For decades, we have been fighting to improve the material conditions of our lives. We have fought against and worked to overcome systemic racism, economic inequality, and mass incarceration. Now, during a global pandemic, the impact of this bias is clearer than ever.
This virus is devastating to us. We are the essential workers who keep the country going; we are the mail carriers, delivery personnel, transportation providers and hospital workers. We cannot just #stayhome. Yet, we represent the vast majority of COVID-related deaths in Chicago, Louisiana, and Michigan — Black people are dying at rates that are two and three times our population share — and that is only what we know right now, these numbers will increase as the virus continues to engulf our vulnerable communities.
We have never had access to adequate healthcare in our communities and many of us don’t even know we have the pre-existing conditions the coronavirus feeds on. Our children historically suffer in our education system and are now at risk of falling further behind due to a lack of access to virtual education programs. The prison population, which is disproportionately Black, has deplorable and unsanitary conditions in which people must serve their time. There is no protection plan for incarcerated people, and no one is provided basic sanitary supplies. On top of that, incarcerated people are fundamentally unable to practice social distancing. Adequate testing is non-existent for us, so we don’t know who has—and can spread—the virus.
The CDC has reported that people with asthma, heart and lung conditions, and other preexisting conditions are at high risk for contracting the coronavirus—and the stats are staggering:
- Black children are more than 20% likely than any other children to get asthma
- ● Black families are more than 40% more likely to have high blood pressure
- ● Black women are 3x as likely to have lupus than white women
- ● People with sickle cell anemia are especially susceptible and vulnerable to respiratory viruses
This is why we will keep fighting for the protection and provisions we need to live.
We need every state and municipality to collect and release the demographic data on who is contracting and dying from this disease. The more we understand about the virus, the better equipped we will be to determine the resources and funding needed in communities hit hardest by the pandemic. We will continue to amplify and demand what we need in our communities. Specifically:
The CDC must aggregate and provide nationwide data about the coronavirus’ impact on Black people
The CARES ACT must be targeted towards communities in need. Trillions of dollars are being spent while our people are not being cared for and are dying.
- We need access to health care that is not tied to employment
- We need massive testing in our communities
- We need a protection plan for incarcerated people as well as bail reform and a decarceration plan
- We need adequate provisions for the poor and for working poor
● We need adequate leadership and clear communication from the government and protections and provisions for our people
That’s why we have started a petition. We demand racial data on COVID-19 to be collected, released, and aggregated in order to provide essential information and resources targeted to our needs. Please Sign the Petition.
We will continue to shine a spotlight on the inequalities that continue to upend our communities. We will continue to demand our communities receive the resources and support we need.
We will continue to fight for our lives.
Kailee Scales is the Managing Director for Black Lives Matter Network Action Fund and Black Lives Matter Global Network, Inc. Black Lives Matter Global Network is a world-renowned global movement that began as a rallying cry to end state-sanctioned and vigilante violence against Black people and achieve Black liberation. In her capacity, Kailee has built a sound infrastructure around this global phenomenon and has keenly focused on evolving the movement from a hashtag to a political and cultural powerhouse for Black people across the globe. Kailee has helped pave the way for sustainable legacy building for BLM, launched its
Arts+Culture platform, its presence in the fine art world, as well as created BLM’s
WhatMATTERS2020, a civic engagement campaign targeted towards Black Millennial and Gen Z voters at risk of disenfranchisement in one of the most important election cycles in our lifetime.
