RESEARCH PROJECTS

+ COVID STORYTELLING PROJECT

Rapid Assessment of the Experiences, Needs, and Recommendations of Diverse Vulnerable Populations during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The purpose of this mixed-method study is to document and illuminate the experiences that racial/ethnic minority and vulnerable populations are having during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, it seeks to understand the challenges, barriers, and concerns of communities of color who are overrepresented among certain marginalized groups (e.g., poor people and formerly incarcerated persons). The results of this study will inform the creation and implementation of policies, plans, and procedures for diagnosing COVID-19, and optimizing treatment and care among racially/ethnically diverse vulnerable populations.

Part I: Social Media
We analyze publicly available social media posts (e.g., on Twitter, Facebook) to hear directly from members of diverse vulnerable populations about the myriad kinds of inequalities or unfair treatment they may be experiencing during the pandemic in their daily life, in accessing healthcare services (i.e., testing, vaccinations) and in other dimensions of life (e.g., mental health). We also examine social media engagement among decision-makers. agencies, etc. to understand how their actions may exacerbate or, alternatively, help to resolve the problems.

Part II: Community Focus Groups
We conduct focus groups with community leaders, community organizers and professionals who work with diverse vulnerable populations to obtain snapshots of the experiences of marginalized and minoritized communities over the course of the pandemic. We describe this as a “rapid assessment” because it is intended to collect the stories that people would like to share in a very short period of time throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The interviews with community leaders are about: 1) people’s experiences and perceptions during the pandemic; 2) their barriers to getting tested, accessing care, and adhering to prescribed treatment regimens; and 3) their recommendations for meeting the needs of diverse communities and vulnerable populations.

+ COVID STORYTELLING DISSEMINATION: RECENT FINDINGS & UPDATES

Below are reports, press releases, and materials from our COVID Storytelling partners who have been organizing with, advocating for, and providing services to communities most impacted during the pandemic.

Recent Findings on Racism, Sexual and Reproductive Health Issues During the Pandemic

Several manuscripts arising out of COVID-19 Task Force research have been published in The Rapid Assessment of COVID Evidence (RACE) Series in Ethnicity and Disease. The graphic below and the RACE series papers shine light on the spectrum of reproductive justice needs during the pandemic. In order to fully realize reproductive justice, structural determinants of equity must be considered across the reproductive lifespan, not simply during pregnancy or when considering maternal and infant morbidity and mortality disparities. Access to abortion, access to high quality education in childhood, access to safe and stable housing should all be considered good public health practice for improving inequities in maternal and infant mortality. And the bar needs to be higher than "not dying" for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color when it comes to measuring reproductive health. We hope that the findings of these papers contribute to the field in a meaningful way by opening space for conversations on how structural racism impacts reproductive health for communities of color and ways to achieve true wellbeing, abundance, and intergenerational thriving.

Publication of The Rapid Assessment of COVID Evidence (RACE) Series in Ethnicity & Disease

The Rapid Assessment of COVID Evidence (RACE) Series was published in Ethnicity and Disease because of its commitment to ensuring peer-reviewed findings on health equity are freely available to the public. While these links may introduce you to the RACE Series, please consider supporting the journal by accessing the articles from it directly. This improves the journal’s ability to track key impact metrics, such as how many times an article has been viewed or downloaded. Support for the Rapid Assessment of COVID Evidence (RACE) Series was provided in part by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Grant #79361). The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.

The Pains and Profits of Immigrant Imprisonment: Migrant Testimonies from ICE Detention Centers in the El Paso ICE Field Office

Conducted by Advocate Visitors with Immigrants in Detention (AVID), this report examines the experiences and concerns of 33 migrants incarcerated by ICE during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic: March 13-June 19, 2020. All individuals were imprisoned at detention facilities under the jurisdiction of the El Paso ICE Field Office: Otero County Processing Center (n=24), Torrance County Detention Facility (n=6), and the El Paso Service Processing Center (n=3).

Process by Torment: Immigration Experiences of Persons Detained at the Otero County Processing Center

AVID and Innovation Law Lab released a report detailing the immigration experiences of individuals who were detained at the Otero County Processing Center. The report covers pre-ICE Detention (Customs and Border Protection custody and Migrant Protection Protocols), experiences in ICE Detention, and Legal Issues that arose while detained.

Lives on the Line: Women with Incarcerated Loved Ones and the Impact of COVID-19 Behind Bars

Essie Justice Group, in partnership with Color of Change, created the Lives On The Line survey for people with incarcerated loved ones. Both organizations understood how prisons, jails, and detention centers operate in inhumane ways that are often hidden from the general public and that the COVID-19 pandemic would only make these situations more deadly. After the pandemic began, many people with incarcerated loved ones began to worry that the lives of their loved ones were literally being put on the line because the government refused to adequately address the realities of incarceration and COVID-19. The project was led by women with incarcerated loved ones—the mothers, daughters, grandmothers, partners, siblings of people inside prisons, jails, and detention centers—Lives On The Line is urgent fight for our loved ones’ lives and to bring them home.

COVID-19 and Incarceration: The Effects of a Pandemic on an Unjust System

Blog post from COVID Storytelling Project. We talked with Titilayo Rasaki, Policy Associate at the Essie Justice Group, to gain insight into their new Lives on the Line report and the great work that Essie Justice and Color of Change are doing to keep incarcerated people safe and ensure that all people are being treated with dignity and respect during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Right Way To Fight For Social Justice During COVID-19

Blog post from COVID Storytelling Project. As researchers of racism, social justice, and health equity, we understand there are plenty of people looking for ways to support their communities during COVID-19. The people suffering the most during the pandemic are those who have been marginalized by oppressive systems in our society. Systems that structure opportunities and disadvantages by race, class, gender, sexuality, and differing abilities. Instead of allowing this, how can we lift up those who are experiencing intense hardships during the pandemic? We invited Emilio Zapien to help us answer this question. Over the past 9 years he’s organized at the Youth Justice Coalition (YJC) in Los Angeles and been their Media & Communications Director, fighting to defund oppressive systems and build up communities.

Task Force Talks Episode 1: The Collisions Between COVID-19 And Structural Racism

Dr. Chandra Ford, Co-Chair of the COVID-19 Task Force on Racism & Equity, interviews fellow Co-Chair Dr. Bita Amani and post-doctoral student James Huynh on their concerns as social epidemiologists regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and their motivations behind creating The COVID-19 Task Force and starting the COVID Racism Study.

+ PROJECT RE[FOCUS]

Project REFOCUS is a forward-looking, innovative effort to track and address inequities in the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to go to the Project RE[FOCUS] website for more information.
CenteRacismSJHealth.png

The mission of the Center for the Study of Racism, Social Justice & Health is to promote health equity through rigorous research, innovative teaching, and community engagement.

FOLLOW US!