Looking Back: Why Racial Justice Matters In Covid-19 Responses

With the recent COVID-19 variant omicron spreading throughout the U.S., it’s imperative to remember why racial justice matters in COVID-19 responses. Back in May of 2020, at the height of the pandemic, writer Bonnie Chiu highlighted the risks BIPOC folx were enduring as frontline workers and systemic racism at large.

In the piece, Chiu highlighted Hazen for fast-forwarding the disbursement of grants during the height of the pandemic. Hazen’s Lori Bezahler outlined why this was so crucial:

“In New York, 75% of frontline workers are people of color. A lot of the workers are members of our grantee organizations, and this has been deeply traumatising for them. The most heavily hit communities are in parts of Queen, Southwestern Georgia, Detroit — people of color communities. In this moment, we see that there aren’t healthcare facilities that many native Americans can access. With so much at stake right now, we saw no reason to delay much needed funding.”

To read the article, click here.