Our educational system was unequal even before the pandemic. Those inequalities were exacerbated when students transitioned to learning from home.
Black, Latinx and Native American students suffered the most. Not only did they suddenly find themselves isolated from their schools and peers, but their families were disproportionately impacted by job losses, unequal access to health care and vulnerability to COVID-19.
We are going to need a “healing surge” that will match our vaccine surge — and health equity must guide how we allocate those resources.
We have learned the lesson in this crisis that public health is critical to our individual health — we all do better when we protect those who are most vulnerable. We also understand that mental health is not just an individual condition but a collective challenge in communities that were already stressed by racist policing, economic inequality and deportation threats.
Low-income families can’t easily shop for groceries online, contributing to COVID-19 disparities—but allowing them to use food stamps online could help. Food policy advocates are asking the state to provide online purchasing opportunity for pregnant women and families with young children who get benefits through WIC.
Health equity is a key reason why allowing WIC recipients to shop online is so critical. California has the largest WIC program in the U.S. and most recipients are people of color.
As the conversation around the coronavirus pandemic slowly turns toward what comes next, and how to structure and phase the recovery, the policy shifts toward fairness and equality should be protected.
Our goal should not be to try to move back as quickly as possible to normal. Normal set the conditions for the devastating outbreak and inadequate response.
Water is a fundamental determinant of health. That’s why it’s such important news that California’s governor and legislature agreed to establish ongoing funding to make sure every resident in our state has access to clean, affordable water.