Due in large part to a lack of responsiveness by federal and state governments, our nation continues to be ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. As of December 4, 2020, America has been witness to more than 25 million cases and nearly 440,000 deaths. Schools have been closed, businesses have struggled to stay afloat, millions have lost their jobs and homes — all of which has disproportionately impacted the Black community.
Many Black communities across America are already underresourced, and LDF works day-in and day-out to undo these structural racial inequalities. The healthcare system is infected with biases that have been proven to affect the way Black patients are treated. Our criminal justice system is being used to enforce stay-at-home orders, going so far as to fine, ticket, or arrest those who are not practicing social distance at the sole discretion of police officers. Students who relied on school meals are going hungry. Parents who do not have the luxury of working from home are worrying about how they will keep the lights on and water running in their homes. And the 2020 Election was like none other we have seen in our nation’s history, with a record number of votes cast by mail because of the pandemic.
LDF is not backing down from this fight. Our staff is working diligently to mitigate the unique threats that COVID-19 poses to Black communities. These are just some of the ways that we are working to protect and support our communities during the pandemic:
