FOR THE NEWS AT 9.10 THE VAN.
THE FOLLOWING IS A
PRESENTATION UP WGN NEWS.
THERE IS STILL IN A
MEDICALLY INDUCED COMA TO THAW
THEM. YEAH, I JUST CRIED, HE'LL
JUST BE OUT A WARNING TO SAY
THAT THAT WOULD BE THE LAST
TIME I WAS IS THIS A AND.
WHITE PEOPLE CATCH A COLD
BLACK PEOPLE QUESTION MODE.
GENERATIONS OF SYSTEMIC
DISADVANTAGES COMMUNITIES OF
COLOR ARE NOW AMPLIFIED IN THIS
CRISIS WERE NURSES AND OUR
ATTITUDE IS TO HELP MARIA
EXEMPLIFY.
GOOD EVENING. I'M MICAH
MATERRE AND THANK YOU FOR
JOINING US FOR THIS CRITICAL
CONVERSATION ABOUT THE COVID-19
DIVIDE AND I'M LOURDES DUARTE
WALL CHICAGOANS ARE COMING
TOGETHER TO GET THROUGH THIS
TIME IN HISTORY, SOME OUR
CONTRACTING THE VIRUS AT A MUCH
HIGHER RATE. YEAH, THE NUMBERS
PAINT A PICTURE OF THE IMPACT
COVID-19 HAS HAD ON COMMUNITIES
COLOR FOLLOW ALONG AS WE SHOW
YOU THE TOP 5 ZIP CODES IN THE
STATE WITH THE MOST CONFIRMED
CASES ALL OF THEM ARE IN COOK
COUNTY ALL OF THEM ARE LARGE
BLACK AND LATINO NEIGHBORHOODS,
WRITING PARK FOR EXAMPLE ON THE
WEST SIDE OF THE CITY HAS MORE
THAN 2000 CASES SIMILAR STORY
FOR LITTLE VILLAGE JUST NORTH
OF BRIGHTON PARK IN THE LAST
FEW WEEKS BOTH OF THESE
NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE SEEN AN
INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF
CONFIRMED CASES ALSO IN CICERO
HIT HARD THE VILLAGE SITS JUST
OUTSIDE OF CHICAGO BUT STILL IN
COOK COUNTY, THE CITY OF NEW
MULTI CARE CENTER. A NURSING
HOME THERE MADE HEADLINES LAST
MONTH WITH NEARLY 250 CONFIRMED
CASES AND SO FAR 10 DEATHS AND
ON THE NORTH SIDE OF CHICAGO.
THE BELMONT CRAIG AND HER MOST
A NEIGHBORHOOD ALSO MAKES UP
THE TOP 5 ZIP CODES AND FINALLY
WESTLAWN HAS MORE THAN 2500
CONFIRMED CASES YOU CAN SEE IN
CHICAGO BLACK AND LATINO
COMMUNITIES MAKE UP 75% OF THE
CASES. DEATHS LINKED TO
COVID-19 AFFECTED THE BLACK
COMMUNITY MOST WITH 76% OF THE
REPORTED DEATHS TONIGHT WE'RE
GOING TO TALK TO THE PEOPLE WHO
HAVE FEET ON THE GROUND IN
CHICAGO'S FIGHT AGAINST
COVID-19 FROM THE COMMUNITIES
WHERE THE BATTLES CLAIMING
THOSE VICTIMS, MEDICAL AND
HEALTH PROFESSIONALS SAY AT THE
SAME TIME. THEY'RE SCRAMBLING
TO MEET THOSE COMMUNITIES
URGENT NEEDS. THEY'RE WORKING
TO OVERCOME A LEGACY OF
THE COVID-19 VIRUS IS
HITTING MINORITY POPULATIONS IN
ILLINOIS, PARTICULARLY HARD
ESPECIALLY IN CHICAGO OVERALL
60%.
OF OUR DEATHS REMAIN IN THE
AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
COVID-19 IS HITTING ILLINOIS
LATINO COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY
HARD.
