Government Responses
In April 2020, Michigan Governor, Gretchen Whitmer, released an executive order regarding racial disparities related to Covid-19. Specifically, she created the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities (Executive Order No. 2020-55, 2020). Whitmer enacted Lieutenant Gilchrist II to be the Chairperson of this task force. The main goals of this group were to recommend actions to address disparities to the governor, engage in outreach, and provide advice about allocating funds to decrease these racial disparities (Executive Order No. 2020-55, 2020). Governor Whitmer has been at the forefront of promoting social equity in the wake of the pandemic. Her ample response to the health disparities should not go unnoticed.
In January 2021, President Biden released an executive order responding to the social inequities People of Color face amidst the Pandemic (Biden, 2021). As displayed throughout this project, there are various reasons why this is the case. Yet, systemic racism seems to play a major role.
Biden’s executive order included the creation of a Covid-19 Health Equity Task Force, made up of both federal government members and non-federal government members (Biden, 2021). The creation of a task force solely dedicated to combating inequities related to Covid-19 was an important, and necessary step. The Chair of this task force, Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, is an African American associate dean at Yale University (Belli, 2020). As an African American woman, Dr. Nunez-Smith has not only the necessary knowledge about inequities in healthcare, but also the lived experience as a member of an affected population. Biden enacting Dr. Nunez-Smith as the Chair of this task force is a step in the right direction, but there is still more that needs to be done to address social inequities related to disease.
According to BBC, Biden signed a bipartisan bill into law, called the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act, focused on providing grants to upgrade reporting systems, increasing advocacy measures, and providing resources to victims of these crimes (Cabral, 2021). Biden signing this into law, with so much support in congress, signifies that he cares about the rise in Asian American hate crimes, and wants help out in tangible ways; not just through symbolic statements.
References
Belli, B. (2020, December 8). Nunez-Smith to lead Biden Health Equity Task Force. YaleNews. Retrieved April 30, 2023, from https://news.yale.edu/2020/12/08/nunez-smith-lead-biden-health-equity-task-force
Biden , J. R. (2021, January 21). Executive order on ensuring an equitable pandemic response and recovery. The White House. Retrieved April 30, 2023, from https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/21/executive-order-ensuring-an-equitable-pandemic-response-and-recovery/
Cabral , S. (2021, May 21). Covid 'hate crimes' against Asian Americans on rise. BBC News. Retrieved April 30, 2023, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56218684
Executive Order No. 2020-55. (2020). Executive Order 2020-55: Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities