Since the start of the pandemic in mid-March, more than 50 million people have lost work and unemployment rates have reached levels not seen since the Great Depression. Still, the economic devastation has not been colorblind, and neither are the financial support systems meant to buoy workers. COVID-19 has wreaked havoc in Black and Latinx communities at an inordinate level— both from a
health and
economic standpoint. COVID-related death rates have soared higher among
Black and Latinx people compared with white people, Black and Latinx-owned businesses
are struggling to stay afloat, and the pandemic has
exposed the disparities in our school systems as students have transitioned to remote learning. All of these factors tell the story of a deeply inequitable pandemic and subsequent recovery that could be even more devastating than the last economic recession.
During this session, we’ll hear from Working America, Civilla, and New Practice Lab experts as they discuss their work to increase access to unemployment benefits for communities of color. We’ll also discuss the role of Public Interest Technology in improving access to critical services and benefits, redesigning policy, and our collective responsibility to do this work in a way that centers equity.
