John,

Here in New York, officials project that we are slowing the rate of COVID-19 infection. And yet, it’s clear that we still have a long, difficult road ahead of us. Across the country, the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on communities of color, specifically Black and immigrant communities, is staggering. The economic impact of the pandemic is falling hardest on those already hurting the most. And the social and emotional toll continues to rise.

I share these thoughts not to make us feel powerless, but because the first step in resolving these disparities is to name them. In this sixth official week of the shutdown, we’re thinking about the experiences of Black and brown people across the country, those without job or health care security, and all those who are hardest hit by this outbreak. To that end, we are sharing the following articles and resources:

Resources that address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color

• Stop Blaming Black People for Dying of the Coronavirus looks at structural racism as a source of the impact of the virus on Black people.
• The Black Plague examines the idea of Black vulnerability in measuring the effect of the coronavirus on Black communities across the country.
• For Black and Brown Businesses, the Next Relief Bill Could Be A Lifeline -- Or An Assault, co-written by NIRH Board member Nathalie Molina Niño, asserts that the federal government’s relief efforts “failure to ensure funding is deployed into communities of color, where the impact and thus the need is greatest, puts our generation dangerously close to building new, equally deadly structures.”
• Layla Saad is hosting a special live podcast on Thursday, April 23: Privilege & Power In A Global Pandemic: 3 Keys to Navigating Equity and Healing During Coronavirus. This conversation will address the inequities that COVID-19 is exposing and how we can best show up and respond to this crisis.

News from the frontlines of reproductive health care

• Impact of Texas’s exploitation of the crisis: As Texas once again made abortion inaccessible this week, the experience has been harrowing for anyone in need of abortion care and for the providers working to provide care across the region.
• State-by-state analysis: Rewire News continues to provide up-to-date information on access to abortion in all 50 states.

Resources for pregnancy and abortion-related care

• Self-managed abortion: During this time, mounting barriers to clinic-based abortion care, limitations on travel, and greater financial instability may lead to an increase in self-managed abortion. Our friends at If/When/How have established the Repro Legal Helpline to provide free, confidential information about your legal rights regarding self-managed abortion.
• Pregnant workers’ rights: A Better Balance is offering a webinar on Wednesday, April 22, with information for anyone who is pregnant and wants to know more about their workplace rights as related to COVID-19.

How NIRH is taking care of our team

• Centering the health and well-being of NIRH staff: While NIRH works to advance our critical mission, we recognize that these are extraordinary times, and decidedly not “business as usual.” As an organization fighting for reproductive freedom, it is critical that we live our values. To that end, we have scaled back work hours to 32 hours/week, with flexible hours each day and additional accommodations for parents and anyone in a caregiving role, increased paid leave, and have put in place additional health care resources, including mental health services.
• Resources for other organizations and managers: We were inspired by these resources from the Management Center on managing during the COVID-19 crisis.

Sharing these updates with you has been one of the ways in which the NIRH has felt connected to our community of supporters across the country. Thank you for reading, and for always fighting alongside us.

All my best,