On the heels of a new report from UW-Milwaukee highlighting how race and patterns of segregation can be linked with the spread of COVID-19, Opportunity Wisconsin and Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC) will host a virtual conversation on Tuesday, April 28, at 6:00 PM CT with U.S. Representative Gwen Moore to discuss how COVID-19’s impact has been exacerbated by years of damaging economic policies championed by President Donald Trump and his allies. The conversation, moderated by Milwaukee Alderwoman and Opportunity Wisconsin steering committee member Chantia Lewis, will feature Milwaukee residents who have been personally impacted by the pandemic.

Opportunity Wisconsin and BLOC are calling on President Trump and his administration to invest in Wisconsin’s communities of color during this economic crisis, instead of pushing policies that primarily bail out the wealthy and well-connected.

While health conditions like diabetes and asthma exist at higher rates among Black people, making Black people more susceptible to the virus, Black Americans are also more likely to hold essential jobs during this crisis, such as health care, grocers, fast-food workers, transit, and postal services. What’s more, many of these same people are facing economic barriers such as stagnant wages and absence of paid leave, as well as food, housing, and transportation insecurity.

According to UW-Milwaukee’s report, “As of April 8, nearly twice the number of African-American county residents as whites had tested positive for COVID-19. African-Americans represent 27 percent of the county’s population, but they account for 45 percent of confirmed cases. More disturbing still, of the 67 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Milwaukee County as of April 8, 46 of the victims were Black.”

Earlier this month, Representative Moore joined several of her House and Senate colleagues in introducing the Equitable Data Collection and Disclosure on COVID-19 Act, which would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to collect and report racial, ethnic, and other demographic data on COVID-19 testing, treatment, and fatality rates.

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