For the Economy to Recover, the People Must Recover

New America Chicago Fellow Meegan Dugan Adell and Aimee Ramirez wrote for The Chicago Community Trust about policy recommendations for economic recovery from a new report and how emotional and economic recovery will extend long after mask mandates end, especially for Black and Latinx Chicago area communities:

For two years we’ve “stayed home to save lives”, masked up, stood 6 feet apart, gotten vaccinated, and then carried proof. Today, we continue rising from the lowest points in the pandemic -with some dips and bumps along the way- moving toward the end of pandemic restrictions. But we cannot forget one thing: the mental and economic impact of COVID-19 will likely last in our hardest hit communities for far longer than we’ll carry masks and vaccination cards.

Sadly, similar to past recovery efforts, dollars haven’t always reached the communities with the fewest resources and biggest challenges. If we are to ensure this recovery is different from past recoveries, we have to do things differently. Leaders can learn from the voices of the people they serve as they allocate federal recovery dollars and implement policies that foster an equitable and inclusive economic recovery.

In fall 2021, BECOME hosted seven Community Conversations with people living in the communities of Cicero, Austin, South Lawndale, Chicago Lawn, West Englewood, Dolton, Harvey, Humboldt Park, Roseland, Pullman, Riverdale, and Altgeld. The goal was to understand how the pandemic impacted the lives of Black and Latinx communities in Chicago and hear directly from residents what their communities need to recover and prosper. Their answers were resounding.