As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, health disparities continue to be revealed and exacerbated.
The disproportionate impact is especially prevalent within Native American communities, where the infection rate is 3.5 times higher compared to White populations, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Dr. Cheryl Crazy Bull, president and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, emphasized that Native communities are “impacted by death and the lack of access to health resources at this time.”
“I know lots of people who have died and I know a lot of people outside of our communities, they don’t necessarily experience that,” she added. “It is kind of abstract to them, but for us it is not. I think we have to be trauma informed. I think that is true of other communities of color and rural communities as well.”
To support tribal communities, AT&T donated $1.5 million worth of supplies such as hand sanitizer, gloves and disinfectant to the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) and American Indian College Fund.
“We are glad to play our part to help provide the critical resources Native communities need to survive the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Teresa Mask, a spokesperson at AT&T. “As tribal communities continue to face rising Covid-19 infection rates, it’s important they have the pandemic-related supplies they need to stay safe, such as gloves, disinfectant and hand sanitizers. There is still much more work to be done to ensure Native American communities have access to the resources needed to get through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.”
The organizations announced plans to allocate the supplies to more than 20 tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) across the United States.
