Parenting Journey Executive Director Imari Paris Jeffries and Boston City Councilor Julia Meja recently co-authored an op-ed for the Bay State Banner on how COVID-19 has intensified the challenges parents and families already face.
As they note, “Communities of color are facing disproportionate impacts of this virus due to inequities that already existed long before COVID-19.
“And this inequity is playing out in the newly released data on COVID-19 infection rates in New York City, the epicenter of the pandemic here in the U.S. Elmhurst hospital in Western Queens is the hardest hit, with ER visits over six times the city average. The population of Western Queens is 35% service workers, over 60% rent-burdened, and is the third most overcrowded neighborhood in the city.
“This upsetting trend is reflected in the recent data on COVID-19 infection rates in Boston, with Mattapan, Dorchester and Hyde Park — neighborhoods with high rates of non-English speakers — being hit the hardest. According to data published by the Boston Health Commission on cases that have reported ethnic data, 44% of known cases are in the black community alone as of April 10.”
They go on to state: “This crisis has shown we have the capacity to guarantee health care, food and shelter to everyone, and we can all work together to make this a reality. Community leaders and government officials should work together to ensure the protections put in place in this time of crisis are always available to those who need them.”
Read their piece in The Bay State Banner on crises our families face every day.