The rules of our economy, our democracy, and our society are rigged and as a result, Black communities are falling further behind. Covid-19 touches every part of our lives and has exposed the connection between rigged rules and their impacts on our families. It has shined a bright light on the disparities, inequities, and injustices that our people endure. During the COVID-19 pandemic, our city and county governments have worked together as key actors in protecting the San Antonio’s most vulnerable residents. While the COVID-19 virus can afflict anyone, America’s long history of racially discriminatory political, economic and social policies creates conditions that put African Americans at substantially greater risk of contracting and dying from the coronavirus.
The disproportionate impact on African Americans – and all marginalized communities is front and center. Structural inequity is a form of invisible violence depriving communities of healthy living by food deserts, air quality and pollution, and unequal access to health care. These conditions intensify the risk of chronic conditions that compromise immune systems like asthma, diabetes and hypertension. While Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1963 sought to reduce racial inequality and prevent discrimination in the marketplace. However, despite the belief that racial discrimination is not as rampant, when in fact the “Act” has led to a society that is disproportionately white.
The SA Ready to Work program, which is scheduled to begin enrollment in September, is a four-year, $154 million program aimed at workers who either lost their jobs or are underemployed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Ready to Work, is a four-year investment in up to 40,000 displaced workers to train them for a stable career in the post-COVID-19 San Antonio economy. Combined with the City of San Antonio’s Recovery & Resiliency plan, up to 50,000 total San Antonio residents would have a pathway to a new, stable career by December 31, 2025. The program also intends to address generational poverty in San Antonio. Over 150,000 San Antonio residents have filed for unemployment in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Roughly 68,000 of those claimants were earning less than $22,000 a year.
Ready to Work appears to be the holistic approach to solving this generational crisis. African American head of households in San Antonio who are under or unemployed must take advantage of this program. If this opportunity is missed, our families will continue to suffer at disproportionate rates, bearing the brunt of this unrelenting pandemic for years to come. Decades of employment discrimination have led to Black workers being locked out of high-wage jobs that can be performed from home. We are overrepresented in the “service economy” — jobs that typically offer no health insurance or paid sick leave, require face-to-face contact, and have little or no access to personal protective equipment but are nonetheless deemed essential.
Throughout history periods of crisis, creates opportunity. Ready to Work is a process designed to meet the needs of traditionally underserved communities in San Antonio. It is a plan for all communities that provides access to the care we need, and that builds new infrastructure to address the crises facing us. To register go to www.sareadytowork.com or call 311
