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By Imari Paris Jeffries

As a father of three and the leader of a non-profit that works directly with parents, I know this pandemic has intensified the challenges families face in their daily lives.

COVID-19 is being described as “the great equalizer,” but this is not true. New data released by the Boston Public Health Commission shows that communities of color are facing disproportionate impacts of the virus, and we know this is due to inequities that already existed long before COVID-19.

Unfortunately, poor health outcomes for low-income communities of color are directly tied to our broken economic system. Low-income workers are more susceptible to chronic health conditions, and more likely to have to report to work as frontline staff right now.

Last week, I ordered groceries online only to see a mother and her 11-year-old daughter deliver them to me.

My heart broke. And, then I got angry.

I don’t want to live in a world where my choices to keep my family safe are putting others, who are already impacted by systemic inequities, at risk.

The City of Somerville has taken measures to protect its residents by providing an average of 950 meals per day at school locations to families in need; the local food pantries are distributing bags of food to households and organizations. The Council on Aging is working with Meals on Wheels to provide meal deliveries and transportation to grocery stores. And, here at Parenting Journey, we are doing our best to fill the gaps by providing emergency financial support to families – we’ve distributed nearly $20,000 directly to families in our community.

Additionally, we commend Mayor Curtatone for extending the deadline for property tax, excise tax and water bill payments to June 29. This will certainly ease some of the financial burden families are feeling.

But, we need to ask ourselves: what are we going to do as a community to create a better world for everyone in the long term? How we respond to this crisis will define us as a community and as leaders in the future.

Our schools shouldn’t have to be in the business of feeding people. Families should be able to afford their rent. Grocery stores and food delivery companies should always put worker safety ahead of profits. And, during a pandemic we shouldn’t have to protect our family at the risk of harming others.

Community leaders and government officials should work together to ensure the protections that have been put in place in this time of crisis are always available to those who need them. This crisis has shown us that we have the capacity to guarantee health care, food and shelter to everyone, and that is the reality we can all work together to create.

I hope that as the COVID-19 crisis subsides, community leaders and non-profits don’t return to business-as-usual. Because if this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that business-as-usual doesn’t work for our clients, and it doesn’t work for most of us.

Imari Paris Jeffries is the Executive Director of Parenting Journey in Somerville, MA. and a member of the Governor’s Black Advisory Commission. He lives in Hyde Park, MA.