The COVID-19 pandemic engendered many challenges that have disproportionately impacted Black women in the United States, exacerbating pre-existing health and socioeconomic disparities. Before the pandemic, Black women were already contending with significant health disparities and systemic socioeconomic barriers that contributed to precarious financial stability. The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed further disruptions in Black women’s physical, emotional, and economic well-being as they lost their jobs at higher rates and were more likely to be essential workers. Black women’s unique experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic are not singular occurrences but are instead intricately tied to systemic racism and their intersecting social identities, including race, gender, and class.
Brittany Slatton uses a mixed-methods approach of interviews, survey responses, and data analysis on American Black women to understand the particular difficulties they faced during the pandemic. The study’s findings are (1) there is a prevalent depressive state among respondents and steep rates of psychological distress observed; (2) job loss, concerns about job stability, and caregiving responsibilities exacerbated financial concerns and elevated stress as Black women experienced significant levels of job instability during the pandemic; and (3) the pandemic emphasized the potential for resilience and self-care amidst adversity amongst Black women.
Based on these findings, Slatton suggests policy recommendations to better support Black women as the US continues to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Implementation of community-based mental health initiatives to help to better support Black women.
- Universal child and elder care programs to alleviate some of the employment-related challenges Black women face.
- Resilience Funds to help foster the well-being of Black women.
Collectively, these multidimensional policy changes at the national and local levels can mitigate these challenges and improve the lives of Black women.