WWW.TRIANGLE TRIBUNE.COM Blacks and COVID The Triangle clinical trials The unrelenting spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 throughout the United States of America in 2020 continues to pose an unprecedented public health crisis for all Americans, but in particular for Black Americans and other people of color RIBUNE who are disproportionally impacted by COVID-19. TTHE TRIANGLE’S CHOICE FOR THE BLACK VOICE As the trusted voice of Black America, the National Newspaper Publishers Association in March established the NNPA Corona- virus Task Force as a means of increasing public VOLUME 22 NO. 36 WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 6, 2020 $1.00 awareness about the overall preexisting health dis- parities in Black America and about the dispropor- tionate fatal consequences of COVID-19 for Black Americans and other people of color. ICYMI: The CIAA made In fact, the NNPA and our Coronavirus Task Force were the first to issue a national “State of Emer- history last week on gency” declaration on April 3 to warn Black Ameri- two fronts. cans and others about the evolving dangers and BENJAMIN public health risks of COVID-19. F. CHAVIS Earlier this year, there were just too many myths and misinformation circulating primarily via social media that falsely asserted that “Black people and people of Af- rican descent were immune to COVID-19 because of the pres- ence of Melanin.” Of course, that assertion was not true. Yet, unfortunately, too many people in our communities began to Please see COVID/2A COVID VOICES up to Voting No. 3 not on list enough By Stacy M. Brown for NNPA NEWSWIRE America’s economic situ- ation has substantially change deteriorated since the onset of the COVID-19 cri- By Evan Malbrough sis, and families across SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE race and ethnicity feel the pain, according to a new I began my activism report from the Brookings through The Andrew Good- Institution. The report also man Foundation, an organi- notes that the coronavirus zation built in memory of now stands as the third- young people who were mur- leading cause of death dered by white supremacists among African Americans. for registering Black people “If I told you on Jan. 1 to vote in Mississippi. A re- that a new virus that we cent graduate of Georgia did not even know about State University, I organized would, in August, be the PHOTO BY JONATHAN BORBA ON UNSPLASH and managed the first all stu- third leading cause of Black women are still more likely to die from childbirth or pregnancy-related complications dent-run polling site in the state, and I launched a proj- death for Black Americans, than white women. our hair should have been ect to recruit and train young set on fire and we would poll workers. My work have an extensive public honors those who fought policy response to this un- and died for our right to precedented pandemic,” Black maternal death vote. noted Trevon Logan, pro- But as a young Black man fessor of economics at the in America, I recognize that Ohio State University. elections alone do not save Logan co-authored the Black lives. While I encourage report titled, “The Hamil- is ‘rooted in racism’ people to vote, I know from ton Project, Racial Eco- history that it takes more nomic Inequality Amid the By Freda Freeman stop the bleeding. She said it In the documentary “Death than voting to bring about COVID-19 Crisis,” with CORRESPONDENT took her six months to heal. de by Delivery,” produced by The social change. Bradley L. Hardy of the Los Santos is one of hundreds Naked Truth, numerous Black I often feel conflicted when DURHAM – Gloria de Los San- American University in of Black women who almost women from throughout the telling people to vote be- tos laid in a hospital bed hem- Washington, D.C. died during childbirth. She’s country share their near-death cause I am aware of the bar- orrhaging profusely after “In 2020, more Black one of the lucky ones. experiences. riers that diminish Black and delivering her daughter in Americans will die of According to the Centers for In the film, which can be Brown communities' electo- 2009, while several nurses COVID-19 than will suc- Disease Control and the World viewed on YouTube, journalist ral power. How can I say chatted at the nurses’ station cumb to diabetes, stroke, Health Organization, maternal Nelufar Hedayat also talked "vote" without talking about right outside her door. accidents or pneumonia. In mortality in the United States with families ripped apart by the systematic issues that She believes she would have fact, COVID-19 is currently is worse today than it was 20 death and activists who are plague our democracy? Ger- bled to death if not for her the third leading cause of years ago. Statistics show fighting for equality in mater- rymandering prevents mil- husband, Michael, who death for African