I created and many of us initially signed onto this petition because we needed to know that we would have a safety net during this pandemic.  But here is what we know now: the numbers show that COVID’s effects disproportionately fell on the Black community, who have suffered from higher rates of infection and higher rates of job losses. More than half of Black Americans are now unemployed.

The current public reckoning for racial justice includes acknowledging that our public benefits system – our means of getting cash to families in times of need – was restricted over the past decades preventing all Americans from getting support when they needed it most.

We’re all struggling, and now is the moment for us to look at and root out any racist concepts that have unfairly shriveled our social safety net. Take a moment to watch A Killer Stereotype to see how welfare stereotypes have denigrated Black people, especially Black women, gave politicians the cover they needed to defund programs that, in reality, actually primarily benefit white Americans. 

Please watch this short documentary about the myth of the welfare queen, and share it with your social networks so that we can continue the conversation about how our call for emergency money can build a more inclusive economic future together.

Stephanie