The Covid-19 racial disparity in infections and deaths is viewed as the latest chapter of historical injustices, generational poverty and a flawed health care system. The epidemic has hit African-Americans and Hispanics especially hard, including in New York, where the virus is twice as deadly for those populations.
So in the midst of a national quarantine, civil rights activists are organizing broad, loosely stitched campaigns at home from their laptops and cellphones, creating online platforms and starting petitions to help shape relief and recovery plans. Though digital tools are part of most initiatives, the pandemic is prompting a new kind of creativity to rally support without the power and visceral energy of crowds.
Collectively, the goal is targeted legislation, financial investments and government and corporate accountability. The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., the longtime civil rights leader, is calling for the creation of a new Commission to document the “racism and discrimination built into public policies” that make the pandemic measurably worse for some African-Americans.
Full story at New York Times
Article submitted by Great Gazoo.
