Social Equity and COVID‐19: The Case of African Americans

Abstract

Emerging statistics demonstrate that COVID‐19 disproportionately affects African Americans. The effects of COVID‐19 for this population are inextricably linked to areas of systemic oppression and disenfranchisement, which are exacerbated by COVID‐19: (1) health care inequality; (2) segregation, overall health, and food insecurity; (3) underrepresentation in government and the medical profession; and (4) inequalities in participatory democracy and public engagement. Following a discussion of these issues, this essay shares early and preliminary lessons and strategies on how public administration scholars and practitioners can lead in crafting equitable responses to this global pandemic to uplift the African American community.

Social Vulnerability and Equity: The Disproportionate Impact of COVID‐19

“…Outcomes associated with the daily conditions of Black life in the most vulnerable communities predispose Black people to a host of disparities, health and otherwise (Budoff et al. 2006; Gupta, Carrión‐Carire, and Weiss 2006; Hoberman 2012; Mehta et al 2006; Wright and Merritt 2020). COVID‐19, for some, further exposes and reiterates, for others, half a millennium of structural racism and repression targeted with administrative precision on the Black body.…”

Stepping up to the plate: Making social equity a priority in public administration’s troubled times

“…Research has found that Black residents living in segregated areas tend to have less equitable health outcomes, limited healthy food options, and increased mortality rates. Further, white residents tend to receive better health care access and processes than do Black residents (Wright & Merritt, 2020). Thus, where and with whom we live impact how long we live, and where and with whom we live are strongly influenced by structural racism, as cases like Flint, Michigan powerfully demonstrate (Nickels, 2019).…”

Editors’ introduction: Since last We spoke…

“…Many factors explain these disparities, from these populations more likely to work in jobs putting them in contact with the virus, less able to socially distance, less access to clean water needed for handwashing, less access to equitable, high-quality healthcare, and more. More directly, racism and white supremacy in structures, institutions, and systems influence and, indeed, create these dynamics (Wright & Merritt, 2020).…”