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The Congressional Black Congress Calls for Racial Data
Reporting for COVID-19
Special to The Truth
In a letter sent by the
Congressional Black Caucus on April 7 to Robert Redfield,
M.D., director for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC),
the Congressional Black Caucus is calling for immediate
racial data reporting for COVID-19 in every state, amidst
rising trends in infections and mortality of black people
with coronavirus.
To date, only nine states and the District of Columbia have
released data based on race, which represents less than 20%
of the country. With the limited data of coronavirus deaths
out of cities and states across the nation such as Milwaukee
(73 percent), Chicago (67 percent), Louisiana (70 percent),
D.C. (58 percent) it is already evident that the death rates
are disproportionate to the black population in these areas
hardest hit. We need full disclosure of racial data to
identify and prioritize the areas of greatest impact.
In the letter, the
Congressional Black Caucus urges the CDC to prioritize the
collection and reporting of vital public health data which
will include race and risk factors. With this information,
Congress and the Administration must work together to
prioritize all efforts to ensure every person in America has
equitable access to COVID-19 testing and treatment
regardless of their race or ethnic background.
Healthcare disparities in
our country have been a long standing issue and concern for
the Congressional Black Caucus. The spread of the
coronavirus has compounded these issues, leaving black
people even more vulnerable. We need to urgently address
these disparities with a targeted response to our
community,” said Congresswoman Karen Bass (CA-37),
chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus.
The spread and outcome of
COVID-19 in the United States has simply brought the issues
of healthcare disparities to the forefront of national
attention. But it did not catch us by surprise. The
Congressional Black Caucus Healthcare Brainstrust, chaired
by Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-20), focuses on identifying the
areas of grave concern as it relates to health and
healthcare for Black people and advocating for equitable
legislative responses.
Obtaining the data from
every state in America is critical to a targeted response
that ensures ample resources, including funding and testing,
are deployed to the communities hardest hit. The data we are
seeing from the few states that are reporting shows that
black people are the most vulnerable and the distribution of
resources must reflect this. Without this data, we will
continue to risk the lives of people in this country,” said
Rep. Robin Kelly, chairwoman of the Congressional Black
Caucus Healthcare Braintrust.
What we are seeing is more
than just an overstretched healthcare system, but instead
the result of years of systemic racism, disenfranchisement,
and oppression of Black people in America. The reason more
blacks are dying from COVID-19 is a result of a history of
structural racism, environmental injustice, income
inequality, and the lack of resources in black communities,
which have led to the prominence of health related risk
factors such as diabetes and hypertension. With this data
along with targeted testing and funding the CBC is confident
this will be a more effective approach to overcoming this
health crisis in our community and saving black lives.
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