Ameri- Black women are four times nity wards. lions of Americans from flagged down a doctor on cans,” Logan and Hardy more likely to die from preg- Several local women met re- choosing elected officials another floor. de Los Santos concluded. nancy-related causes than cently via Zoom to discuss the who work in their best inter- was given a blood transfusion Among the reasons for white women. ests. Felon disenfranchise- and underwent surgery to Please see MATERNAL/2A the disparity is African ment stops those who have Americans are more than paid their debt to society twice as likely as the aver- from having a voice. Every age worker to be employed election, strict voter ID laws in the health care support and voter roll purges stop in- service industry, which dividuals from exercising has been decimated by their fundamental constitu- COVID-19 in assisted living DCABP endorses candidates tional right. And then, there's facilities and nursing the Supreme Court's Citizens homes. African Americans United decision lifting limits are also significantly over- on money in politics, which represented in the per- for 2020 general election has further enabled wealthy special interests to drown sonal care and service and STAFF REPORTS food preparation indus- out the voices of ordinary tries, which are dispropor- The Durham Committee on citizens. tionately essential worker the Affairs of Black People re- How will we make change if industries, the authors dis- leased its much anticipated voting is the only tool we covered. candidate endorsement. use? How can democracy fix “Black Americans also Omar S. Beasley is chairman our most pressing issues if comprise more than a of the committee. everyone cannot equally par- quarter of the meatpacking ● President and Vice ticipate? industry’s frontline work- President As citizens, our role in- force, which has seen sev- ○ Joseph Biden/ Kamala volves doing more than just eral outbreaks of Harris (DEM) voting. It also involves pay- COVID-19. Among those ● US Senate ing attention to when our out of the labor force, the ○ Cal Cunningham elected officials ignore us, or outbreak of the virus (DEM) operate in a way that harms among the incarcerated ● US House District 4 our communities, and hold- has a disproportionate ra- ○ David Price (DEM) ing them accountable — in cial impact as well, given ● NC Governor elections, yes, but also be- the overrepresentation of ○ Roy Cooper (DEM) tween elections. We show up African Americans in the ● NC Lieutenant Gov. at town hall meetings to put elected officials and candi- prison population,” Logan ○ Yvonne Holley (DEM) COURTESY and Hardy wrote. ● NC Attorney General dates on the spot and ask Additionally, on average, ○ Josh Stein (DEM) ● NC Commissioner of ● NC Supreme Court them the tough questions we African Americans share ● NC Auditor Labor Chief Justice Seat 01 need answered. We create their living quarters with ○ Beth Wood (DEM) ○ Jessica Holmes (DEM) ○ Cheri Beasley (DEM) and sign petitions to show more people. While only ● NC Commissioner of ● NC Secretary of State ● NC Supreme Court what issues people want ad- 48% of white households Agriculture ○ Elaine Marshall Associate Justice Seat 02 dressed. We write letters to have three or more ○ Jenna Wadsworth ● NC Superintendent ○ Lucy Inman (DEM) editors and use social media members, more than 58% (DEM) of Public Instruction ● NC Supreme Court to elevate the issues our of Black households do, ● NC Commissioner of ○ Jen Mangrum (DEM) Associate Justice Seat 04 communities face. When the authors noted, citing a Insurance ● NC Treasurer ○ Mark Davis (DEM) necessary, we organize pro- 2013 Pew Research Center ○ Wayne Goodwin ○ Ronnie Chatterji tests and take our grievances study. (DEM) to the streets. Plase see COVID/2A Please see DCABP/2A Please see VOTING/2A Index 5007 South Park Drive, Suite 200-G Publisher: Gerald O. Johnson Durham, NC 27713 Managing Editor/Sports Editor: Bonitta Best 1A 5A News Religion (919) 688-9408 Advertising: Linda Johnson 4A 6A Classifieds Sports 7A Focus © 2020 The Triangle Tribune www.triangletribune.com 2A NEWS/The Triangle Tribune Sunday, September 6, 2020 Black maternal death is ‘rooted in racism’ Continued from page 1A having a conversation system,” she said. film and what can be done about the history and rac- Racism plays a signifi- to keep women of color ism in this country. cant role in laws governing from dying of complica- “From our experiences Black women’s reproduc- tions during or after child- here, from our enslaved tive health because the birth. They said the ancestors through chattel people creating those laws maternal death rate is slavery, Jim Crow, civil hold implicit biases, Bur- rooted in racism and how rights, post-civil rights era, ney-Scott added. Represen- Black women are treated Black women in this coun- tation, advocacy, and during childbirth.