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10/qa-with-tina-sacks/">researchers</a>, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/race-and-blame/609946/">commentators</a> and <a href="https://readmedium.com/our-government-is-failing-latinos-in-coronavirus-response-15354c0c3498">community leaders</a> of colour.Their argument is that it’s not really an opening up of the economy. Rather, it’s a callous attempt to have <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/04/coronavirus-inequality-america.html">the most vulnerable people in society bear the brunt of the potential dangers</a> in order to make sure the people who aren’t dying disproportionately from COVID-19, a.k.a. the people in power who have all the money, don’t get exposed to the worst of the risks. They argue the powerful, overwhelmingly white and Republican, people who <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-trump-to-focus-on-the-economy-after-disastrous-briefings-2020-4">are focused on finance and commerce</a> have no trouble <a href="https://prospect.org/coronavirus/when-it-comes-to-covid-19-deaths-race-matters/">sending in the shock troops to do the dirty work</a> turning the money spouts back on so that <a href="https://wlos.com/news/connect-to-congress/trumps-focus-on-his-base-complicates-path-to-reelection">Donald Trump can get re-elected</a>.This debate from south of the border made me think about similar issues up here in Canada, where the federal government has decided <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/demographic-data-essential-to-track-spread-of-covid-19-researchers-1.4888879">not to track race-based data</a>, which fuels the debate in America.<p i

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d="2d8b">If we’re not tracking race-based data and there are people arguing for certain provinces to open up commerce again, does that mean that people of colour and indigenous peoples are going to be bearing the brunt of the of the impacts of COVID-19 in this country too? If <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-april-9-2020-1.5527551/as-some-states-see-black-americans-hit-harder-by-covid-19-researchers-call-for-detailed-canadian-data-1.5528574">most governments in Canada have made a collective decision not to track race-based data</a> (with <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6855794/coronavirus-toronto-public-health-race-based-data/">some exceptions</a>), despite their relevance to the financial and physical health of Canadians, what are we actually saying the communities of colour and to indigenous communities across Canada? Are we saying that their lives don’t matter — or that they matter so little that we’re unwilling to track to see whether coronavirus infection patterns in Canada mirror those south of the border?These kinds of thoughts should be on the minds of every person in Canada with decision-making authority during the pandemic. What concerns me deeply is that they aren’t, and people may die because of that short-sighted policy choice.<a href="undefined">Greg Frankson</a> is an award-winning writer, poet, public speaker and spoken word artist. He is also the founder of Voice Share. To learn more, engage in conversation or ask a question, follow Greg on Twitter, Instagram and Medium at @greg_frankson or the hashtag #ownthevoiceyoushare on social media.</article></body>

Race Matters in the Race to Restart the COVID-19 Economy

Race-based statistics in the U.S. highlight a problem Canada wilfully ignores

Reading about how the coronavirus pandemic is being addressed in the U.S. revealed two significant yet contradictory streams: The first is about how certain states “reopened” their economies this weekend with businesses reopening for commerce, and the second about how COVID-19 has been disproportionately affecting people of colour, particularly African Americans and Latinx.

It raises a very serious question — is the economy simply opening up again or are the potential threats to people in the marketplace being strategically passed along to the people who are most vulnerable? This second part has been the argument put forward by some researchers, commentators and community leaders of colour.

Their argument is that it’s not really an opening up of the economy. Rather, it’s a callous attempt to have the most vulnerable people in society bear the brunt of the potential dangers in order to make sure the people who aren’t dying disproportionately from COVID-19, a.k.a. the people in power who have all the money, don’t get exposed to the worst of the risks. They argue the powerful, overwhelmingly white and Republican, people who are focused on finance and commerce have no trouble sending in the shock troops to do the dirty work turning the money spouts back on so that Donald Trump can get re-elected.

This debate from south of the border made me think about similar issues up here in Canada, where the federal government has decided not to track race-based data, which fuels the debate in America.

If we’re not tracking race-based data and there are people arguing for certain provinces to open up commerce again, does that mean that people of colour and indigenous peoples are going to be bearing the brunt of the of the impacts of COVID-19 in this country too? If most governments in Canada have made a collective decision not to track race-based data (with some exceptions), despite their relevance to the financial and physical health of Canadians, what are we actually saying the communities of colour and to indigenous communities across Canada? Are we saying that their lives don’t matter — or that they matter so little that we’re unwilling to track to see whether coronavirus infection patterns in Canada mirror those south of the border?

These kinds of thoughts should be on the minds of every person in Canada with decision-making authority during the pandemic. What concerns me deeply is that they aren’t, and people may die because of that short-sighted policy choice.

Greg Frankson is an award-winning writer, poet, public speaker and spoken word artist. He is also the founder of Voice Share. To learn more, engage in conversation or ask a question, follow Greg on Twitter, Instagram and Medium at @greg_frankson or the hashtag #ownthevoiceyoushare on social media.