Journal Article

Addressing Racial Capitalism’s Impact on Black Essential Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Policy Recommendations

Brown, Jocelyn L.

2023

Overview

Black Americans are more likely to be essential workers due to racial capitalism. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, essential workers are less able to adhere to social distancing and stay-at-home guidelines due to the nature of their work, because they are more likely to occupy crowded households, and are more likely to possess pre-existing health conditions. To assist Black essential workers in preventing infection or reducing the intensity of symptoms if contracted, vaccination against the virus is essential. Unfortunately, Black essential workers face considerable barriers to accessing vaccinations and are hesitant to receive the vaccine due to widespread misinformation and justified historical mistrust of the American medical system. The purpose of this work is to (1) describe the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black essential workers due to racial capitalism, (2) outline the socioeconomic and racial barriers related to vaccination within this population, and (3) to suggest policy-related approaches to facilitate vaccination such as access to on-site vaccination opportunities, the funding of community outreach efforts, and the mandating of increased employee benefits.

• Publisher: Springer International Publishing,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: African Americans / Black or African American / Black People / Capitalism / Communicable Disease Control - economics / Communicable Disease Control - methods / Coronaviruses / COVID-19 / COVID-19 - economics / COVID-19 - epidemiology / COVID-19 - ethnology / COVID-19 - prevention & control / COVID-19 vaccines / COVID-19 Vaccines - economics / COVID-19 Vaccines - supply & distribution / Disease control / Disease transmission / Employee benefits / Epidemics / Epidemiology / Essential workers / FDA approval / Health disparities / Health Equity - economics / Health Policy - economics / Health Services Accessibility - economics / Households / Housework / Humans / Illnesses / Immunization / Masks / Medical personnel / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Minority & ethnic groups / Misinformation / Morbidity / Mortality / Pandemics / Pandemics - economics / Personal protective equipment / Policy / Population policy / Quality of Life Research / Racism / Segregation / Shelter in place / Sick leave / Social distancing / Social Inequality / Social Structure / Socioeconomic factors / Systemic Racism - economics / Systemic Racism - ethnology / Underserved populations / Viral diseases / Viruses / Workers