Exploring the Need of Social Change Leadership Concerning Health Communication and Health Disparities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In March of 2020, the United States activated nationwide pandemic response protocols due to the swift spread of Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019, also known as COVID-19. Amidst the domestic response, urgency surrounded the need to build collective awareness of the signs, symptoms, and preventive measures of the virus. As the virus spread and historically marginalized communities were disproportionately impacted with rates of infection, the need to explore the presence of disparities in health communication, health education, and personal health literacy surfaced. The research contained within this study examines the root cause of the gap in health literacy for communities of color and presents actionable next steps to increase positive healthcare outcomes for all.

Guidance for the Antiracist Educator: Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies for Disability and Diversity

Racism in the United States has risen to the forefront of public awareness through the national outrage, grief, and terrible injustice and bias that continues to dictate the fates of individuals in our communities of color. Centuries of systemic racism require our organization to publish innovative evidence-based practices for use in a wide variety of educational programs and settings around topics related to racial and cultural practices. This special edition of Teaching Exceptional Children (TEC) emphasizes racially and culturally competent and sustaining practices when working with students with disabilities who also experience another social identity.

COVID-19’s Impact on Visitation Behavior to US National Parks From Communities of Color - Evidence From Mobile Phone Data

The widespread COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed many people’s ways of life. With the necessity of social distancing and lock downs across the United States, evidence shows more people engage in outdoor activities. With the utilization of location-based service (LBS) data, we seek to explore how visitation patterns to national parks changed among communities of color during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results show that visitation rates to national parks located closer than 347km to individuals have increased amidst the pandemic, but the converse was demonstrated amongst parks located further than 347km from individuals. More importantly, COVID-19 has adversely impacted visitation figures amongst non-white and Native American communities, with visitation volumes declining if these communities are situated further from national parks. Our results show disproportionately low-representations amongst national park visitors from these communities of color. African American communities display a particularly concerning trend whereby their visitation to national parks is substantially lower amongst communities closer to national parks.

Lessons from the COVID epicenter: how teacher candidates of color and the academy adapted to remote instruction

Purpose Given the challenges of remote learning and the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on communities of color, this paper aims to present the voices of teacher candidates of color working on the frontlines of remote learning in communities of color hard-hit by the pandemic and to understand changes made in the shift to remote instruction for teacher education at the university level. Design/methodology/approach Two teacher candidate narratives are presented as case studies along with findings from a self-study on the changes necessitated by remote instruction in two teacher preparation courses at the university level. Findings Findings underscore teacher candidates’ fortitude amidst compound stress. Emergent themes included flexibility, adapting, reaching out for help, problem-solving and drawing on their own experiences. Themes also included struggle, fatigue and feelings of incompetence. At the university level, teacher education preparation required flexibility and opening up space for collaborative problem-solving. Originality In urban communities of color, pre-pandemic disparities in under-resourced public schools not only persisted but were intensified by the pandemic’s unequal impact on people of color. This study foregrounds the voices and experiences of teacher candidates of color teaching remotely, providing contributions to the field derived from their lived experiences. Their voices are essential data, bringing much needed attention to obstacles of remote teaching in communities of color and to the resourcefulness teacher candidates demonstrated in service of multicultural education.

The Impact of Implicit Bias on Policing Communities of Color

Systemic racism continues to be a significant problem in many, if not all, American institutions. As with any problem, systemic racism can only be properly addressed if it is acknowledged by the person and by extension an institution. The unjustified killing of George Floyd and many other minorities by predominately white police officers have brought both national and international criticism towards the institution of American policing. This chapter will discuss one of the probably causes of police misconduct towards people and communities of color: “implicit bias.” Briefly defined, implicit bias is having attitudes towards people or associate stereotypes with them without a conscious knowledge. The author will provide the background of systemic racism in America followed by policing organizational culture/subculture and the impact of implicit bias on communities/people of color. This chapter will conclude with recommendations to confront implicit bias and improve officer behavior.

COVID-19 and the Working Class: Harm, Resistance, and Solidarity in the United States

Compared to many other wealthy nations, the United States lacks a strong social safety net, has weak legal protections for workers, has suffered long-term declines in unionization, and has eroded the gains in prosperity achieved by the working class in the post-WWII era. Consequently, despite advancements in science and medicine, the U.S. working class has suffered great harms during the COVID-19 pandemic, from the direct effects of illness and mortality and from indirect familial, social, and economic impacts. The failure of the federal government to protect blue collar, service, and retail sales workers with strong mandatory worksite infection control regulations has further endangered working class communities. The dearth of federal leadership has been countered by solidarity and a diversified set of pandemic monitoring and mitigation efforts on the part of worker organizations (primarily labor unions), social service NGOs, Indigenous nations, and communities of color. Defeating the COVID-19 syndemic will require continued working class solidarity, an ethical framework for envisioning a future which prioritizes social and racial justice, and structural economic and sociopolitical transformations.

Climate-Related Risks Faced by Low- and Moderate-Income Communities and Communities of Color: Survey Results

The impacts of climate change are creating new risks and exacerbating existing risks for individuals, communities, and the economy. Climate shocks and stresses disproportionately impact groups that have traditionally faced higher barriers to participating in the economy than the general population, including low-income communities, communities of color, and Tribal populations. Our team fielded a survey targeting professionals in the western United States from a broad range of sectors whose work on community development‒related issues impacts the personal and economic well-being of low-income communities and communities of color. Over 250 respondents shared their perceptions of how climate-related risks may be affecting the communities they serve and their organizations’ work.

Climate-Related Risks Faced by Low- and Moderate-Income Communities and Communities of Color: Survey Results

The impacts of climate change are creating new risks and exacerbating existing risks for individuals, communities, and the economy. Climate shocks and stresses disproportionately impact groups that have traditionally faced higher barriers to participating in the economy than the general population, including low-income communities, communities of color, and Tribal populations. Our team fielded a survey targeting professionals in the western United States from a broad range of sectors whose work on community development‒related issues impacts the personal and economic well-being of low-income communities and communities of color. Over 250 respondents shared their perceptions of how climate-related risks may be affecting the communities they serve and their organizations’ work.

Exploring Informal Caregivers’ Priorities of Nursing Home Dementia Care From Communities of Color

Informal caregivers are critical stakeholders in nursing home (NH) care for individuals with dementia. Given racial and ethnic disparities in United States NHs, there is a need to understand informal caregivers’ perspectives, particularly among those that identify as members of a community of color. We conducted a scoping review of informal caregiver priorities of nursing home dementia care. Included studies exclusively examined priorities of informal caregivers identifying as Black, Indigenous, or people of color. The final sample (n=12) included two United States studies representing African American and Korean informal caregivers. The remaining studies were conducted in other countries. Informal caregivers expressed a desire for professional support during the nursing home transition, increased staff knowledge of dementia, and improved resident engagement. These findings highlight the paucity of informal caregivers identifying as Black, Indigenous, or people of color represented in US nursing home dementia research. Future efforts must include communities of color.