Today on Sojourner Truth, we focus on the impact of COVID-19 on Black communities across the United States, both in terms of health and economics.
Black people are being infected and killed by COVID-19 at a disproportionately high rate. While Black people make up just 13 percent of the population, they account for 30 percent of COVID-19 cases, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Financially, Black workers and businesses are also taking a hit. Sixteen percent of Black people have reported being laid off or furloughed since the outbreak began in the United States, compared with 11 percent of white people and 12 percent of workers of other races, according to The Washington Post. For Black workers who are still working, many of them in essential industries, they remain at risk of getting sick amid reopening plans.
Today, you will hear audio from a recent digital town hall entitled, "The Black Response to COVID-19." It focused on how COVID-19 is impacting Black communities - both in terms of health and finances - and how community leaders on the ground are responding. The town hall was hosted by Color of Change, the largest online racial justice organization in the United States. The discussion was moderated by writer, professor and political commentator Melissa Harris-Perry. During today's program, you will hear from the panelists: Congresswoman Karen Bass, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus; Rashad Robinson, President of Color of Change; Michael Tubbs, Mayor of Stockton, California; and James Perry, CEO of the Urban League in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
