Unequal Protection: The Disparate Impact of COVID-19 on Communities of Color

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For more briefing call recordings, commentary, and analysis about COVID-19, visit the ACS COVID-19 Resources page.

As we continue to learn more about COVID-19, it has become clear that this pandemic is disparately impacting people of color, and in particular, the Black community.  A recent report from Mother Jones shows that Black Americans have disproportionately contracted and died from the coronavirus.  Attacks on voting rights, abortion rights, and fair housing have long targeted people of color and the resulting damage of those attacks has been exacerbated during this time of crisis.  What direct and indirect harms are being done to communities of color by the pandemic and the government’s response?  What legal tools are available to address these disparities and where are there gaps?  What should lawmakers consider as they attempt to craft a response to this crisis?
Welcome:
Russ Feingold, President, ACS

Featured Speakers:
Michele Goodwin, Chancellor’s Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Biotechnology and Global Health Policy, University of California Irvine School of Law, Moderator
Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean, Berkeley Law School
Patricia Williams, University Distinguished Professor of Law and Humanities, Northeastern University School of Law
Dr. George Woods, Immediate Past President of the International Academy of Law and Mental Health