NATIVE SON, COLOR OF CHANGE AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN CALL FOR IMPROVED DATA COLLECTION ON IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON BLACK COMMUNITIES #WEDEMAND @nativesonnow|| @HRC || @colorofchange

NATIVE SON, COLOR OF CHANGE AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN CALL FOR IMPROVED DATA COLLECTION ON IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON BLACK COMMUNITIES

Native Son, a platform and safe space that empowers and celebrates the Black gay male community, Color Of Change, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization, and The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, announce #WEDEMAND— a calling for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar to release demographic data on the impact of COVID-19 on marginalized communities in order to mount an effective national response so that we do not risk deepening the inequities illuminated by the current crisis.

Native Son’s Founder, Emil Wilbekin, Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David and Color Of Change President, Rashad Robinson note that data is critical to mobilizing directly impacted communities to advocate and hold federal, state and local leaders accountable for equitable rapid distribution of essential healthcare and social safety net resources. Complete data is also necessary to inform the development of effective, culturally competent public messaging on social distancing and other personal and community safety measures. Inequity and discrimination thrive under the cloak of invisibility and illuminating the impacts of this pandemic on those most at risk must play a critical role in our national effort.

“It is imperative that we have access to racialized data so that we understand the impact of COVID-19 on Black, Brown and LGBTQI+ communities,” said Native Son Founder Emil Wilbekin. “Native Son’s mission is to harness the collective power of Black gay men. During this global pandemic it is urgent and essential that we lock arms and aims with HRC and Color of Change to ensure that marginalized people are counted and receive equitable treatment.”

“We cannot ignore the fact that marginalized communities, particularly Black and Brown people, are being disproportionately impacted by this virus,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “HRC has long called for inclusive data collection to ensure that all people are counted, and today we are proud to join with Native Son and Color of Change to demand robust demographic data collection. Data is necessary to ensuring that our leaders are held accountable in directing necessary resources to the communities that need it most.”

“As we see desperate death rates from COVID-19 in Black communities, collecting complete and accurate nationwide demographic information is becoming a life or death issue. Analyzing the distribution of relief resources will help us flatten the curve as a country, until we do so, no community in our country will be safe from this illness,” said Rashad Robinson, President of Color Of Change, the largest online racial justice organization in the country.

A legacy of racism and implicit bias in our healthcare system has put Black people at greater risk of advanced disease progression. This increased risk factor is compounded by a host of other structural disadvantages that make social distancing and other recommended practices significantly more difficult for Black Americans. These include disparities in rates of unemployment and underemployment, incarceration, and access to safe housing and healthcare resources.