Chicago Urban League Reports on Disparities of COVID-19

Longstanding structural racism and inequity contribute to a range of risk factors that make Black Americans more likely to contract and die from COVID-19, according to a new report from the Chicago Urban League’s (Chicago, IL) Research & Policy Center.

The report, titled An Epidemic of Inequities: Structural Racism and COVID-19 in the Black Community, notes that while Black people account for just 13 percent of the national population, they make up about 30 percent of confirmed cases of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

In Chicago, which the report uses as a mini case study, Blacks are 30 percent of the population but account for 60 percent of COVID-19 deaths. That’s the highest mortality rate of any racial or ethnic group (45 per 100,000).

The report notes that the worst disparities in death rates occurred in states with the most segregated cities, including Illinois, where Blacks are 2.5 times more likely to die from the disease relative to their share of the population.

To read the full article, click here.