Black Women – The Most Vulnerable in the Wake of the COVID-19 Global Pandemic

You can read the original blog post by Imani Harris on Medium here. This blog was published in April 30, 2020.

As we head into May, no one knew the novel Coronavirus would fester into a global pandemic, causing over 50,000 deaths in the United States alone. In the beginning, many coined COVID-19 as “the great equalizer,” claiming the virus does not discriminate. But as states continue to release statistics breaking down COVID-19 cases by race, it is evident that the virus is more of a magnifier, amplifying racial disparities rooted in our country — especially as it relates to the African American community.

Data from the Midwest and South revealed that African Americans are contracting and dying from COVID-19 at higher rates than any other race. 70 percent of COVID-19-related deaths in Louisiana were black. In Chicago, despite making up only 30 percent of the population, African Americans make up more than half of the amount of COVID-19-related complications, with about 70% of those who have died of the disease. Though COVID-19 is an active threat to us all, the black community is at risk for the worst of its effects, alluding to deeper roots of discrimination throughout our society.

When addressing this disparity, a seemingly confused Donald Trump questioned why the virus disproportionately affected African Americans. In a press conference, he questioned, “Why is it three or four times more so for the black community as opposed to other people?” Trump stated. “It doesn’t make sense, and I don’t like it.” What Trump and many others fail to realize, however, is that the direct hit of COVID-19 to the African American community is the systematic result of the government’s failed attempt to address the racial divide in our society at federal, state, and local levels.

As we learned more about COVID-19, it was discovered that people with preexisting health conditions were at higher risk of contracting the disease. Yet before the first cases of coronavirus emerged in the United States, African Americans already had the highest rates of chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes, and heart disease, which immediately put them at greater risk. In addition to this, as governments began to enforce lockdown and stay-at-home orders, many employees shifted to work-from-home arrangements, but less than 1 in 5 African Americans have that same luxury. Low-wage, no-benefit jobs deemed “essential,” like grocery store clerks, warehouse employees, and home health aides, are the jobs that Black and brown people fill, resulting in a disproportionate vulnerability for people of color to the virus.

With these factors leaving African Americans exposed on the front lines, the “confusion” expressed by our President highlights the true ignorance and oblivion the government has in regard to the real suffering at hand for African Americans in the wake of this global pandemic. Furthermore, though data have revealed that more African American men are dying from COVID-19, the devastating impact of this pandemic on women of color needs to be evaluated and addressed as well.

COVID-19 has directly impacted women of color by amplifying the systems of oppression already in place prior to the pandemic. When evaluating the current scope of our society, statistics have shown over and over again that black people are not receiving the same health care treatments that their white counterparts receive. Assessing this further, our healthcare system has, and is continuing to fail black women, and with COVID-19 in full effect, they are especially vulnerable during these unprecedented times. Whether they are being dismissed when it comes to medical care or putting their life at risk working low-paying, “essential” jobs, the true perils in place for these women are being overlooked, which ultimately will lead to deadly consequences.

Living in a society where black women are not believed by medical professionals makes this current reality especially alarming during the global pandemic at hand. In recent reports, there was a rise in the number of pregnant women testing positive for COVID-19. This new fact is extremely daunting due to the history of black maternal morbidity rates, which face the chance of rising given the new global landscape. It’s difficult to imagine black women now being at an even higher risk due to gendered racism, which may now be intensified during this pandemic.

As countries began advocating to reopen, it’s disturbing to see that the rising number of African American cases isn’t raising brows among government and federal officials who have the power to create change. Currently, black women are faced with putting their lives at risk working underpaid and undervalued jobs or potentially facing death, which creates a reality that cannot be overlooked. As more and more data are captured and reported, it’s time the communities on the margins are taken just as seriously as the pandemic itself. If not, the African American community will continue to spiral downward, fighting against racist, biased, and oppressive systems that have been in place for centuries.

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To help in the local fight against COVID-19, WOMEN’S WAY has created the Rapid Response General Operating Fund to provide unrestricted funds to organizations affected during these challenging times.

Priority will be given to organizations that:

· are led by women of color

· have budgets less than $500,000

· are serving communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19 (including but not limited to: low-income / low wage workers, formerly incarcerated, immigrants and refugees, people experiencing intimate partner violence)

To help us support our nonprofit partners’ efforts in fighting against COVID-19, please visit our website womensway.org/donate.