By Derek Barnes–
One fundamental question many people are asking themselves these days is, “Have we turned the corner yet in this recovery?” I’ve asked myself the same question, but it often leads to other questions like, “Which recovery?” or “Recovery for whom?” It’s a provocative question when you think about it and one that needs further examination.
We continue to regain lost ground from some challenges of 2020 as many U.S. markets continue gaining strength, especially here in California. However, our California community can be a tale of two cities relative to some people experiencing continued success and unprecedented gains, while others have not.
There are opposing perspectives in analyzing current market conditions, and context is truly everything. Economic uncertainty and unabating health concerns keep unemployment high for women and communities of color versus speculation for a roaring comeback and pent-up consumer spending driving the demand for certain products/services way up. But both things can be true—a hot market and lots of uncertainty and suffering.
Here’s an example of this peculiar dichotomy that most of us can relate to. Wall Street is at record levels, and so is the unhoused population setting up homeless encampments on many of our city streets in the Bay Area. The evidence is all around us. So, what’s holding us back in bridging this divide after all that we learned in 2020?
A continued slowdown in administering several well-tested COVID-19 vaccines may not fully immunize us from the ongoing threat of the coronavirus and any new strain variations. More vaccines administered will inoculate us from future threats, thus minimizing the risk of losing more lives and shutting down the economy again. If we get more people vaccinated, we can get closer to business as usual and pre-pandemic interactions sooner.
“Inoculate” is a fascinating word that traces back to “oculus,” the Latin word for “eye.” To “inoculate” is to introduce an agent into a system that produces immunity through a response against a disease. Beyond the world of medicine, an “agent” can be a metaphor for many things, and so can “disease.”
More broadly put, the “agent” could be information, knowledge, activity, resources, or even philanthropy. What if the “disease” was a damaging mindset like lack of empathy, exclusion, inhumanity, racism, injustice, or a scarcity mentality? All these viral attacks impede progress in building durable markets and growing economies that work for everyone.
Let’s challenge ourselves, hold each other more accountable, and help one another find ways to inoculate the most vulnerable communities from market inequities, social injustice, and economic instability. Today, too many communities still need equitable opportunities and access to resources to build a strong foundation for future generations.
California is poised to come back stronger than ever. The Bay Area will lead the way with innovation and immeasurable opportunities for those significantly impacted by an inequitable economy—providing needed resources to thrive in a new and different world in the wake of COVID-19.
Our collective mission is to find those “agents” that prepare and inoculate against dangerous diseases of any form while ridding the body of underlying persistent symptoms: low wages, poverty, homelessness, inadequate healthcare, substandard education, and bad legislative policy.
Derek Barnes is CEO of East Bay Rental Housing Association
(www.EBRHA.com ). He currently serves on the boards of Horizons Foundation and Homebridge CA. Follow him on Twitter @DerekBarnesSF or on Instagram at DerekBarnes.SF
Published on June 10, 2021
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