♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> Crossley: WELCOME TO "BASIC BLACK".

SOME OF YOU ARE JOINING US ON OUR BROADCAST AND OTHERS OF YOU ARE JOINING US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.

I AM CALLIE CROSSLEY, HOST OF "UNDER THE RADAR", 89.7.

TONIGHT, VACCINE EQUITY.

WE, LIKE YOU, ARE DEALING WITH THE EFFECTS OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC AND ARE TAKING PRECAUTIONS.

WE ARE WORKING WITH LIMITED STAFF AND OUR GUESTS ARE JOINING US REMOTELY.

IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A SMOOTH OPERATION, BUT THE MASSACHUSETTS VACCINE ROLLOUT HAS BEEN UNDERMINED BY PROBLEMS WITH THE CONFUSING WEBSITE AS WELL AS SHORT SUPPLIES OF THE MEDICINE.

LEFT IN THE LURCH, COMMUNITIES OF COLOR WHO HAVE SUFFERED THE HIGHEST RATES OF COVID INFECTION AND DEATH BUT MAKE UP THE LOWEST NUMBERS OF THOSE VACCINATED.

BLACK AND LATINO STATE LAW MAKERS ARE PROPOSING SPECIFIC CORRECTIVE STEPS IN A PROPOSED BILL.

IS THIS THE KEY TO REMOVING THE OBSTACLES TO VACCINE EQUITY AND ACCESS?

JOINING US STATE SENATOR SONIA CHANG-DIAZ OF THE SECOND SUFFOLK DISTRICT WHICH INCLUDES SECTIONS OF DORCHESTER, JAMAICA PLAIN, HYDE PARK, MATTAPAN, MISSION HILL, ROSLINDALE, ROXBURY AND THE SOUTH END.

DR. CHARLES ANDERSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE DEMOCRAT MICK CENTER IN ROXBURY, REPRESENTATIVE LIZ MIRANDA STATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR SUFFOLK COUNT'S FIFTH DISTRICT, HER DISTRICT COMPRISES PARTS OF ROXBURY AND THE DORCHESTER NEIGHBORHOODS OF BOSTON.

AND ATYIA MARTIN MEMBER OF THE BLACK BOSTON COVID COALITION, AND FOUNDER OF ALL SAYS -- ALL ACES INCORPORATED WELCOME WITH TO ALL OF YOU.

I THINK WHEN PEOPLE HEAR VACCINES INEQUITY OR VACCINE EQUITY, THEY ARE KIND OF CONFUSED.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

SO I THOUGHT LET'S START WITH SOME NUMBERS.

65 PERCENT OF THOSE VACCINATED IN MASSACHUSETTS THUS FAR HAVE BEEN WHITE, FIVE PERCENT BLACK, FOUR PERCENT LATINO, YOU SAY, STATE SENATOR SONIA CHANG-DIAZ THAT THIS IS A CLASSIC CASE OF STRUCTURAL RACISM.

AND THAT YOU CAN SEE IT COMING EARLY ON BECAUSE OF THE ABSENCE OF THINGS.

EXPLAIN.

>> YEAH, CALLIE I AM SO GLAD YOU STARTED WITH NUMBERS, BECAUSE THAT IS ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, MYSELF AND MIRANDA IN THE BILL WE FILED, THE VACCINE EQUITY ACT AND ALSO THE VACCINE EQUITY NOW COALITION, OF WHICH DR. MARTIN IS A MEMBER, HAD TO PUSH FOR IT IS CLARITY ABOUT THE BENCHMARKS AGAINST WHICH WE ARE GOING TO MEASURE OURSELVES AS A STATE AND HOW WE ARE GOING TO DEFINE SUCCESS, YESTERDAY AT THE OVERSIGHT HEARING IN THE LEGISLATURE, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD SOME, LOOK, A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION KIND OF NUMBERS ABOUT HOW MASSACHUSETTS IS DOING BETTER THAN OTHER STATES RESPECT TO VACCINATING OUR BLACK AND LATINO POPULATIONS, BUT IT REMINDED ME A LOT OF THE ARGUMENTS WE USED TO HEAR ABOUT CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM, AND THE ARGUMENT AGAINST DOING AWAY WITH MASS INCARCERATION WHEN PEOPLE USED TO SAY WE DON'T NEED TO DO THAT BECAUSE MASSACHUSETTS IS BETTER THAN EVERY OTHER STATE BUT OF COURSE BEING BETTER THAN AWFUL IS STILL BAD.

