1/ Donald Trump wants to reopen the country even though “some people” will be badly affected.
Well, we pulled the numbers. It turns out those “some people” are disproportionately Black. (Thread.)
Well, we pulled the numbers. It turns out those “some people” are disproportionately Black. (Thread.)
2/ In mid-April, an analysis by @Edwin_D_Rios and @cynduja found that Black people overall have disproportionately contracted and died from the coronavirus. You can see the disparity in infection rate in this chart: bit.ly/3cu9kq8 
3/ There are likely many reasons for this disparity. Black Americans are more likely to work jobs that are considered essential. And Black people in the South largely live in states that did not expand Medicaid, leaving many of them uninsured. bit.ly/2YU3CJS
4/ Now, in states where white people are demanding their lives back, Black people are losing theirs altogether. Of the 15 states with the widest disparities between the Black share of the population and share of COVID deaths, 9 have reopened/are reopening: bit.ly/2Lwmyqx
5/ In Missouri, where Black people account for 12% of the state’s population but 39% of COVID fatalities, Republican Gov. Mike Parsons let the stay-at-home order expire last week. He visited businesses that reopened without a mask, saying simply that he “chose not to” wear one.
6/ In Alabama, Black folks account for 27% of the state’s population and 46% of COVID fatalities. Gov. Kay Ivey just transitioned to a “safer at home'” model that allowed, in the first phase, beaches and some businesses with capacity restrictions to reopen.
7/ In South Carolina, where Black people account for 27% of the population but 48% of COVID deaths, Gov. Henry McMaster rolled back restrictions, noting that the goal “was to cause the most damage possible to the virus while doing the least possible damage…to our businesses.”
8/ In Mississippi, where Black people account for 38% of the population but 54% of COVID deaths, Gov. Tate Reeves limited reopenings to retail stores but held off on letting more businesses open on May 1 after the state saw its highest single-day spike in COVID infections.
9/ There’s also this: For many Black people, @nhbaptiste wrote last month, weighing whether or not to wear a mask comes down to deciding whether or not to risk getting racially profiled—which could turn deadly—or contracting COVID-19. bit.ly/3fGE8pm
10/ Overall, our analysis shows, in 9 reopening states, “freedom” is being built on the back of Black vulnerability. bit.ly/2Lwmyqx
11/ The trend is particularly disturbing because, as @jamilahking writes, "There’s never been a more urgent moment to build Black Americans’ trust in the medical system." bit.ly/2AdVc5S
12/12 As epidemiologist @CamaraJones told @Edwin_D_Rios, “What the COVID-19 pandemic is unveiling is the structural racism, which is why we see people of color and poor people more profoundly impacted.” bit.ly/35SippS
