President’s CornerWe are now many weeks into the COVID-19 crisis, and finally the media are shining a light on the staggering racial disparities in the impact of this pandemic. Early on, it was fashionable to refer to the virus as “the great equalizer”—COVID-19 doesn’t care if you’re rich or poor, black or white, rural or urban. Now we know that was untrue. This virus is impacting African-Americans to a far greater degree. In Chicago where I am from, African-Americans represent 39% of total infections and 54% of deaths from COVID-19, but just 29% of the total population. These numbers reflect health disparities in which black and brown people are more likely to have the underlying conditions that leave them more vulnerable to complications from the virus. Black and brown Americans (particularly women) are most at risk of contracting the virus through their employment, and if they lose their jobs due to the economic shutdown, they are less likely to have the financial resources to weather the storm. Even the economic relief efforts are leaving black and brown people behind. According to the Center for Responsible Lending, as many as 95% of black-owned businesses have little chance of receiving a Paycheck Protection Program loan through a mainstream bank or credit union. Truly this crisis has laid bare the deep inequities in our economy and labor force. We will need to work hard to ensure that our recovery is equitable. All of us want life to return to normal as soon as possible, but as we already know that “normal” wasn’t so great for a lot of people. I am inspired by the energy and passion of the National Fund network, particularly our commitment to the workers and businesses most impacted by this pandemic—and to leverage this crisis to redesign an inclusive economy that works for everyone. Featured PublicationsThe Road to SuccessWith supply chains in the spotlight due to coronavirus, explore how an innovative partnership between industry, education, and workforce development provided hundreds of low-income Mississippi residents with family-sustaining careers in truck driving.
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