AND SO IF WE HAVE TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT BENCHMARK AND WHAT I AM SAYING IS WE NEED BENCHMARK TO OURSELVES WHERE THE INFECTION RATES ARE THE HIGHEST IN MASSACHUSETTS.

I THIS THINK IS A INTUITIVE MEASURE FOR PEOPLE THAT WHERE FOLKS ARE -- WHERE THE MOST PEOPLE ARE GETTING SICK IS WHERE WE SHOULD BE PUTTING MORE OF OUR EFFORT FOR VACCINATION.

>> SO REPRESENTATIVE LIZ MIRANDA -- SOME PEOPLE WOULD LISTEN TO THIS AND SAY I HEARING YOU BUT IF WE HAVE ALL BOATS RISE THEN EVERYBODY GETS TAKEN CARE OF, BECAUSE THAT'S THE REASON TO HAVE THE MASS VACCINATION SITES, THE ONES IN GILLETTE AND SOUTH BOSTON, BECAUSE THEN MORE PEOPLE CAN GET IN AND YOU KNOW THAT WOULD MEAN THAT OF COURSE FOLKS OF COLOR WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THAT, BECAUSE WE ARE -- WE ARE RAISING UP ALL OF THE BOATS.

NOW WHY ISN'T THAT WORKING?

>> IT IS NOT WORKING BECAUSE WE HAVE A CAN COUNTRY AND COMMONWEALTH ROOTED IN STRUCTURALLY RACIST EXPERIENCES THAT HAVE LEFT OUR COMMUNITIES DEEPLY SEGREGATED WITHOUT THE ACCESS TO THE HEALTHCARE THAT THEY NEED.

LIVING IN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE ENVIRONMENTALLY POLLUTED.

LOOK, I REPRESENT THE GENEVA CORRIDOR HERE, ONE OF THE POOR NEST THE COMMONWEALTH AND ALSO THE MOST MINORITY IN THE COMMONWEALTH.

HAVE YOU EVER TRIED TO GET EVEN FENWAY PARK?

MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY OVER 56 PERCENT OF MY COMMUNITY IS FOREIGN BORN HAVE NEVER EVEN BEEN TO GILLETTE OR TO FENWAY PARK.

TRANSPORTATION IS AN ISSUE AND WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE -- AND, YOU KNOW, IT IS HARD TO THINK IT IS ALMOST A YEAR AND A COUPLE OF, IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS WE WILL BE A YEAR AWAY FROM WHEN WE FIRST REALLY HEARD ABOUT COVID-19.

NOW WE WERE MONTHS SHY FROM WHEN WE WANTED OUR THEN PRESIDENT TRUMP, I AM SO GLAD HE IS NOT IN OFFICE, FROM REALLY RECOGNIZING WE WERE IN A PANDEMIC, PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS, THEY HAVE LOST HOUSING, PEOPLE HAVE LOST LOVED ONES AND TO THINK THAT THEY ARE GOING TO GO TO A MASS VACCINATION SITE AND LOG ON TO A WEBSITE WHERE THERE IS SO MUCH DIGITAL ILLITERACY IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND TO THINK THAT NO LANGUAGES THAT REPRESENT MY COMMUNITY, THERE IS NO -- CREOLE, DESPITE THERE WAS NO IT HAVE NAAH KNOWS SO PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY FORCED TO THINK ABOUT, IF YOU WANT TO GET VACCINATED YOU ACTUALLY HAD TO GO TO THE OTHER STEP AND THE THAT DIDN'T WORK FOR US SOB I HEAR PEOPLE SAYING WE HEAR YOU NOW BUT THIS IS A LIFE-OR-DEATH ISSUE, WE KNEW WHO GOT SICK, WE KNEW WHICH COMMUNITIES WERE DEEPLY IMPACTED, AND TO ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF THE SENATOR, ALTHOUGH WE FAILED TO GET THE BEST DATA, DATA AND DASHBOARDS ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHO AND HOW WE CAN HELP, AND SO THAT IS A MAJOR PART OF THE BILL THAT WE FILED, AND I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE NOT HAD TO FILE A BILL BUT I AM REALLY PROUD WE DID TO PUSH THE GOVERNOR AND THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH TO DO BETTER FOR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.

