December 10, 2020
The devastating police and institutional violence against Black people, the sharp rise of xenophobic hate crimes against Asian people, the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on Black, Latino, Native American, low-income, uninsured, unhoused and chronically ill people – these inequities did not form overnight. It took years for fractures like these to take shape and even longer to reckon with the necessity for and possibilities of change.
State and local governments have tremendous influence over how these inequities can be addressed and eliminated. Because they are direct service providers and authorities for their residents, they hold immense power to improve communities. However, it can be challenging to figure out how government can avoid doing more harm than good, and actually do good.