Health and wealth equity didn’t exist in the U.S. before COVID-19, and the pandemic only exacerbated racial, ethnic, gender and geographic disparities. To address these issues and provide a platform for collaborative work toward solutions, NCRC members and partners in North Carolina held a 3-day special online event Oct. 13-15, 2020: Invest in Health and Wealth: Stabilizing Underserved Communities While Fighting a Pandemic.
The event brought together community leaders, financial institutions, health care leaders, advocacy groups and public officials to discuss ways to invest in health, wealth and housing in underserved communities across North Carolina.
“We are no longer able to pretend that inequality is about how much stuff you have. In America, it’s about life and death. We don’t need to get back to normal after coronavirus. We need to leap forward to something much better,” Jesse Van Tol, CEO of NCRC, said at the event.
The program, which included a mix of keynote presentations, panel discussions and small breakout discussions among participants, featured keynote addresses from Dr. John Lumpkin, President of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation; Bill Bynum, CEO of Hope; and Pamela Wideman, Director of Charlotte’s Housing & Neighborhood Services Department.
Here are some highlights from the event:
I deeply believe that we should demand that Congress fix the unequal and unfair system of voting in this country. We should pass a permanent voting rights act….from this effort, many fair and just laws and regulations will be borne. – John Taylor #JustEconomy #InvestNC
— NCRC (@NCRC) October 15, 2020
We are no longer able to pretend that inequality is about how much stuff you have. In America, it’s about life and death. – @jessevantol #JustEconomy #InvestNC
— NCRC (@NCRC) October 14, 2020
Bill Bynum: organizing is one of the most important things we can do to protect Black and brown communities. #justeconomy
— Jesse Van Tol (@jessevantol) October 14, 2020
Hearing top thinking from @NCRC @ReinvestPartner @BCBSNCFound on the intersection of health and wealth this morning. “Invest in #Health & #Wealth: Stabilizing Underserved Communities While Fighting a #Pandemic” #JustEconomy
#sdoh #NorthCarolina #COVID19 https://t.co/38TwTsPvvv— Adam Rust (@AdamRust9) October 13, 2020
160 years later we are fighting some of the same battles we were before the civil war.- @HopeCUbill @HOPE_Policy
#JustEconomy #InvestNC— NCRC (@NCRC) October 14, 2020
We can not ignore the connection between health outcomes and zip codes. #InvestNC #JustEconomy
— NCRC (@NCRC) October 13, 2020
Things don’t happen without organizing and advocacy. – @HopeCUbill @HOPE_Policy #JustEconomy #InvestNC
— NCRC (@NCRC) October 14, 2020
Banks have consistently closed the door on Black applicants and Black communities. –@HopeCUbill #JustEconomy #InvestNC pic.twitter.com/Ie0w6MsMyZ
— NCRC (@NCRC) October 14, 2020
Addressing non-clinical drivers of health results in better outcomes, lower health care costs and improve the health and wellbeing of members AND communities. #investNC #JustEconomy pic.twitter.com/QNR1RhniZi
— NCRC (@NCRC) October 13, 2020
We won’t be able to build ourselves out of it. We also need to preserve affordable housing. – Pamela Wideman @CLTgov #InvestNC #JustEconomy
— NCRC (@NCRC) October 15, 2020
Alyssa Wiltse is NCRC’s media manager.
