Covid-19 Is Your Wake-up Call
Written by Bethany L. Studenic | Managing Director, Enlightened Solutions
Covid-19 and the inadequate federal response to this crisis, has killed a disproportionate number of Black Americans. The latest overall COVID-19 mortality rate for Black Americans is 2.4 times as high as the rate for Whites and 2.2 times as high as the rate for Asians and Latinos.
If Black Americans had died of COVID-19 at the same rate as White Americans, about 12,000 Black Americans, 1,300 Latinx Americans and 300 Asian Americans would still be alive.
This data is not surprising, it is a direct result of the unequal systems that exist in America today. If you are alarmed by this reality, we are glad you are here. You can contribute to making sure this never happens again.
Why is this happening?
The causes are complex and multi-faceted. Black Americans are more likely to work in direct service or “essential” positions and are significantly more likely to work in the service industry, healthcare/hospitals, and social services. Although working in these positions increases chances of exposure to COVID-19, this is not the only contributing factor to the disproportionate fatal effect.
Due to various structural economic issues, Black Americans are less likely to have the financial resources to weather a Covid-19 diagnosis. Black Americans have less access to testing sites, less financial resources to take off work to get tested or to quarantine themselves, and face significant barriers in seeking healthcare. At every step, Black Americans are more at risk.
In a recent survey conducted by Enlightened Solutions, we found that Black Women and Femmes in Ohio face serious barriers to healthcare. When asked about their experiences in seeking medical care, many respondents cited instances of having their medical issues resoundingly dismissed, denied access to necessary medicine, and being subjected to unnecessary, unrelated treatments.
Here is what some respondents had to say:
“I was having trouble walking and having body pain and I was told it was in my head. They later diagnosed me with fibromyalgia.”
“Newly diagnosed with breast cancer, unable to schedule with a surgeon for mastectomy/reconstructive procedures. I had to become aggressive in order to get the attention that I needed.”
“Having to repeatedly explain my depressive episodes in hopes that the doctor wouldn’t call me “overwhelmed & dramatic” again.”
“A white female doctor talked down to me and was less than informative. [She] [d]id not answer my questions. She seemed to think that I had no reason to ask.”
What can we do?
In order to dismantle structural issues in the future, we must focus on solutions-focused Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) inside our existing systems, medical and otherwise. Working to rectify the inherent inequalities inside of our systems is the best way to support equal access to resources in the future.
The reasoning for this is more than moral — companies that have done D&I work are significantly more resilient in recessions, depressions, and times of economic uncertainty. In fact, organizations that already had robust D&I work are faring better right now than those who did not.
Organizations that value D&I had already implemented procedures for work-from-home — pandemic withstanding. They had already invested in equipment and software to make this possible. Many organizations had instituted flex-time, engaged in creative problem solving as a group, built teams that supported change and variation, and built resiliency within their teams.
What does the future look like?
Covid-19 is just the beginning of fundamental changes coming to the American Workplace. Millennials continue to demand flexibility and innovation at work. 92% of Millennials look for work-from-home options as part of their job search. This generation is highly educated and is more likely to stop working for an organization altogether and start their own business. In fact, over 60% of Millennials have indicated that they plan to start their own business in the next three years.
Millennials are just the start of this change. The oldest members of Generation Z are graduating from college and/or entering the adult workforce. Gen Z is poised to be the most ethnically and racially diverse generation our country has ever seen, with 48% of its members identifying as a racial or ethnic minority. Stacking on top of this, Generation Z’s female-identifying members are more likely than ever to be fully engaged in the workforce. This generation is also more likely to be open about mental health struggles, physical limitations, religious differences, and political opinions. In addition, Gen Z will be the most educated generation our country — and perhaps the world has ever seen.
It’s not just the workplace that Millennials and Gen Z scrutinize either. They are more conscientious consumers and are less likely to engage with companies that do not align with their values. Without adaptation, organizations are not only at extreme risk of lost innovation, talent, and revenue — they are at a fundamental risk of extinction.
What’s Next?
The future is diverse. Covid-19 is your wake-up call.
It is time to start the process of investigating your organization and making the necessary changes to support your workforce now and into the future. Diversity is no longer about lip service, and it is no longer something that can be placed on the back burner as a luxury. Diversity is the reality and is a matter of survival for an organization seeking long-term viability.
Our advice is this: Start now. Engage with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion experts to ensure that your organization is implementing best practices. Your organization will benefit now and in the future.
Start today.
