Opportunities for economic justice initiatives
in higher education
The economic toll of the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the expectations for institutional involvement in regional recovery and development. Compounding the complexity of economic recovery efforts, however, is the disproportionate impact on the pandemic on communities of color and women.
Not only are communities of color more likely to contract and die of COVID-19, but they are also more likely than their white counterparts to fall behind on rent and mortgage payments.
Women accounted for the totality of jobs lost in December 2020, though the rates of unemployment are not felt equally among all races. Latinas have the highest unemployment rate and Black women have the second highest, while White women have the lowest.
Download the resources from the Economic Justice Initiatives webinar.
Get the Slides Black and Hispanic PopulationsMore Likely to Struggle Financially
Income Decline
0%
White
0%Black
0%Hispanic
Women of ColorMore Likely Out of Work Due to COVID-19
Unemployment Rate
0%
White
0%Black
0%Hispanic
Understanding the unequal impact of the pandemic and the subsequent implications for social justice, institutions are turning to economic justice activity for guidance. Economic justice promotes the equitable access to resources by infusing economic recovery and development with social justice best practices. Economic activity that is not equitable leaves vulnerable populations in a state of continued risk and can further entrench these socio-economic disparities.
Review the Key Takeaways To create successful community engagement programming, institutions must involve diverse community members from the onset of theplanning process
When polled, most participants chose the strategy of including community members as most…