Greetings!
What would a response to COVID-19 that centers inclusion and equity look like?
- In the education sector, there are massive concerns about food insecurity for students, disparities in technology and internet access, and a need for specialized services for English language learners, students with disabilities, and many other populations.
- The medical field is grappling with which people have access to tests and equipment, how implicit biases impact quality of care, how pre-existing conditions and social determinants of health influence the wide disparities in outcomes, and much more.
- We are seeing clear divides between who in our communities can work from home and who is required to go out in public.
- Reports about small business loans show greater access for those who have existing banking relationships and who have more stable financial positions, deepening existing class divisions.
- Older adults are experiencing higher rates of social isolation.
- Inequities connected to transportation access, law enforcement, and criminal justice are in the news regularly.
- There has been a surge in intimate partner violence.
- Anti-Asian harassment, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and xenophobia are on the rise.
Put simply, COVID-19 does not affect everyone equally. People of Color, immigrants, individuals experiencing poverty, older adults, people with disabilities, and other populations that experienced discrimination prior to the pandemic are most negatively impacted today.
Therefore, a comprehensive, inclusive, and equitable response must address the root causes of these inequities and engage those most impacted in co-creating solutions. We at VCIC are eager to work with partners across the Commonwealth in this critical, transformational endeavor. There is no more important work if we are going to achieve a recovery that includes everyone.
This email includes updates and resources, including a special section for educators related to COVID-19. Please
stay in touch
and let us know how VCIC can continue to support your community in the weeks ahead.
