By Octavio N. Martinez, Jr. and Rudolph K. Metayer
Just under 43,000 Texans have died from COVID-19. That is a staggering figure. Something else that is just as astonishing? According to a study by the Episcopal Health Foundation, racial and ethnic disparities were responsible for an additional 5,000 deaths from COVID-19 as of September 2020, accounting for 30% of all deaths at that time. It is obvious that our state’s ability to stay healthy is harmed by the inequitable distribution of lifesaving health care services among Texans.
This unnecessary loss of life costs us in all respects. The toll is not just emotional or psychological but also financial. This same study estimates that health disparities cost Texans $7.7 billion in excess medical spending and lost productivity.
Commentary: End systemic racism in child welfare
Rudolph K. Metayer and Katie Olse, For the Express-News
Feb. 17, 2021
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In Texas, Black children are over-represented in the child welfare system. We owe it to our kids across the state to better understand and respond to the multitude of factors that cause them to land in the system so often.SMILEY N. POOL
As we celebrate Black History Month, we must also reflect on the unique challenges facing Black Americans at this moment. There is no more important place to start than with the systemic biases our kids and families face in the child welfare system.