Pandemic, Economic Fallout Amplified Long-Standing And Deep Racial Inequalities In U.S.

The New York Times: Black Workers, Already Lagging, Face Big Economic Risks
The coronavirus recession has hit black Americans particularly hard, amplifying racial inequalities that may worsen as the economy begins what is expected to be a slow climb back to where it was before the crisis. Black Americans have been slightly more likely to lose jobs or income in the recession that took root as states locked down their economies. They are more worried about the financial toll from the virus than white Americans and have far fewer resources available to ride it out, given that they earn less money and have had less ability to build wealth. And they are dying at higher rates from the virus than whites. (Smialek and Tankersley, 6/1)

The Washington Post: Economic And Health Effects Of Coronavirus In The Black Community Fuel Protests For George Floyd
In the Minneapolis area, where protests have turned violent in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, the median income for black households is less than half of white ones — $38,200 compared to $85,000. In Washington, D.C., where protesters set fire to American flags and a historic church near the White House, the percentage of out-of-work black residents outpaces white residents at a rate of about 6 to 1. African American households have struggled more economically than the median household nationwide, even when unemployment was at single-digit historic lows. (Rosenberg and Van Dam, 6/1)

NPR: Protests Put Spotlight On Economic Divide, As Blacks Lag In Jobs, Homeownership
The death of a black man at the hands of white police officers has sparked days of civil unrest in the United States. Those sparks have landed in a tinderbox assembled over decades of economic inequality, now made worse by the coronavirus pandemic. Minneapolis police officers initially confronted the man — George Floyd — on suspicion that he'd used a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes. The viral video of what followed captured an individual tragedy. But it's set against a backdrop of poverty and discrimination that have long colored relations between law enforcement and the African American community. (Horsley, 6/1)

The Washington Post: In The Protests Over George Floyd’s Death, Restaurants Become Flash Points Of Class Disparity
As protests continue a week after Floyd’s death, those marching in the streets are expressing a desire not just for justice, but for economic equality. As the presidential election heats up, income inequality has become a central topic. According to the Pew Research Center, in 2018 the “top fifth of earners (with incomes of $130,001 or more that year) brought in 52 percent of all U.S. income.” Meanwhile, the pandemic has forced 40 million Americans to apply for unemployment benefits. People dining out during a pandemic, no matter what they’re eating, seem to be a symbol for the haves, in a country with many have nots. (Carman and Heil, 6/1)

Vox: The Racial Disparities In Minnesota’s Coronavirus Cases, Explained
Across the country, black Americans are getting infected with the coronavirus and dying from it at disproportionate rates compared to their share of the population. The Covid-19 mortality rate among black Americans is 2.4 times higher than it is for white people. There is not a single explanation for that racial disparity, but many. Black Americans have historically struggled with their health compared to whites, a reflection of the US’s longstanding socioeconomic stratification by race, and black Americans have high rates of preexisting conditions that make patients more vulnerable to Covid-19. They are also more likely to work jobs that have been considered “essential” and cannot be done from home, which increases their risk of exposure to the virus. Spread among intergenerational households and exposure to air pollution could also help explain the high infection rates among black people. (Scott, 5/29)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: 3 Out Of 4 Hospitalized Coronavirus Patients Were Black, Ochsner Study Finds
Black coronavirus patients made up three-fourths of those hospitalized in Louisiana's largest health system, according to a new study, underscoring the disproportionate toll COVID-19 has had on the state's black residents. The study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, used electronic health records from around 3,500 patients at Ochsner Health System hospitals in Louisiana who tested positive for coronavirus to examine the racial make-up of the patient population. It showed that about 77% of hospitalized coronavirus patients at Ochsner Health System were black. Typically, about 31% of Ochsner’s patient population is black. (Woodruff, 6/1)

Politico: Black Lawmakers Look To 'Forcefully Respond' To Police Brutality Crisis
The Congressional Black Caucus — with the blessing of Speaker Nancy Pelosi — is taking the lead on an aggressive response to the nationwide upheaval over racial injustice and police brutality, intent on seizing the moment as the United States is engulfed by one of the largest mass protests in 50 years. The House Judiciary Committee is planning to hold a hearing on police brutality next week, and the panel is also sifting through more than 40 proposals to mark up for floor consideration by the end of June, according to four Democratic aides. But Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) signaled they weren’t prepared to call the full House back into session yet. The House in recess until June 30 because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Ferris, Barron-Lopez, Bresnahan Caygle, 6/1)

The Oregonian: Oregon Gov. Kate Brown Says Protests Are The Result Of Years Of Deferred Police Accountability, Calls For Action Now
Gov. Kate Brown called for sweeping police and criminal justice reforms Monday in her first in-person statement on the massive protests, riots and looting that took place through the weekend in Portland, Eugene and other parts of the state. She said that even a recent Oregon law that reformed juvenile justice and efforts to reduce harsh penalties that disproportionately impact black people have taken too long and not gone far enough. During the hour-long press conference, Brown said she wants to make the state’s administrators look like the communities they serve, change rules and cultures within agencies and adjust funding streams to make Oregon more reflective and fair to people of color in the state. (Harbarger, 6/1)

The Associated Press: Black Female Mayors In Spotlight Amid Protests And Pandemic
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms captured the nation’s attention when she addressed the civil unrest occurring in her city after George Floyd’s death. “I am a mother to four black children in America, one of whom is 18 years old,” Bottoms said Friday in a rousing speech. “When I saw the murder of George Floyd, I hurt like a mother.” Bottoms and other black female mayors, including Lori Lightfoot of Chicago, are leading some of the nation’s largest cities during an unprecedented moment of challenge as protests against police brutality overlap with the coronavirus pandemic and an economic collapse. (Stafford, 6/2)

The New York Times: ‘We Need Help’: Coronavirus Fuels Racism Against Black Americans In China
Jeff Remmington, an American professional basketball player trying his hand in China, had already been through xenophobic hell: ostracized in Guangzhou, where he was once celebrated for his acrobatic dunks, denied service at a restaurant with his 4-year-old son because of his skin color, quarantined for two weeks, though he showed no signs of coronavirus infection, he said. But the breaking point came in May when he tried to find a new apartment. He had finally found a landlord who would rent to a “foreigner,” signed a lease, and was preparing to move when neighborhood officials stepped in. (Williamson and Wang, 6/2)