COVID-19 CONTINUES AFFECT THE NATION, ESPECIALLY AFRICAN AMERICANS
By: CaraG @ExclusivelyCaraG
It’s easy to feel as if there is no light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel as cases worldwide
continue to rise. COVID has forced countries such as France, Germany, and England to go into lockdown, where citizens have limitations on public activities as deaths soar. Still, a disturbing trend is evident in the United States. Minorities, specifically African Americans, are experiencing more severe symptoms and deaths than white people.
According to media reports, in Delaware, Chicago, and Wisconsin majority of deaths were non-Hispanic Blacks. For better insight, only 21.9 percent of the Delaware population is black.
Likewise, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 70 percent of COVID-19 deaths stem from African
Americans who make up just 26 percent of the county’s population. Minorities tend to have the same common factors, such as living in crowded housing conditions, working in essential fields, and inconsistent access to healthcare due to lack of insurance. Not being able to afford healthcare to manage chronic diseases has been an on-going issue for minorities hence the reason for resources such as Medicaid and The Affordable Care Act. These support funds were put in place to provide affordable health care coverage for
Americans, yet many minorities remain without health care.
In addition, Black-Owned businesses were twice as likely to suffer from the pandemic as their white counterparts. According to Forbes, the number of minority business owners drastically decreased since COVID hit with black businesses at a 41 percent decline; Latinx business owners dropped by 32 percent, leaving white-owned firms at only 17 percent. The government fails many black business owners with the Paycheck Protection plan, a loan for small businesses. The program left many Black-Owned companies unprotected and without government relief.
Many black business owners have looked to GoFundMe, Grants, and Inclusive Venture Capital Funds. Programs like Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation and Jay-Z’s Shawn Carter Foundation recently gave out millions of dollars in grants to bring relief to those impacted by COVID-19.
