Southern states are in the vanguard of those rushing to return to business as usual despite the continuing rise in coronavirus cases and deaths.

Among those taking note is the Southern Education Foundation, a nonprofit with roots more than 150 years old that works for equity in education and advocates for the interests of children of color.

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Of course, this is relevant to the coronavirus response. In Arkansas, the rate of cases among black people is double their percentage in the population. Poor, heavily minority schools have been dealt the toughest hands in responding to the disruption in education.

The  Foundation’s statement on the return to work is worth reading. It doesn’t mention Arkansas specifically, but as I noted earlier today, a revived economy is viewed as paramount by even the state’s nominal top doctor.

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As of this week, five southern states have decided to reopen sectors of their respective economies. Announcements from the governors of FloridaGeorgiaTennesseeSouth Carolina, and Oklahoma gave permission to a range of businesses, beaches, and other public facilities to reopen under social distancing guidelines. Four other states – Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama – are allowing their stay-at-home orders to expire by Thursday, April 30.

The plight of children of color and children from lower income households is inseparable from the public health ramifications of a rushed reopening. Nationally, essential workers are disproportionately people of color, with Black and Latinx employees representing nearly 30 percent of postal workers, 37 percent of workers in leisure and hospitality, 41 percent of food service workers, and 30 percent of workers in retail.

Many of these workers already risk exposing their children and families to COVID-19 once they return home, creating the potential for higher infection rates among children. High costs and few options for childcare in the South further complicate the possibility of returning to work under expedited orders to reopen.

While Louisiana’s leadership has not yet proposed a plan to reopen, the state has been a particular hotspot for COVID-19 with one of the highest per-capita infection rates in the country. Speaking of the need to protect workers of color, Dr. C. Reynold Verret, President of Xavier University of Louisiana, explained, “The unprotected exposure of lower income workers during the COVID-19 epidemic is one important driver of the emerging risk to African Americans and other people of color. A prudent response to the pandemic requires regulations that protect people on the front lines.”

The political considerations behind decisions to reignite a stalled economy are undoubtedly challenging, but state leaders should not play politics with people’s lives. A rushed reopening has the potential to lead to a higher infection rate, further delaying the opportunity for students to safely return to school, for businesses to reopen their doors, and for families to begin rebuilding their lives.

In community,

Raymond C. Pierce and the SEF Team

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