Congressman Anthony Brown: "We must confront systemic racial disparities head on, and do so right now"

Statement

Congressman Anthony G. Brown (MD-04), released the following statement in reaction to new demographic data from Maryland showing COVID-19's disproportionate impact on communities of color:

"Black Americans are bearing the full brunt of the coronavirus in Maryland, facing higher rates of infections and mortality. We cannot hide from this grim reality. We must confront these systemic racial disparities head on, and do so right now."
"Black Americans are more likely to be uninsured and more likely to have a frontline job during this crisis. Black Americans have a higher risk of asthma, heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. And Black Americans face implicit racial bias in our health care system - from diagnosis to treatment and medical outcomes. We've seen decades old disparities inflamed by the coronavirus crisis. Lack of access to health care, affordable housing and financial stability have left low income Black and Brown families vulnerable to this deadly disease."
"The virus is not a great leveler. The consequences are not borne equally by all. We know communities of color are more likely to catch this disease, because of their exposure and inaction to address these deep health inequities. Marginalized and vulnerable populations need more testing and doctors in these communities need more resources. We need to act now to ensure these disparities don't become worse during this public health crisis and work to close these gaps moving forward."

Source