Charting the Racial Disparities of COVID-19 in Detroit, MI

According to the U.S. Census, African Americans make up only 14.1% of Michigan’s population, however they accounted for nearly 29.4% of COVID-19 cases and 40% of deaths since the outbreak in March.

Michigan was among the first states to release data by racial demographic, making these statistics among the first to receive nationwide attention concerning the stark racial disparities of the pandemic. Following this jarring data set, Governor Gretchen Whitmer introduced the Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities and other state measures were adopted to address COVID’s devastating effects on the African-American population.

As a part of Governor Whitmer’s Michigan COVID Task Force on Racial Disparities, the advisory body was tasked with increasing COVID-19 testing in at-risk communities, expanding mental healthcare, improving the social and economic infrastructure in Detroit, and other measures geared toward curbing the devastation of coronavirus in the black community.

It is no surprise how systemic factors including income inequality, discriminatory policies, and pre-existing healthcare conditions like diabetes are among the reasons for high COVID-19 numbers in African Americans. According to Vox, nearly 37% of Detroit’s population lives below the poverty line. Because of the pandemic’s calamitous effects on factors including employment, programs involving food security, safe transportation, and more testing opportunities have been put in place to alleviate coronavirus stressors.

Collaborating with community leaders, nonprofit organizations, and local businesses, the city of Detroit has set up free food and grocery services, opened testing sites at popular recreational centers, and have introduced $2 rides to any of the many testing sites around the city. Local organizers have also educated their neighbors on the importance of regular hand washing, using hand sanitizer, masking-wearing, and practicing social distancing when possible.

These efforts were not without major results, as the state of Michigan announced in September of 2020 that blacks and whites were now dying at the same rates of COVID-19. Although death numbers are far from being momentous feats, this latest finding was a huge accomplishment at curbing the racial disparities of COVID-19 in black communities. While minimizing the effects of coronavirus in Michigan is far from over, the actions taken to improve conditions in cities like Detroit is certainly a step in the right direction.