Critics and activists raised red flags for decades, but it was the coronavirus pandemic that opened the entire nation’s eyes to the structural racism embedded in America’s institutions. In the wake of COVID-19's devastation, there is no hiding chronic inequalities in healthcare delivery, the fragility of the social safety net, or how entrenched gaps in income and employment afflict communities of color. But the flip side of awareness is opportunity.

“It isn't one pandemic we face, but three," says National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial. Systemic, structural racism, Morial argues, is the cause of highly disproportionate COVID-related deaths in Black and Brown communities, as well as crippling job loss concentrated in front-line, essential industries. At the national level and in communities across the country, the Urban League combats the toll suffered by people of color and leads a progressive path forward.

In 2020, Americans of conscience – of all races and backgrounds – took to the streets in cities across the country to demand justice for George Floyd, Breanna Taylor, and all victims of police violence. More broadly, protesters called for a new era of accountability and transformation, an end to systemic racial bias not only in our justice system, but in health care, education, allocation of services, media representation, and employment. We’ve seen early successes, but what’s the next step? How do we build on the energy of protest to bring about the changes we need?

The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic and the vast justice protests spurred by the murder of George Floyd were both severe, unforgiving tests of American leadership. Unfortunately, the absence of a coherent, coordinated federal response to COVID opened the door to the unchecked spread of the virus, a shattered economy, and a needlessly politicized debate over masks and distancing. Meanwhile, the implementation of federal force to quell protests, overriding local authorities, has set the stage for a constitutional and humanitarian crisis.

There’s no doubt the ongoing COVID 19 crisis unmasked deep-rooted racial inequities in our health care system. African-Americans are dying of the virus at startling rates compared to whites. The prevalence of diabetes, heart disease, and other underlying conditions mean Black people are especially vulnerable. Worse, studies show we are less likely to get tested when we ask for them, less likely to be listened to when we share our symptoms, and more likely to be simply dismissed by biased providers. COVID also exposed crippling economic disparities.

Marc H. Morial will kick off this year's State of Black America virtual series: 2020 Unmasked with opening remarks that introduce the event speakers, the schedule, and the goal of the series.