In the United States, data reveal that Black Americans are contracting and dying from the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, at rates that double, and sometimes triple their representation across various states. In Illinois, 43% of people who have died are African-American, although the race makes up only 15% of the population. In Louisiana, 70% of the state’s coronavirus deaths were Black Americans in a state with a 32% population of Black Americans. Early news reports of the disproportionate rates of COVID-19 cases and fatalities has resulted in a nationwide call for the release of disaggregated racial data. However, these early numbers elucidate the historical systemic and institutional disparities affecting Black communities. Further, these disparities significantly affect Black children and their development.
