From Columbus Business First, Women of Influence is an interview series showcasing some of the most powerful women in the Central Ohio business community. Hosted by Eleanor Kennedy, Assistant Managing Editor.
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episode 11: Crisis Management: YWCA's Christie Angel on how coronavirus is highlighting racial disparity
It didn't take the coronavirus pandemic for Christie Angel to become aware of racial disparities in public health.
Angel and her team at YWCA Columbus were already studying the ways that racism is considered a public health crisis in itself. So the racial disparities playing out in the coronavirus pandemic – which looks to be "infecting and killing black people in the United States at disproportionately high rates," according to The New York Times – don't surprise her.
“This … is no different than what we saw with the AIDS pandemic, or what we’ve seen when we look at infant mortality," said Angel, a former Columbus City Hall staffer who now serves as CEO of YWCA Columbus.
That's why Angel is using this time to think about how the country can invest in its public health system in order to better serve communities of color, and in turn increase equity.
“This has put a bright light on public health services overall, and our need to make significant investments in public health," Angel said.
Check out the latest episode of our Crisis Management podcast to hear more of Angel's thoughts on that topic. She also talked about how the YWCA is pivoting in order to stay financially viable during this challenging time for nonprofits, including by moving its signature Women of Achievement event to the virtual world.
One note: our conversation with Angel took place last week, so a few things have changed. Most notably, you'll hear her say that the YWCA had submitted an application for a Paycheck Protection Program loan but was awaiting approval. The organization has since gotten that approval, but declined to disclose the size of the loan.