How Coronavirus Could Worsen the Racial Wealth Gap in the United States

The impact of coronavirus on unemployment and healthcare is predicted to affect black and Latinos at a disproportionate rate, raising questions about what can be done to ease the suffering and close the racial wealth divide in America.

2 minute read

April 8, 2020, 6:00 AM PDT

By Lee Flannery @leecflannery


Transit in a Pandemic

Kevin Benckendorf / Shutterstock

Amidst dramatic spikes in unemployment and widespread loss of healthcare benefits, a result of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, growing concerns mount over the severity of hardship experienced in communities of color. 

“Government data shows the outbreak is more concentrated in major US metropolitan areas like New York City, New Orleans and the nation's southeast where greater percentages of black and Latino Americans live. In New York City, the virus is disproportionately affecting lower-income neighborhoods in Queens, Harlem and the Bronx, which have denser populations of immigrants of color, African Americans and Hispanics,” writes Chauncey Alcorn.

The impact in urban centers is echoed in the national labor market where those sectors taking the greatest financial hit disproportionately staff Black and Latino employees. Moreover, greater rates of underlying health conditions in Blacks, Latinos, and Native Americans compared to whites could mean an increased need for medical care, potentially resulting in medical debt and more difficult recovery. 

To address the disproportionate impact of these financial and medical threats, the Senate-approved $2.2 trillion stimulus package is a start, but is not a sufficient remedy to the increasing racial wealth disparity, says the Institute for Policy Studies' "Inequality and the Common Good" program director, Chuck Collins. Providing financial support and helping Americans to avoid debt is the kind of intervention that could narrow the racial wealth gap, adds Collins. 


Friday, April 3, 2020 in CNN Business

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Floor-to-ceiling rotating gates at Fairmount subway station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Crime Continues to Drop on Philly, San Francisco Transit Systems

SEPTA and BART both saw significant declines in violent crime in the first quarter of 2025.

April 28 - Mass Transit

South LA Wetlands Park in Los Angeles, California.

How South LA Green Spaces Power Community Health and Hope

Green spaces like South L.A. Wetlands Park are helping South Los Angeles residents promote healthy lifestyles, build community, and advocate for improvements that reflect local needs in historically underserved neighborhoods.

April 28 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

Intersection in downtown Sacramento, California with neoclassical building with columns on left.

Sacramento Plans ‘Quick-Build’ Road Safety Projects

The city wants to accelerate small-scale safety improvements that use low-cost equipment to make an impact at dangerous intersections.

April 28 - The Sacramento Bee