EQUITY & INCLUSION
vulnerable communities. African Americans over-index and contend with not just the most staggering infection rates, but also the pandemic’s long-term health implications and unprecedented economic setbacks. To be more specific, not only are Black people nearly three times more likely to contract the coronavirus as compared with white Americans, but nearly a third of all COVID-19 deaths have occurred within the Black community.
Q. The regional statistics on COVID are of concern, especially since many senior living providers are based in southern states, which have been hard-hit. Can you share some of the research and findings there—and good news, as well? A. Well, let’s look at my home state of Mississippi, for example. In Mississippi, the top 19 counties with the highest COVID-19 infections in the state are all primarily pop- ulated by white, unvaccinated individuals from rural areas. The evidence reveals that while Black
people may not account for the largest share of the unvaccinated, less than 40 percent of our state’s population are fully vaccinated. As of last month, nearly 12,000 Mississippi students tested positive for the virus, and about 30,000 students were quarantined. When you factor in the state’s ill-advised
regulations of not requiring mask mandates, new Delta variant infections in Mississippi and other states will continue to balloon if stricter legislations are not put in place to protect all residents. The good news is that yes, more than half
of all African Americans today report that they’re fully vaccinated or are more willing to get a vaccine. But many southern states are declared hotspots, and 66 percent of Black Americans reside in the southern United States. Younger, lower-income and southern Blacks continue to lag behind.
Coronavirus mutations and cases rising again remain top concerns, followed by the country reopening too quickly:
1 New variants or strains of coronavirus that could potentially be more contagious or deadly 37%
48% 2 Coronavirus cases rising again later this year
3 The country reopening too quickly 29%
24% Extremely Concerned Concerned Source: NAACP COVID Longitudinal Study 2021 Not Sure 53% Not Concerned 52% 17% 20% 13%
COVID-19 FACTS AND FIGURES Facts and research from the NAACP:
• For hourly workers, an NAACP study reports that the biggest motivator to get the vaccine is to maintain the ability to work.
• As of April, more than half of African Americans reported that they were fully vaccinated. However, of those who want to get vaccines, 23 percent reported that they didn’t have enough information on how to sign up or get an appointment.
• Most vaccinated African Americans (54 percent) said they will continue to wear masks in public and private settings.
• Among African America essential workers, 61 percent said they will wear a mask all of the time. As of April, 37 percent of essential workers reported they were not vaccinated.
• About boosters: 87 percent of fully vaccinated African Americans said they are likely to get a booster shot when available.
• Top concerns among African Americans include new variants and dangers (37 percent seriously concerned), a rise in cases later this year (29 percent), and the country re-opening too quickly (24 percent).
Materials from the COVID. KNOW MORE. campaign are available at
naacp.org/campaigns/covid-know-more. On social media, follow #covidknowmore.
Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People,
naacp.org) is the “largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. We have over 2,200 units and branches across the nation, along with well over 2 million activists. Our mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race- based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.”
46 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021
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