Read 

Diversity and Democracy

“The Coronavirus Doesn’t Discriminate, But U.S. Health Care Showing Familiar Biases” by Blake Farmer, NPR

Marginalized communities in the U.S. are having a harder time getting access to medical equipment, testing, and treatment for COVID-19 despite being more susceptible to the disease outbreak in the first place.

 

Slavery and Its Aftermath

“Why the coronavirus will expand America’s racial wealth gap” by Chauncey Alcorn, CNN 

Economic disparities between racial groups in America will likely intensify due to higher levels of unemployment, medical debt, and income loss that are being experienced by African American communities in the face of the coronavirus outbreak.

 

Water, Equity and Security

“Google Data Centers’ Secret Cost: Billions of Gallons of Water” by Nikitha Sattiraju, Bloomberg Green

Data centers across the U.S. use billions of gallons of water every year for cooling purposes. As tech companies continue to expand, data centers are expected to have an increasing toll on water supplies despite their efforts to operate more sustainably.



The Future of Work

“When The ‘Hustle’ Isn’t Enough” by Isabella Rosario, NPR

The idea of having a side hustle has become increasingly popular in today’s world. This article traces the history of the side hustle in America and why “hustle culture” has become so attractive to modern workers.

 

 

Watch 

The Future of Work

“She’s an Honors Student, And Homeless. Will the Virtual Classroom Reach Her?” by Kassie Bracken and Yousur Al-Hlou, The New York Times (2020)

As more jobs and classrooms transition online, those without access are getting left behind, including both parents and children in need. 

Watch on The New York Times

 

Listen 

Diversity and Democracy

“Who Counts in 2020?” by Karen Grigsby Bates, Code Switch (2020)

While the U.S. census is used to inform important government policies at the national and state level, not everyone is willing to fill one out. Fears about a lack of confidentiality and historic misuse of census data by the U.S. government continues to keep many minority communities from sharing their information.

Listen on NPR, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify