Washington, D.C. – The National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) called on our nation’s governors to pre-position resources in the fight against COVID-19 in communities where the highest death rates occur.
“Pre-positioning resources to areas of the most acute impact is a tried and true method in successful disaster mitigation,” said NBCSL President and South Carolina State Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter. “Anecdotal zip code findings seem conclusive that the coronavirus is having a disproportionate effect on communities of color that our members represent.”
In the letter to the National Governor’s Association, NBCSL offered to partner with governors across the nation and give focus to the needs of vulnerable communities of color from a public health, public education, and economic recovery perspective.
“While we are confident that a discussion with our nation’s governors will occur at some point in the future, lives hang in the balance now,” said Arkansas Representative Vivian Flowers, an NBCSL Regional Chair and COVID-19 survivor. “We must surge medical professionals, equipment, and to launch community awareness efforts immediately to stem the disproportionately high death rates in communities of color. I can’t imagine a more noble effort than preventing the suffering and death that too often accompanies this disease. It’s a ‘no-brainer,’ let’s get the least vulnerable folks what they need to survive.”
The National Black Caucus of State Legislators is the nation’s premier organization representing and serving the interests of African American State legislators with more than 700 members representing over 60 million Americans. NBCSL serves as a national network, advocate, and catalyst for public policy innovation, information exchange, and joint action on critical issues affecting African Americans and other marginalized communities.
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