Bay Area Black Community Leaders Envision Equitable COVID Response - SF Public Press; 7/13/2020

BARHII is proud to have contributed to an article published in the July 13, 2020 edition of the San Francisco Public Press.

The coronavirus pandemic disproportionately affects people of color, and as of late April, state health department data showed Black Californians were dying from COVID-19 at nearly twice the rate of white residents. BARHII organized a panel of Black community leaders from across the Bay to discuss what they’ve set in motion to support their communities during the pandemic and what they would like to see done next.

Key quotes from the article include:

"The coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately affected people of color throughout the Bay Area – as of late April, state health department data showed Black Californians were dying from COVID-19 at nearly twice the rate of white residents. In the Bay Area, Latino and Black residents have been testing positive at much higher rates than other groups."

"At an panel organized by the coalition of health departments known as BARHII, Black community leaders, from fields ranging from public education to community development to transportation, said those most affected have not been given a seat at the table when it comes to determining the region's pandemic response."

"'We have to center the leadership of those who are impacted by the issues. Too many people treat this like an academic exercise. It's not academic. We have another saying: "You don't know what you don't know." We have to incorporate the wisdom of those who are experiencing these issues. This is how we can turn this moment that we're in into a movement.' –John Jones III, director of community and political engagement for Just Cities"

View the article BARHII contributed to here.

(https://sfpublicpress.org/bay-area-black-community-leaders-envision-equitable-coronavirus-response/)