John,
COVID-19 (also known as coronavirus) is impacting the entire world, but
it’s having an even greater impact on our most vulnerable communities.
Black families, low-income families, the elderly, and those who are
disabled or ill have the most potential to be impacted by coronavirus.
They also have limited resources to avoid getting sick. Visits to a
doctor’s office or hospital are unaffordable for those without insurance.
Supplies like hand sanitizer and soap have run out at neighborhood stores
across the country, making supplies impossible for people without cars to
obtain. And, those who work as cashiers, nurses, bus drivers, train
operators, and other crucial jobs have the highest chance for exposure to
the virus with the least flexibility to work from home or take sick leave.
At Color Of Change, we fight to protect Black communities and our
country’s most vulnerable communities. So, we created 5 ways you can take
action, all in one place, so that you can stand up for the communities who
don’t have the ability to avoid coronavirus.
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[ [link removed] ]Tell major publications that everyone should be able to access
information about coronavirus. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic,
news outlets like The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times are
keeping crucial updates about coronavirus behind costly paywalls and
subscriptions. This is an unjust act: these news outlets and academic
outlets are limiting information to increase their profits.^1 We must stop
publications from withholding critical information from those who can’t
afford to pay these costly fees.
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[ [link removed] ]Demand billionaire company owners cover the cost of coronavirus tests
for all.
It is not a coincidence that Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and Jeff Bezos
are some of the wealthiest people on the planet. Companies like Amazon,
Microsoft, and Facebook, have relied on major tax breaks, subsidies and
city infrastructure paid for by taxpayer dollars to make billions of
dollars in profit. Those same companies have created housing crises in
every city they are based in, making countless Americans more vulnerable
to the devastating impacts of coronavirus. Billionaires like Jeff Bezos,
Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg have the means to pay for coronavirus
testing for the entire country several times over. And with health
officials recommending as many people as possible are tested as soon as
possible, it is essential that these billionaires step up and pay their
debt to society. That’s why we’re calling on Zuckerberg, Gates, and Bezos
to pay for coronavirus testing for all.
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[ [link removed] ]Demand states institute emergency paid sick leave for part-time and
hourly workers. At a time when people are being quarantined left and
right, and coronavirus is spreading at speeds faster than hospital staff
can treat, it is necessary for people to stay home if they’re feeling
sick. But, many stores, restaurants, and companies who hire part-time and
hourly workers — workers who are disproportionately Black and low-income —
do not provide paid sick leave for staff who aren’t full-time, forcing
many people to show up to work despite the current health crisis, which
can increase their chances of becoming ill or spreading an illness to
someone else.^2 Join us in demanding states provide paid sick leave for
part-time and hourly workers so that our people can protect themselves and
others from spreading illnesses.
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[ [link removed] ]Demand your Governor distribute meals to children and families who
receive subsidized school lunch or SNAP benefits. Millions of Black
children from low-income households rely on breakfast and lunch from their
schools. But, as coronavirus spreads, more and more children are not going
to be allowed in school. This is a huge problem for the many Black
families who receive subsidized school lunch; their children may go hungry
without access to school-provided meals. Tell your state to institute a
plan to distribute meals to the families who receive subsidized school
lunch.
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[ [link removed] ]Demand states put a moratorium into place that stops evictions, water
shut-offs, and layoffs during the coronavirus outbreak. Every day, people
face devastating challenges like eviction, water shut-offs, and layoffs.
And this is no different during the coronavirus outbreak: thousands of
Black people work low-wage jobs, and already have difficulty paying their
bills and their rent, with Coronavirus making these tasks that much more
difficult. But, company owners, landlords, and utility companies do not
seem to care. During this health crisis, they continue to lay people off,
shut off families’ water, and evict people from their homes. Join us in
demanding that governors across the country implement a moratorium on
layoffs, evictions, and water shut-offs.
No matter how dire the situation, we will never stop fighting to protect
our people, even if it means we must fight in the face of international
crisis. Thank you, John, for fighting with us.
Until justice is real,
—Brandi, Rashad, Arisha, Jade, Johnny, Amanda, Evan, Imani, Samantha,
Jennette, Ciera, Eesha, Marcus, FolaSade, and the rest of the Color Of
Change team
References:
1. "'It's a moral imperative': Archivist made a directory of 5,000
coronavirus studies to bypass paywalls", Vice, February 3,
2020, [ [link removed] ][link removed]
2. "The push for paid sick leave", Axios, March 11,
2020, [ [link removed] ][link removed]
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[ [link removed] ]Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black
folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. [ [link removed] ]Help
keep our movement strong.
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