CHICAGO'S MINORITY COMMUNITY
HAS BEEN BESET WITH HEALTH CARE
DISPARITIES.
FOR CENTURIES SO WHAT'S
HAPPENING NOW ISN'T MUCH OF A
SURPRISE THE NUMBERS CONTINUE
TO MAKE NATIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES.
CHICAGO'S LATINO AND BLACK
RESIDENTS TOPPING THE COUNT FOR
COVID DEATHS IN COOK COUNTY
EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTOR JEFFREY
STERLING IS THE FOUNDER OF
SIMCOE THE NATION'S FIRST
MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATION.
HE SAYS BEFORE THE PROBLEM
CAN BE FIXED. IT MUST BE
ACKNOWLEDGED IF YOU'RE ACTUALLY
INTERESTED IN PROMOTING A LEVEL
PLAYING FIELD YOU HAVE TO
APPRECIATE.
THAT HEALTH CARE DISPARITIES
ACTUALLY EXIST AND ARE
REFLECTED IN MANY WAYS THE GAME
CHANGER IN MANY INSTANCES IS
WHAT'S KNOWN AS KOL MORBIDITY
EASE ILLNESSES AND PREEXISTING
CONDITIONS THAT MAKE IT MORE
DIFFICULT TO RECOVER FROM AN
ALREADY POTENTIALLY DEADLY
INFECTION.
LIKE COVID-19 TO PEOPLE WHO
WOULD SAY OTHER RACES SUFFER
FROM ALL THOSE SAME CONDITIONS.
DOCTOR STERLING SAYS THERE IS A
DIFFERENCE ISN'T ADDED TO CHECK
BECAUSE AFRICAN AMERICAN AND
OTHER COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
TEND TO HAVE MORE COAL UP IT
IS AND THE LEVELS OF THE SCENES
THAT EXIST COMMUNITIES TENDS TO
BE MORE THAT'S STERLING SAYS
SOME OF THAT AS A RESULT OF THE
LACK OF ACCESS TO PREVENTATIVE
CARE WOULD THINK THAT DOESN'T
GET DISCUSSED ENOUGH TO SIT
THERE ARE STILL 20 MILLION
AMERICANS WHO DON'T HAVE HEALTH
CARE FOR MANY DISENFRANCHISED
COMMUNITIES, THE ONLY TIME
THOSE RESIDENTS SEE A DOCTOR IS
IN THE E R AN EMERGENCY
POSITION FOR ABOUT 25 YEARS NOW
SEE PEOPLE COME TO THE E R.
GOTTEN SOME DISEASES LIKE
COVID-19 AND THEY'RE INVARIABLY
WORSE OFF THAT'S THE CASE NOT
BECAUSE OF CHOICE BUT BECAUSE
OF HAPPENSTANCE.
YOU KNOW THERE'S SOME PEOPLE
THAT HAVE TRIED TO BLAME BLACK
AND BROWN COMMUNITIES AROUND.
YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW WHY DID THE
DISPROPORTIONALITY IS SEEN IN
THESE CASES AND THAT'S SIMPLY
NOT TRUE. LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
JULIANA STRATTON SAYS MANY OF
THE VERY SERVICES KEEPING THE
CITY MOVING.
ARE BEING PERFORMED BY THE
PEOPLE SUFFERING THE GREATEST
TO SOME STUDIES THAT SHOW CLOSE
TO 80%. PEOPLE OF COLOR CAN NOT
STAY AT HOME BECAUSE WE'RE ON
THE FRONT LINES IN GROCERY
STORES AND DRIVING THE BUSES
AND DELIVERING THE MAIL AND
WORKING AT HOSPITALS AT EVERY
DIFFERENT LEVEL THEY SOMETIMES
THREATENED EMPLOYEES THAT THEY
NEED TO COME BACK TO WORK AND.
AND SO THEY'RE TORN BETWEEN
DOING THE RIGHT THING AND STAY
IN TAKING OUR ADVICE TO STAY
HOME OR POTENTIALLY LOSE OR JOB
ESTHER CORPUS IS THE CEO AT
LOUISVILLE.
