As coronavirus spreads in Minnesota, it exposes racial inequalities

At first glance, the numbers in Minnesota’s cases don’t appear out of proportion. But officials say the actual numbers of victims in the state’s minority communities are likely higher.

When on his evening walk Minneapolis City Council Member Jeremiah Ellison got the call confirming his beloved grandmother had died from coronavirus, all he could do was sit on a park bench and weep.

He had recently returned from attending her funeral in Detroit. Knowing that “even at 82” his “Nana” — an independent, hilarious, gardening-loving, “work until I drop dead” kind of woman — died from COVID-19 angered him.

He thought about how her death and the lives of other people of color nationwide struck down in the pandemic underscored deeply entrenched racial health and economic gaps. Continue reading.