Arbitrary shutdowns will hurt those already most vulnerable to COVID-19

Nine months into the worst pandemic in modern times, the United States continues to wrestle with the best way to safeguard lives and livelihoods. We remember not so long ago when smart men and women began to scratch their heads in dismay over the coronavirus’s massive impact on poor communities, where mostly African Americans and Hispanic Americans live and work. We were more shocked by their puzzlement than by the fact that people of color are suffering the most from the virus. As the Biden administration looks for solutions to the economic devastation inflicted on lower-income communities, they would be wise to take a page out of the Trump administration’s opportunity agenda. For decades, those communities that saw the most detrimental disinvestment were predominantly minority communities. In our view, solutions come from programs such as the Trump administration’s opportunities zones, which have increased investment in lower-income communities by over $75 billion in just two years. READ THE FULL ARTICLE IN THE HILL Post not marked as liked