FOUNDED 30 YEARS AGO TO SIR,
CHICAGO'S UNDOCUMENTED MEXICAN
COMMUNITY THEY DON'T ALWAYS
UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN THEY GET
THE TEST THEY THINK THEY CAN GO
BACK TO WORK AND WAIT FOR THE
RESULTS. BUT WE FOLLOW THE CDC
GUIDELINES AND IF THEY'RE IF
THEY'RE BEING TESTED THEN THEY
CAN'T GO TO WORK FOR UNTIL WE
GET THE RESULTS BACK.
AND THAT CAUSES A LOT OF
ISSUES WITH EMPLOYERS WE'RE
FINDING THAT WE'RE READING A
LOT OF NOTES FOR EMPLOYERS AND
REALLY MANDATING THAT THEY
ALLOW THESE INDIVIDUALS TO NOT
GO TO WORK IF THEY'RE IF
THEY'RE POSITIVE OR IF THEY
HAVE SYMPTOMS AS HEALTH CARE
PROVIDERS WERE HAVING TO
SUPPORT THEM AND MAKING SURE
THAT EMPLOYERS ARE TREATING
THEM FAIRLY AND THERE ARE OTHER
CONCERNS SPECIFIC TO MANY AN
IMMIGRANT HOUSEHOLDS ARE
COMMUNITY LIVES IN CLOSER
QUARTERS WHERE IT'S VERY
SOMETIMES TO SOCIAL DISTANCE
AND SO WHAT WE SEE IS IF ONE OF
THEM BECOMES POSITIVE THEN THE
FAMILY BECOMES POSITIVE BECAUSE
IT'S VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR
THEM NOT TO.
COME IN CONTACT WITH EACH
OTHER THEY'LL HAVE LOUELLA THE
MOTHER THAT YOU KNOW CHILDREN,
EVERYBODY LIVING IN ONE
APARTMENT IN ONE BUILDING AND
TAKING CARE OF EACH OTHER
BECAUSE WE DON'T.
TRADITIONALLY PUT OUR
ELDERLY INTO NURSING WE KEEP
THEM CLOSE TO US THAT WE CARE
FOR THEM FOR SOME THE ISSUE IS
TRUST.
AS THE WORLD SCRAMBLES TO
PRODUCE A VACCINE. LAST MONTH
REPORTS STARTED CIRCULATING
THAT AFRICANS ARE BEING USED TO
TEST IT. THOSE REPORTS WERE
UNFOUNDED AND UNTRUE. BUT IT
STRUCK A CHORD BECAUSE THERE IS
A HISTORY OF PEOPLE OF COLOR
BEING MISUSED BY MEDICINE.
IN THE 50'S THE WORLD'S FIRST
BIRTH CONTROL PILLS WERE TESTED
ON A GROUP OF WOMEN IN PUERTO
RICO. THE WOMEN WERE SIMPLY
TOLD THEY WOULD BE KEPT FROM
GETTING PREGNANT. THEY'VE NOT
BEEN TOLD THEY COULD DIE 3
DEAD. AND FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS
THE STORIES ARE UNFATHOMABLE.
IMPLIED CONTRACT BETWEEN THE
MEDICAL SCIENTIFIC AND RESEARCH
COMMUNITIES IN THE BLACK
COMMUNITY HAS BEEN BROKE AND
IT'S BEEN BROKE SINCE ITS
INCEPTION. AS SOON AS WE GET TO
THE STATES WE WORK SUBJECT TO
ANY TYPE OF QUALITY OF HEALTH
CARE. WE ONLY COUNTED HISTORY
COURSE OF AN INDIVIDUAL US THAT
HE BECAME A THING AND THEN
THERE'S TUSKEGEE THOSE WERE
SERIES OF EXPERIMENTS DONE BY
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN WHICH
AFRICAN-AMERICANS WERE TESTED
TO SEE THE ONGOING EVOLUTION
AND OUTCOMES OF UNTREATED
SYPHILIS THE TUSKEGEE
EXPERIMENTS WERE CONDUCTED FROM
1932 UNTIL 1972. IN 1997.
PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON ISSUED
AN APOLOGY ON BEHALF OF THE
UNITED STATES WHAT WAS DONE.
