The Pandemic Divide

“The Pandemic Divide is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand why COVID-19 has hit Black communities so incredibly hard and what must change if we believe in an equitable society. As we emerge from this pandemic we know that more pandemics will come. We also know that, for so many people, every day is a health crisis. If we want to see a different outcome, we must dismantle systems of structural racism that are the barriers to opportunity. These authors show us what must be done.” - Richard Besser, MD, President and CEO, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

“When we want to look back years from now to understand how in the United States, a very prosperous country, the impact of COVID-19, from mortality rates to job losses, resulted in the worst outcomes among Black and Brown communities, this book will be a comprehensive, one-stop source for enlightenment.” - Michelle Holder, President, Washington Center for Equitable Growth

"Required, essential reading for Americans trying to reconcile their pandemic experiences." (starred review)  - Tina Panik, Library Journal

"The Pandemic Divide should appeal to anyone with an interest in social and cultural politics, and moreover policy. In a world that is continually racialised and then derided for being so, this book is an urgent reminder of how deep rooted systems operate in sinister ways to continually exploit, undermine, and undervalue whole swathes of the population." - Georgia Bisbas, Lancet Infections Diseases

"Disturbing but proactive...." - Andrew Robinson, Nature

"A helpful volume for policy researchers looking for a clear, varied survey of the unequal racialized consequences of the pandemic thus far." - Penelope K. Hardy, H-Sci-Med-Tech

"This collection of essays . . . explores how COVID-19 and the resulting policies disproportionately worsened health. The authors point out that while most studies of the pandemic’s effects on Black and L atino communities focus on preexisting health disparities, effects on other aspects of their lives . . . are neglected (p. 69). A major contribution of this book is its examination of these 'other aspects.' Citing the limited data that exist, the authors incorporate personal stories that illustrate the devastating impacts." - Mark K. Huntington, Family Medicine

"Wright, Hubbard, and Darity offer compelling sociological, economic, and epidemiological data to show that that structural racism has undeniable consequences on the health and mortality of racial and ethnic minorities. The Pandemic Divide is a useful text for students, educators, and researchers to understand why the COVID-19 pandemic impacted certain populations more than others." - Gwenetta Curry, Ethnic and Racial Studies

"This anthology of 11 short essays, bracketed by an excellent introduction and a punchy conclusion, is based on a wealth of scholarship and statistics that use the COVID-19 pandemic as a lens to expose the enormous racial disparities in American society—disparities that were simply magnified by the challenges and tragedies of the crisis. . . . For social historians of medicine, the collection provides numerous secondary sources to inform discussion of the many facets of healthcare injustice." - Jacalyn M. Duffin, Social History of Medicine

"The Pandemic Divide offers a comprehensive exploration of the  societal and economic impacts of COVID-19 in the United States, particularly highlighting the exacerbation of inequalities. Covering a broad spectrum of issues, including healthcare, employment, education and housing, the book provides a detailed overview of the pandemic's wide-ranging and intricate effects.  . . [T]he insights it offers into the complex dynamics of inequality amid a global health crisis are profoundly valuable, affirming the book's significance within academic and policy-making circles." - Farid Mohammadi, Sociology of Health & Illness