AOC demands coronavirus ‘reparations’ for black and brown communities because ‘environmental racism and the wealth gap’ has left them hardest hit by the deadly disease
- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is demanding that black and brown people get coronavirus ‘reparations’, since their communities are most affected
- She tweeted: ‘The chronic toll of redlining, environmental racism, wealth gap, etc. ARE underlying health conditions’
- AOC slammed Governor Andrew Cuomo for not giving relief to renters like he did for people paying mortgages
- Congresswoman also criticized colleagues on Capitol Hill for passing a $2 trillion stimulus bill last week with no money specifically set aside for poor people
- AOC’s district, which includes parts of the Bronx and Queens, has been among the hardest hit by coronavirus in New York City
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wants black and brown communities to get coronavirus reparations, because a history of inequality has left them at higher risk of suffering from the deadly virus.
Her comments came after a stark New York City map showed that there are higher numbers of cases of coronavirus in poorer New York neighborhoods than in wealthier zip codes.
In overcrowded areas like the South Bronx and Harlem, residents are still commuting to work, while in places such as Greenwich Village they can afford the luxury of working from home.
‘COVID deaths are disproportionately spiking in Black + Brown communities,’ Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Friday morning.
She added: ‘Why? Because the chronic toll of redlining, environmental racism, wealth gap, etc. ARE underlying health conditions.
‘Inequality is a comorbidity. COVID relief should be drafted with a lens of reparations.’
AOC’s district, which includes parts of the Bronx and Queens, has been among the hardest hit by coronavirus in New York City.
AOC slammed Governor Andrew Cuomo for not giving relief to renters like he did for people paying mortgages
A map of coronavirus cases by NYC zip code has revealed that the city’s poorest neighborhoods are being hardest hit by the pandemic,
People in poorer boroughs like Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens have been hit especially hard by coronavirus.
The Democratic socialist has also criticized responses to coronavirus by both the federal and city government officials.
When Congress passed its $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package, it excluded any specific funds set asides for disadvantaged communities.
‘We’re essentially rewarding and offering preferential treatment to landowners and folks who are more wealthy, and we’re not offering that same kind of relief to renters,’ Ocasio-Cortez told WNYC’s ‘The Brian Lehrer Show’ on Wednesday.
Poor boroughs like Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx have disproportionately higher numbers of coronavirus cases than Manhattan and Staten Island
In February, the Association of American Medical Colleges cautioned the coronavirus outbreak would have a disproportionate effect on poor communities. Residents in those traditionally save less money than people in other communities and are more likely to live paycheck-to-paycheck.
People living in poor communities also have a harder time avoiding crowded areas.
AOC slammed the New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for giving mortgage relief to people in the state but not those people rent.
‘We’re kind of creating a class and race issue,’ Ocasio-Cortez said.
