EVERS ANNOUNCED HE WAS DECLARING
ANOTHER EMERGENCY HEALTH ORDER
AND EXTENDING THE MASK MANDATE
FOR 60 DAYS, WHICH TAKES IT INTO
MARCH.
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, COMMUNITIES
OF COLOR HAVE EXPERIENCED A
HIGHER BURDEN OF COVID-19 CASES,
HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS.
IN WISCONSIN, ONE CITY SAW THE
WARNING SIGNS EARLY AND
MOBILIZED TO ADDRESS THESE
INEQUITIES.
MARISA WOJCIK BRINGS US THIS
REPORT FROM MILWAUKEE.
>> YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT FROM
THIS.
WE ARE NOT.
>> COVID-19 IN ONE WAY OR
ANOTHER HAS TOUCHED ALL OF OUR
LIVES.
BUT WISCONSIN COMMUNITIES OF
COLOR HAVE SEEN A
DISPROPORTIONATELY LARGER IMPACT
FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
>> I I THINK THERE WAS A
RECOGNITION EARLY ON THAT PUBLIC
HEALTH INFORMATION, ACTUALLY
CRITICAL PUBLIC HEALTH
INFORMATION, WASN'T GETTING OUT
TO COMMUNITIES COLOR AS
RAPIDLIMENT
>> THE ALARM OF THIS SOUNDED
EARLY IN MILWAUKEE.
>> THE FOCUS WAS ON ADDRESSING
THOSE DISPARITIES THAT OFTEN IN
THOSE COMMUNITIES AND THEN HOW
THE MESSAGING WAS SENT TO ONE
PERSON IS GOING TO AFFECT HOW
IT'S SENT TO ANOTHER PERSON.
WE WERE MAKING SURE THAT THE
MESSAGING THAT WAS GOING OUT HAD
VERY SPECIFIC AIMS AT WHO IT WAS
TARGETED TOWARDS.
>> CENTERED AROUND A GRANT, IT
TURNED INTO A COLLABORATION
BETWEEN THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE
HEALTH DEPARTMENT, MEDICAL
COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN AND OFFICE
ON AFRICAN-AMERICAN AFFAIRS.
IT BECAME THE CREATIVE HEALTH
COLLECTIVE.
>> THE FIRST TIER WAS TO QUICKLY
ADAPT COMMUNICATION THAT HAD
ALREADY BEEN DEVELOPED BY THE
CDC, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
AND THE STATE OF WISCONSIN FOR
POOR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR WITHIN
THE STATE, OR WITHIN MILWAUKEE,
SOUTHEAST ASIAN,
AFRICAN-AMERICAN, LATINO AND
NATIVE AMERICAN.
>> THERE WAS A RECOGNITION THAT
MOST PUBLIC HEALTH MESSAGING IS
GENERALLY GEARED TOWARD A WHITE
AUDIENCE AND IT MATTERS NOT ONLY
WHAT THE MESSAGE IS, BUT WHO IT
COMES FROM.
>> IT MATTERS BECAUSE PEOPLE
TRUST WHO THEY TRUST.
AND YOU CAN'T FAKE THAT.
>> TO GAIN THAT TRUST, THE
COLLECTIVE TOOK THEIR WORK TWO
LAYERS DEEPER, ONE LAYER BEING
HIRING LOCAL ARTISTS AND
INFLUENCERS TO CREATE MEDIA FOR
THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.
>> THIS IS REPRESENTED THROUGH
THE CHOICE OF SYMBOLISM,
IMAGERY, THE TRADITIONAL
PRACTICES THAT PEOPLE WOULD
RECOGNIZE BUT THAT WOULD ALSO
INVOKE A SENSE OF CULTURAL
PRIDE.
>> THE FINAL LAYER OF GAINING
TRUST WAS HIRING COMMUNITY
HEALTH WORKERS, PEOPLE WHO
ALREADY KNEW THEIR COMMUNITY AND
COULD NOT ONLY DIRECTLY DELIVER
PUBLIC HEALTH MESSAGING, BUT
COULD DELIVER MASKS, HAND
SANITIZER, FOOD AND DIAPERS
DURING THE CRISIS.
>> WE'VE HAD SITUATIONS COME UP
WITH FOLKS WHO WERE UNDOCUMENTED
OR HAVE A COMPLEX SITUATION
DON'T WANT TO COME TO THE CITY
FOR HELP AND THAT HOUSEHOLD
MIGHT BE COVID POSITIVE AND
REALLY NEED THE HELP.
FRANKLY, NEED GROCERIES TO BE
ABLE TO SHELTER IN PLACE.
AND THEY WOULD TRUST A COMMUNITY
HEALTH WORKER TO PROVIDE THAT.
>> THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS
BROUGHT FORWARD THE REALITY OF
WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO FAMILIES
ON THE GROUND, MANY FORCED TO
CHOOSE BETWEEN HEALTH AND PAYING
THE BILLS.
>> THE COMPANY, SOMETIMES THEY
ARE DOING DON'T COME BACK.
PEOPLE ARE SCARED.
>> WHEN PEOPLE ARE SCARED OF
LOSING THEIR HOUSING, WORK TAKES
PRIORITY.
IF EMPLOYERS AREN'T ENFORCING
HEALTH GUIDELINES, COVID HAS A
BETTER CHANCE OF SPREADINGMENT
WHEN ONE FAMILY HAS MANY PEOPLE
LIVING IN ONE HOUSEHOLD, IF ONE
PERSON CATCHES COVID, EVERYONE
DOES.
PUBLIC HEALTH KNOWS HOW HOUSING,
FOOD INSECURITY, EVEN RACISM
IMPACTS A PERSON'S HEALTH.
>> THE NUMBERS HAVE TOLD THE
STORY OF THE IMPACT RACISM IS
HAVING THROUGH THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC.
>> OFFICIALS ARE HELPING THE
LESSONS CAN BE USED FOR THE NEXT
PHASE, TRUSTING THE COVID-19
VACCINE.
>> IT IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT
FROM ALL OF THE DIFFERENT GROUPS
BECAUSE AFRICAN-AMERICANS IS
DIFFERENT FROM AMERICAN INDIANS.
SO WE ALL HAVE OUR INDIVIDUAL
NUANCES IN THE HEALTH FIELD.
>> COMMUNICATION IS GOING TO BE
IMPORTANT AROUND VACCINE
HESITANCY.
THESE ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS
THAT COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS OR
OTHER HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ARE
GOING TO HAVE WITH COMMUNITY
MEMBERS ARE GOING TO BE ONE OF
THE MOST EFFECTIVE TOOLS WE HAVE
IN ADDRESSING THAT.
>> DESPITE EXISTING GRASP,
THERE'S OPTIMISM IN THE
APPROACHES TAKEN BY THE
COLLECTIVE.
>> IN THIS PROJECT, IT'S A
PROJECT OF HOPE.
AND TO BE PART OF A PROJECT OF
HOPE THAT IMPACTS HUMAN BEINGS
ACROSS ALL ETHNIC GROUPS, IT IS
LIKE -- IT'S AMAZING.
>> FOR "HERE AND NOW," I'M
MARISA WOJCIK REPOR