New Research Highlights Personal Stories, Disparate Impact Of COVID-19 On Black Baton Rouge Residents

BATON ROUGE, La., Sept. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Louisiana State University’s (LSU) Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs has teamed up with former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s E Pluribus Unum organization on new research that studies the lived experience of COVID-19’s Black residents and essential workers throughout the Baton Rouge metro area. Existing data demonstrates that COVID-19 impacts Black Americans at higher rates than other racial groups, but the narratives and lived experiences of Black individuals navigating society, particularly as essential workers amid COVID-19, are often absent from conversations.

Lead investigator David Stamps, Ph.D., an assistant professor in strategic communication at the Manship School of Mass Communication and a Reilly Center Research Affiliate, took a deeper look at the personal stories surrounding Baton Rouge’s communities of color during the COVID-19 epidemic. “The data is clear—Black Louisianians are seeing a disparate impact from the coronavirus pandemic,” Stamps said. “But we hope this research will allow policymakers to better understand and engage with how communities, particularly Black essential workers, are navigating COVID-19 and tailor resources to address their needs.”

E Pluribus Unum founder and president Mitch Landrieu said, “We are pleased to present this narrative-forward study with LSU. It is clear we are divided by design, and these findings underscore how this COVID-19 crisis has impacted Black communities, particularly in Louisiana. Part of our work includes changing narratives so we can create a more just, inclusive and equitable South. Lifting up the stories of these residents, many of them essential workers, is a critical part of that work.”

View the full report, and view the executive summary and topline.

About LSU’s Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs
The LSU Manship School of Mass Communication’s Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs is partnership-driven, action-oriented and dedicated to exploring contemporary issues at the intersection of mass communication and public life. Its interdisciplinary approach draws together experts from diverse fields to advance research and dialogue. The intent is to inspire our communities to think deeply, take action, develop solutions and broaden knowledge.To learn more, visit www.lsu.edu/reillycenter.

About E Pluribus Unum
Founded by former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu in 2018, E Pluribus Unum (EPU) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to build a more just, equitable, and inclusive South, uprooting the barriers that have long divided the region by race and class. Incubated at Emerson Collective, EPU is focused on changing the divisive narratives that perpetuate systemic and interpersonal racism, cultivating and empowering courageous leaders who are advancing racial equity, and championing transformative policy change.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-research-highlights-personal-stories-disparate-impact-of-covid-19-on-black-baton-rouge-residents-301132354.html

SOURCE Berni Consulting