ProPublica: Prof. Sprague Martinez on COVID-19’s Impact Tied to Legacy of Racial Inequities

In Milwaukee, one of the few cities in the United States tracking race in COVID-19 cases, new data shows alarmingly high rates of infection and fatality among African Americans. Associate Professor Linda Sprague Martinez spoke to ProPublica about why demographic data matters.

Excerpted from ProPublica:

Despite the work being done in Milwaukee, experts like Linda Sprague Martinez, a community health researcher at Boston University’s School of Social Work, worry that the government is not paying close enough attention to race, and as the disease spreads, will do too little to blunt its toll.

“When COVID-19 passes and we see the losses … it will be deeply tied to the story of post-World War II policies that left communities marginalized,” Sprague said. “Its impact is going to be tied to our history and legacy of racial inequities. It’s going to be tied to the fact that we live in two very different worlds.”

Read the full article on ProPublica’s website here.