May
17
The State of the Nation Part Two: The State of Black America
African Americans make up 13.4 percent of the U.S. population but they represent approximately 23 percent of COVID-19 deaths. Black Americans are three times more likely to die from infection than whites. They are also disproportionately represented among those living in poverty; those engaged in “essential” services placing them at higher risk of contagion; and those afflicted by preexisting conditions such as Diabetes and Hypertension. This panel examines variations of experience among African Americans and interrogates the relationship between racial inequality and public health.