Dear HU Colleagues,
This week’s digest was guest edited by Rachel Werther of the Campbell Lab
The deep freeze in Texas last week reminds us that the climate crisis will not wait for us to get out of the COVID-19 pandemic. These emergencies impact people the world over, but in the U.S., they hit Black populations disproportionately. As we near the one year mark of stay-at-home orders, we look at how staying at home is impacted by racism.
As the people of Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana experienced record low temperatures last week, Black and Latinx communities were more likely to suffer due to institutionally established racial divides. Neighborhoods with hospitals were the priority for power when the power grids dropped in supply. Neighborhoods with newer homes could better tolerate frozen pipes or rooftops taxed by snow. And areas with more grocery stores were less likely to run short on food and medicines. All these factors favor the survival of white people over Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color (BIPOC).
Even when storms are not present, environmental racism is a scourge that causes more harm to BIPOC households. People who live closer to oil and gas production are more likely to have asthma and cancer, and Black people are 75% more likely than peers to live near these facilities. This proximity contributes to the health problems of Black children who are twice as likely as others to have asthma.
When the lives of Black people are not valued, Black towns like Centerville, Illinois are left to fend for themselves against institutional neglect. The residents of Centerville are currently fighting to stop sewage flooding in their town and destroying their homes, an issue the Environmental Protection Agency has been aware of since 2012.
All of these health factors and emergencies have impacts on mental health. But without resources to address mental health, policing is used instead. Last month, Patrick Warren Sr. of Texas was killed in his home by a police officer when his family called to request a mental health officer. Fatal police shootings of unarmed Black people arenot in decline.
Please continue to speak and act on behalf of Black lives and Black spaces. Please give care to your own mental health during this time of mounting tragedies and know that we carry the sadness together. Black Lives Matter is a movement now on the world stage. It represents a rejection of despair and a rejoicing while we move forward in action. May you find some peace while we work together to make this world a safe home for all.
Support. Feed the People Dallas and Austin Area Urban League are Black-led Texas organizations providing help now.
Support. Rebuilding Together Houston provides people in need with home repairs.
Support. The YWCA is a subcontractor of the King County Housing Stability Project serving residents of King County since 1994 to prevent and recover from homelessness.
In solidarity,
Hutch United
Hutch United was founded by Fred Hutch graduate students and postdocs in 2013 with the mission of fostering a supportive and diverse community of scientists. We promote equity and inclusion through community building events, inclusivity training, and by providing access to resources and mentorship. It is up to all of us to create an inclusive scientific community. As such, we welcome all underrepresented groups (all races/ethnicities, genders, ages, national origins, physical abilities, and sexual orientations; as well as veterans, those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, etc) and, of course, allies and advocates.
