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THE VOICE OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY SINCE 1934 November 26—December 2, 2020 Vol. 87 No. 17
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“AS IT WAS SPOKEN ... LET US RECORD.”
THIS IS WAR!
COVID-19 still ravaging Black community
Protect yourself and others By Mel Reeves Community Editor
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ccording to the COVID Tracking Project’s racial disparity dashboard, Blacks in the U.S. have lost their lives to the virus at 2.3 times the rate of White people. The Black community has one of the worst mortality rates in the country—as of October 13, one in 920 Black people had lost their life to the disease. While Black people have not campaigned actively against public safety measures to limit
Courtesy of MGN
Hospitalized COVID patients cling to life
New fund to aid families of healthcare workers felled by COVID
Effort the brainchild of the U of M’s Dr. Michael Osterholm
By Jasmine Snow Contributing writer Peaches Goodridge misses her mom. She is among many who has lost a loved one who worked in the healthcare industry and died due to COVID-19. A newly incorporated charity Frontline Families Fund seeks to raise money to offset financial burdens incurred by families of felled health care workers during the pandemic. The 27-year-old bank employee said she remembers a time when she and her mother, Pastor Larrydean Goodridge, would talk every day. Larrydean, a 45-yearold phlebotomist at North Memorial Health Hospital, would often talk to her daughter about the prayer lines she would start for patients and colleagues, especially during the pandemic. “It was because her faith was so strong that nothing fazed her,” Peaches said. “Whatever was wrong, she took it to God in prayer so [working during the pandemic] was not a problem
father this time—informing her that her mother had died in the same hospital she had been calling on God to watch over. Peaches had managed to take the news in stride, but she was soon faced with another harsh reality—the financial burden. As one of Larrydean’s oldest children, Peaches quickly became the head of her mother’s household in Minneapolis, assuming responsibility for her mother’s mortgage payments and medical bills, as well as the bills for her mother’s house and her own lifestyle in Mesa, Arizona. “It was insane,” she said. “I’m still not entirely sure what exactly I’m going to do just yet with all of this.” As a family member of the more than 1,400 health care workers who have died due to COVID-19, Peaches qualified Peaches Goodridge’s mother was a health care worker who for help. She initially applied for some grants, with little success. died from COVID Submitted photo She said the overly complicated and extensive application profor her. She would talk to me: going to be touched by CO- cesses often made it too strenuous to work through. ‘Peaches, there’s an outbreak VID.’” The Frontline Families Fund Unfortunately, on June 1, in this entire family. Nothing is going to happen to any- Peaches received a very dif- might just be the answer to her body in this family. Nobody's ferent phone call—from her prayers. The fund is the brain-
the spread and impact of COVID-19, there have been indications that they have not been as vigilant as they should. In some areas, Black folks have reportedly been lax in following COVID-19 prevention protocols, which include wearing masks and social distancing which limit the spread of the disease. While the disproportionate impact ot the disease stems from disparities in health and healthcare, nothing prevents the Black community from doing what it can to protect itself. “The intersection of systemic racism and the administra-
tion’s failed response put the Black community at particular risk,” according to the COVID Tracking Project. Adding to the problems is African Americans' disproportionately high rates of pre-existing conditions (comorbidities), which are associated with higher rates of hospitalizations and deaths from the virus. Black patients are hospitalized with the virus at three times the rate of White patients. “Blacks have the second highest rate of infection in the state of Minnesota. It’s bad. It does not look good. The Health Department is doing all it can with its ■See COVID on page 5
Panelists advise ways to stay connected but safe By Amudalat Ajasa Contributing writer
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t looks like people are stuck sharing gravy with the those in their immediate household this Thanksgiving, as COVID-19 leaves them scrambling like turkeys with their heads chopped off. “COVID is the reason why our holiday season is going to look different,” said Brittany Wright of Insight News and moderator of the AALF forum, “We Good; COVID-19 and Black Minnesota.” As Thanksgiving and other holidays that normally encourage social gathering are fast approaching, the African American Leadership Forum (AALF) last week discussed ways to social
■See FUND on page 5
distance during the holiday season. Panelists included: Adrienne Thornton, nurse and prevention specialist at Children’s MN; Marnita Schroedl, CEO and founder of Marnita’s Table; Marlee Dorsey licensed professional and clinical counselor; Dr. BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya, licensed clinical psychologist; and Rosemond Sarpong Owens, director of Health Equity at Blue Cross Blue Shield Minnesota. “There are over 200,000 deaths in the United States and there are over 200,000 cases in Minnesota,” declared Thornton, a regular panelist on AALF’s biweekly town halls. “Black and Brown people continue to be disproportionately impacted by COVID.”
■See AALF on page 5
MPR forum discusses disparities in housing POC still trailing in housing equity
By Charles Hallman Contributing writer The growing issue of access to housing, especially during a pandemic and economic downturn, along with its systemic impact on Blacks, Indigenous and People of Color, whose communities are hit harder than others was recently discussed as part of MPR News’ In Focus series. MPR partnered with Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis for a November 19 virtual panel discussion on Racism in Housing Access. Before COVID-19, an estimated 8 million Americans – mostly Black and youth, at least 10,000 families and individuals experi-
ence homelessness on any given day and night. Seniors also are finding themselves in a growing rate of homelessness as well. The coronavirus outbreak has exacerbated the housing problem in unprecedented ways. The Minnesota Housing Partnership (MHP) 2019 annual report found that over 25% of state families pay more than they can afford for housing – more than 1 in 4 households are “cost burdened” – a household that spends more than 30% of its income on housing, and often don’t have enough resources to pay for other necessities like food and medicine. Minnesota has one of the largest renter populations in the Up-
per Midwest (Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota), which has grown proportionally by nearly 30% since 2000, the MHP report said. The state also has the highest percentage (44%) of cost-burdened renters, and more than 60% of the state’s rental households reside in the Twin Cities -- Hennepin (38%) and Ramsey (41%) Counties have the largest percentage of rental households. Six Twin Cities counties rank among the highest in Minnesota in senior renter cost burden – paying 30% or more for housing: Washington (69%), Dakota (65%), Ramsey (62%), Anoka (62%), Scott (61%) and Hennepin (59%). Ramsey (25%), Hennepin (23%)
and Anoka (22%) are among the state’s highest percentage of senior renter households paying half or more of their income for housing. Minnesota also has a homeownership gap by race – the Upper Midwest states have the worst racial disparities in homeownership in the country: 24% of Black households are homeowners, compared to Whites 77%, Asians 57% , Native Americans 46% and Latinos 45%. “I don’t know if Minnesota is more unique or has more racism” than other parts of the country, said MPR Impact and Community Engagement Director Ka Vang in a MSR pre-event phone interview. “We changed the
Courtesy of MGN narrative of people of color and Indigenous people … end up in shelters and on the street homeless. I think there is a misconception out there that says people of color are not good with our money, lazy . .. not responsible, that’s why we end up in shelters and on the streets.”
“Every day, our staff sees firsthand how racism impacts access to housing, which is fundamental to a person’s health and stability,” added Catholic Charities’ Wendy Underwood, vice-president of social justice advocacy and engagement. “Our clients ■See HOUSING on page 5