CANNOT BE UNDONE. BUT WE CAN
END THE SILENCE FOR MANY
UNDOCUMENTED CHICAGOANS FEARS
OF LOSING EVERYTHING THEY'VE
WORKED FOR KEEPING THEM FROM
SEEKING HELP. EARLIER THIS
YEAR, THE UNITED STATES SUPREME
COURT LIFTED A STATEWIDE
ILLINOIS INJUNCTION AGAINST
WHAT'S KNOWN AS THE PUBLIC
CHARGE RULE IT MEANS THAT
ANYONE SEEKING CITIZENSHIP OR A
GREEN CARD ON OR AFTER FEBRUARY
24TH. GOOD HAVE THEIR
APPLICATION DENIED IF THEY USE
PUBLIC BENEFITS WITH THE IDEA
BEING THEY'RE COSTING THE
COUNTRY MONEY THAT HAS AFFECTED
OUR COMMUNITY.
GREATLY WE HAVE SEEN FOLKS
YOU KNOW DROPPING OUT OF OF
FEDERAL PROGRAMS SUCH AS
MEDICAID WHICH IS HORRIBLE FOR
FOR CHILDREN WHO NEED TO BE
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT
COVID YOU KNOW IMMUNIZATIONS
ARE REALLY IMPORTANT SO EVEN
WANTS THE PROGRAMS INTENDED TO
HELP THOSE IN NEED ARE IN
PLACE.
MANY IMMIGRANT CHICAGO IN
SEEKING CITIZENSHIP AVOID THEM.
THEY JUST WON'T ACCESS SERVICES
IF THEY THINK THAT IT'S
CONSIDERED.
A PUBLIC BENEFIT THAT WILL
PREVENT THEM FROM THEIR PATHWAY
TO CITIZENSHIP. AND SO THAT'S
YOU KNOW AGAIN ANOTHER ANOTHER
BARRIER THAT THAT WE FACE THAT
SAYS WHAT STRUCTURAL RACISM
LOOKS LIKE NATALIE MOORE IS THE
AUTHOR OF THE CRITICALLY
ACCLAIMED BOOK THE SOUTHSIDE
REPORTER THE CHICAGO AND
AMERICAN SEGREGATION I HAVE TO
DO IS.
DRIVE AROUND THE CITY, YOU
KNOW GET OUT OF YOUR OWN AND
WHY DO CERTAIN SAYS, YOU KNOW
IT'S I MEAN THESE LOOK
DIFFERENT FROM CERTAIN
SOUTHSIDE COMMUNITY. WHAT
YOU'RE USUALLY SAY IS THAT THIS
INVESTMENT.
IF YOU WERE STORES YOUR
AMENITIES YOUR OPPORTUNITY
NEEDS ON THAT IN GOES BACK TO.
THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND
THE RESOURCES ARE JUST ON ME
AND BALANCED IN THIS COUNTRY IN
THIS REGION IN THIS COUNTY AND
THE CITY.
THOUSANDS OF CHICAGOANS ARE
RECOVERING. BUT COVID-19 IS
SHEDDING LIGHT ON WHAT'S KNOWN
AS A DEATH GAP. IT'S THE
DIFFERENCE IN THE NUMBERS AND
MORE OFTEN THE NEIGHBORHOODS
WHERE YOU'RE MORE LIKELY TO
LIVE OR DIE AS YOU'RE ABOUT TO
HEAR MANY OF THE FACTORS THAT
DETERMINE THAT HAVE NOTHING TO
DO WITH ILLNESS AT ALL AS A
WHOLE LOT MORE TO TALK ABOUT.
