Community Resilience and Racial Equity – Nonprofits responding to COVID-19

Dr. Atyia Martin is a racial equity consultant, speaker, and advocate whose past roles include Chief Resiliency Officer for the City of Boston and the director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness. In two short video interviews, I had the good fortune of speaking with Dr. Martin as she shared insights drawn from her experience in community resilience and emergency management.

We are all facing the COVID-19 pandemic together.  However, not all people and communities are experiencing the crisis in the same way or to the same extent. While the immediacy of the current situation is focusing our attention on health, safety, and economic hardship, many nonprofits are also making the effort to uphold their core values around racial equity and racial justice.

Understanding the true needs and strengths of communities of color, emerging immigrant communities, and indigenous communities is key to developing an appropriate response to the crisis for each of these distinct groups. Historic and structural inequities amplify the effects of widespread disasters like COVID-19 in these communities. To counter these disparities, civic leaders, nonprofits, and emergency response agencies must all first acknowledge that differences exist, listen to what various communities are really asking for, and take fitting actions based on the genuine needs of each community.

Please join the conversation with Dr. Martin.

How the Pandemic Affects Low-Income Communities and Communities of Color

Nonprofit Response to COVID-19: Balancing Survival, Service, and Justice