radio, or when we visit our doctors for other health concerns. The message is clear- shelter at home, avoid crowds, wash your hands, practice social distancing, etc. The less talked about message is the privileges that come with social distancing. What if you’re not fortunate enough — not fortunate enough to have a television to hear the COVID-19 updated messages, not fortunate enough to have access to routine health visits, not fortunate enough to have a home, not fortunate enough to have a job that allows you to work at home? Imagine just having to deal with one of these “what ifs”. The reality for many families of color is that they have to deal with many of these “what ifs” at the same time. Black people are much more likely to live in crowded urban environments, work in lower-paying service jobs, be impacted by access to health care, and suffer more from food and housing insecurity, due to institutional racism.
Today, there is a lot of conversation about the social determinants of health and while some may attribute the poorer health of Black communities to these factors, we cannot continue to ignore unconscious bias and institutional racism as a root cause.
Bias – A bias is a preference for or against something or someone whether conscious or unconscious
Institutional Racism – the ways in which the structures, systems, policies, and procedures of institutions are founded upon and then promote, reproduce, and perpetuate advantages for the dominant group and the oppression of disadvantaged and underrepresented groups.
Redlining – the systematic denial of various services by federal government agencies, local governments as well as the private sector, to residents of specific, most notably black, neighborhoods or communities, either directly or through the selective raising of prices.
Black people as compared to white people are more likely to live in neighborhoods that are historically rooted in the legacy of redlining. This systematic discrimination leads to Black communities having less access to healthy food options, parks and recreational facilities, and access to healthcare nearby.
Many Black people are on the front lines in essential jobs, representing nearly 30% of bus drivers and nearly 20% of all food service workers, janitors, cashiers, and stockers. Persons of color are much more likely to distrust “the system” because they continue to be overrepresented in the lowest paid vocations – jobs that sustain the nation but are not valued appropriately. Furthermore, wealth in the U.S. has been distributed unequally and unjustly. The typical White family has 10 times the wealth of the typical Black family and seven times the wealth of the typical Latinx family. This stark and persistent racial wealth gap leaves Black, Latinx, and low-asset people vulnerable; they are less likely to afford several days—let alone weeks—without income. This leaves communities of color with fewer resources in the cases of an emergency, like during the current pandemic.
Black people may be more likely to distrust health care providers – some because of the long history of racial injustice and medical experimentation on Black people. Some may mistrust healthcare because they do not see providers that look like them or speak the same language, or some may have a prior negative history of health care experiences.
In 2018, some 7 percent of Asian/Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders and 8 percent of White Americans remained uninsured as compared to more than 11 percent of Black Americans, 19 percent of Hispanic Americans, and 22 percent of Native Americans. Being uninsured or being connected to a healthcare provider puts people at immense risk during this pandemic.
Furthermore, Black communities are less likely to have equitable healthcare access – meaning hospitals and pharmacies may be farther away.
Black people are more likely to live in densely populated areas, further heightening their potential contact with other people, representing about one-quarter of all public transit users
The virus seems to prey on victims with certain co-morbidities – those with heart disease, asthma, obesity, diabetes, and others. All of these conditions exist at much higher rates in communities of color.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending that all Americans wear homemade face coverings in public to help stem the spread of coronavirus. At the same time, Black men have reported being stopped in stores by police for wearing protective masks, or are afraid to wear a mask for the fear of police or public brutality. Due to racial stereotypes, bias, and discrimination, “People of color have to make conscious decisions every day about the way they show up in the world and are perceived by others, especially the police” – Cyntoria Johnson, an assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Georgia State University.
We must ensure that all individuals have equal access to health information, health care and equality in treatment. COVID-19 has the potential to wipe out a significant percentage of the Black population. We cannot ignore the warnings – we must act now.
Below are resources with information on how to apply and receive aid during this pandemic.
New Jersey & COVID-19 information:
Unemployment Filing and Benefits
For those who are unemployed, learn how to file for unemployment and other benefits:
www.usa.gov/unemployment
Small Business Owners
For those who own a small business, get federal loans and guidance:
www.sba.gov/disaster-assistance/coronavirus-covid-19
Relief Grants
To access relief grants:
African Americans are more likely to die from coronavirus illness, data shows https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-race/african-americans-more-likely-to-die-from-coronavirus-illness-early-data-shows-idUSKBN21O2B6
The Black Plague https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-black-plagues
Systemic Inequality and Economic Oppurtunity https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/reports/2019/08/07/472910/systematic-inequality-economic-opportunity/
States Tracking COVID-19 Race and Ethnicity Data https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/health-equity/states-tracking-covid-19-race-and-ethnicity-data
The Devaluation of Assets in Black Communites https://www.brookings.edu/research/devaluation-of-assets-in-black-neighborhoods/
Why are Blacks dying at higher rates from COVID-19? https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2020/04/09/why-are-blacks-dying-at-higher-rates-from-covid-19/
COVID-19 & Black Folk Sllyabus https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/07/us/face-masks-ethnicity-coronavirus-cdc-trnd/index.html
How to Reduce the racial gap in COVID-19 https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2020/04/10/how-to-reduce-the-racial-gap-in-covid-19-deaths/
Why Misinformation And Distrust Are Making COVID-19 More Dangerous For Black America https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/10/832039813/why-misinformation-and-distrust-is-making-covid-19-more-dangerous-for-black-americans