Discussion: Racial Disparities in COVID-19

Students will examine how the current COVID-19 crisis may be exacerbating pre-existing health inequities in the U.S. In this activity, students will explore 2020 data on health disparities, especially in states like Louisiana and Michigan where Black Americans are currently experiencing alarming rates of infection and virus-related fatalities. Students will contextualize through a recent news article that examines some of the current, racialized trends in infection and map out the individual, family, community, and societal dimensions of this issue.

Resources

• Data Interactive: 2020 County Health Rankings State Report (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 2020)
• Article: Black Americans Face Alarming Rates of Coronavirus Infection in Some States (The New York Times 2020)

Activity

• Observe and Wonder: The County Health Rankings data interactive from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation paints a picture of state-level racial disparities in 2020 across multiple metrics. While there are options to drill deeper into county-level data, we recommend staying at state-level (the first check-box) for the purpose of this activity.
  
  Students may want to look specifically at Louisiana and Michigan, two states where Black Americans are currently facing disproportionate rates of COVID-19 infection. If you are using a virtual platform like Zoom, this might be a good opportunity to use breakout rooms. As students spend time considering the state profile, they should consider the following questions:
  
  
• What are the three measures included in the data interactive? Why do you think they were chosen for thinking about health?
• How does the state compare to the nation for a particular measure?
• What patterns or differences do you notice by racial group for each measure?
• What do you wonder about the data?
  
  
• Read and Discuss: The New York Times article provides a rich case for contextualizing these observations and wonderings about the data. Though data on race and coronavirus is currently limited, researchers have observed that the virus is killing Black Americans at disproportionately high rates. In Chicago, for example, African-Americans account for 72% of virus-related fatalities, though they only represent less than a third of the population.
  
  Experts in the article share how the current pandemic has exacerbated longstanding structural inequalities. Black Americans disproportionately belong to parts of the work force that are not able to work from home, are less likely to be insured, and more likely to have preexisting health conditions and experience racial bias within the health care system. Historical, racist real estate practices from the 1930s mean many Black residents still live in segregated neighborhoods, without access to job opportunities and grocery stores and perhaps in areas where higher rates of asthma are more common.
  
  In small groups or as a class, have students map out the factors at the individual, familial, community, and societal levels that are shaping the current experience of the COVID-19 crisis.
  
  
• What do you notice?
• How does the data you explored from the County Health Rankings fit into this picture, if at all?
• If you were a public health official considering this information, where would you focus your attention in COVID-19 response? Why?