POVERTY ITSELF IS A THIEF
AND STEALS A YEARS OF LIFE
EXPECTANCY A FROM PEOPLE, I'M A
DAVID AND SO I'M A PHYSICIAN AT
RUSH, I'M THE SENIOR VICE
PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH
EQUITY. AT RUSH UNIVERSITY
MEDICAL CENTER MY WORK HAS BEEN
LARGELY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND
WHY SOME PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF
CHICAGO LIVE LONGER UP AND
OTHERS A FIELD THIS CALL HEALTH
EQUITY IN OUR STUDY WHAT I CALL
THAT CHAOS IF YOU LIVE IN THE
LOOP CAN LOOK TO BE UP TO 8590
YEARS OLD AND SOME
NEIGHBORHOODS TO LET YOU TAKE
THE BLUE LINE 7 STOPS TO
GARFIELD PARK AND LIFE
EXPECTANCY IN SOME
NEIGHBORHOODS OVERALL AND GOT
THE PARK IS UNDER 69 YEARS OLD
THE CAUSES FOR THIS ARE NOT
JUST PEOPLE POLICE P 8 YEARS
AND THE BIOLOGY OR GENETICS IT
REALLY HAS TO DO WITH
NEIGHBORHOODS THEMSELVES AND
SOMETHING THAT HAS CALLED
STRUCTURAL FIRES IN A
STRUCTURAL BECAUSE THE POLICIES
AND PROCEDURES A ALL THE
SCHOOLS ORGANIZE HOUSING.
ACCESS TO JOBS. OUR STRUCTURAL
IN THIS PILOT BECAUSE PEOPLE
DIE PREMATURELY AS A RESULT IS
A NATURAL ASSANGE OS BLACK
BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS ALL ACROSS
AMERICA IS NOT A CHICAGO ALL
ACROSS AMERICA.
THAT DIDN'T MAKE THE MOST
STRONGEST IS NOT A SURPRISE
THAT WHEN AN EPIDEMIC ON US.
WHAT WE CALL AN EQUAL
OPPORTUNITY EPIDEMIC EXCEPT
IT'S NOT WASN'T A SURPRISE THAT
BLACK PEOPLE WERE AFFECTED MORE
NOW ALSO IN THE LAST NEXT
COMMUNITY WERE SAYING WE'VE
SEEN A TERRIFIC ARE GREAT AND
HIGH MORTALITY HERE BECAUSE ALL
THE ACADEMIC PEOPLE MAY
REMEMBER THE CHICAGO KEY WAY
WHICH WAS THAT HE'S A EPIDEMIC
OR KATRINA WHICH WAS A
HURRICANE. ALL THAT THESE A
FENCE TO THIS IS NOT TO BE A
VIRUS PEELS BACK THE COVERS ARE
A SOCIETY AND REVEALS SO SOCIAL
FAULT LINES IN THE UNITED
STATES AND PARTICULARLY IN
THAT'S AT THE INTERSECTION OF
RACE AND POVERTY EACH ONE OF
THESE TESTS IS THAT DOCTOR THAT
YOU KNOW IT'S PREVENTABLE IT'S
REALLY REALLY THANKFUL. WE
THINK ABOUT THE STIMULUS
PACKAGES THAT ARE GOING TO BAIL
OUT THE AIRLINES. THERE ARE
GOING TO BAIL OUT BUSINESSES
THAT HAVE TO LAY OFF A
INDIVIDUAL.
THEY'RE ALL REALLY
IMPORTANT.
BUT WE NEED STIMULUS
PACKAGES THE BAILOUT THESE
NEIGHBORHOODS. YEAH BEEN.
LITERALLY OPPRESSED FOR
GENERATIONS.
WE'VE ALL WATCHED THIS GO ON
TO LAW WE ARE.
THE HAND OF THESE
OPPORTUNITIES OVER AND OVER IT.
FINALLY GET IT RIGHT I HOPE
THIS TIME IT FINALLY HIT.
YEARS AND YEARS OF
INEQUITIES WELL AFTER THE BREAK
WE'RE GOING TO EXAMINE COVID
