Social and Racial Justice

The pandemic has shone a new light on the harms of racism in our society. Narrowly viewed, COVID-19 affects Black, brown, and Native people more often and more seriously than people who are white. And broadly speaking, the pandemic has also laid bare fundamental injustices in our social order. Today, we pause to honor Dr. Read more…

In the United States, hundreds of thousands of people are experiencing homelessness each night. There are many reasons why people might be experiencing homelessness: some people are chronically homeless, some were recently evicted or lost their housing, some are leaving a violent situation, and some are staying with friends or family temporarily but might not Read more…

A: With only 3 weeks until November 3rd, it’s such an important time to check and double check the rules and deadlines. First, check out our September post for tips and tricks on completing and sending in your mail-in ballot. Next, CHECK THOSE DEADLINES! If you already requested your mail-in ballot, but haven’t received it, Read more…

A: Thank you for drawing attention to this important topic. By now, you’ve probably heard that racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Unfortunately, Native American populations are not an exception. ** Native Americans are more than 5 times as likely to be hospitalized than non-Hispanic white Americans. This is a larger COVID-19 Read more…

A. Although the reasons for the disparities are numerous and complex, a few of our posts this week point to potential targets for intervention (e.g. segregation, healthcare system, and others). Clinicians and scientists have also offered data and policy solutions to address the high burden COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths that are disproportionately impacting minority Read more…

Q: I hear that communities of color are experiencing more severe illness and death from COVID-19. What role does the healthcare system play in contributing to worse outcomes? A. One way to think about the healthcare system is to imagine links in a chain. Researchers have used a framework like this (“cascades of care”) to Read more…

Q: Talk to me about history. What historical factors contributed to many U.S. cities becoming highly segregated, and how is this related to the racial inequities in COVID-19 we are seeing today? A: In the interview linked to below, Reggie Jackson, Head Griot of America’s Black Holocaust Museum, describes four discriminatory housing policies and practices Read more…

Today we welcome Dr. Bridgette M. Brawner as a guest Nerdy Girl to discuss racial disparities and COVID-19. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Find her on Twitter at @DrBMBrawner. A. One word: racism. In all of its forms (e.g., individual, institutional, structural). There is no genetic or Read more…

A: Our awesome Nerdy friend Dr. Tiffany Green, Assistant Professor in the Departments of Population Health Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison recently provided this timely interview about COVID-19 and race-related health disparities. In this interview, Professor Green covers race differences in occupational structures, health care infection control, access to care, Read more…