ONCE WE TAKE CARE OF THE VULNERABLE AND MOST MARGINALIZED WE DO LIFT EVERYONE UP, THAT'S THE BOAT WE NEED TO BE ROWING IN CALLIE CROSSLEY ATYIA MARTIN YOU SAY IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO PIVOT BUT THE BEGINNING OF THAT HAS TO BE THAT THE GOVERNOR NEEDS TO ADMIT FRANKLY THERE HAS BEEN A MISTAKE.

ONE OF THE CORE PIECES OF THE BILL THAT SENATOR CHANG-DIAZ HAS PROPOSED AND REPRESENTATIVE LIZ MIRANDA COSPONSORED THERE BE ONE PERSON FOCUSED ON EQUITY SOLELY.

WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?

>> THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE FROM AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS PERSPECTIVE WHEN YOU HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT PIECES YOU NEED SOMEONE WHO IS KIND OF COORDINATING ACROSS EVERYONE.

MAKING SURE THAT SOMEONE HAS 30,000-FOOT VIEW AND CAN SEE SOME THINGS ARE PLAYING OUT IN REAL-TIME, AND SO FROM AN EQUITY PERSPECTIVE, THAT PERSON NEEDS TO ALSO HAVE AN EQUITY LENS WHERE THEY ARE LOOKING AT THOSE BASELINE NUMBERS FOR WHERE THE DISPROPORTIONATE PART OF CASES ARE IN OUR BLACK AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND PEOPLE OF COLOR AND LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES SO BY FOCUSING ON THOSE AREAS OF HAVING SOMEONE WHO IS BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT THAT, WE ARE ABLE TO HAVE BETTER IMPACT, AND TO SENATOR SONIA CHANG-DIAZ'S POINT AROUND THE DATA, THE BASELINE, IT IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE HOW WOULD WE KNOW WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS TOWARD EQUITY IF WE ARE NOT MEASURING IT?

SO SWRG SOMEONE BE ABLE TO FOCUS ON THOSE THINGS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

JUST TWO MORE QUICK POINTS, ONE IS THE RISING TIDE ANALOGY THAT PEOPLE LIKE TO USE IS PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT EQUITY HAS NEVER HAPPENED BY ACCIDENT.

IT HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN OUR HISTORY BY ACCIDENT, SO FOR US, WITHOUT THE INTENTIONALITY WE WILL END UP RIGHT BACK WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW AND SO THAT IS WHY I WAS SAYING THE POSSIBILITIES THAT WE STILL HAVE THE POSSIBILITY OF POSITIVITY IN THAT THE DATA, THE REASON THE DATA IS SO IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE THE INEQUITIES THAT WE ARE SEEING IN OUR COMMUNITIES GET LOST IN IN THE AVERAGES.

SO ONCE YOU START TO AVERAGE EVERYTHING YOU MISS THE DETAILS OF WHERE THOSE HOTSPOTS ARE HOTSPOTS ARE, EVEN WITHIN WEALTHY NEIGHBORS WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE OF LOW INCOME AND COLOR IN THOSE POCKETS THAT ARE GETTING OVERLOOKED BECAUSE OF OUR AGGREGATION DATA CALLIE CROSSLEY SO DR. CHARLES ANDERSON YOU ARE IN ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE PEOPLE AND YOU ARE HEADING AN INSTITUTION WHERE PEOPLE FEEL THEY CAN TRUST, THEY COME THERE REGULARLY, THE DIMOCK CENTER IS A COMMUNITY LOCATION THAT HAS BEEN THERE 150 YEARS SO PEOPLE KNOW IT AND FEEL THEY CAN TRUST.

BUT EVEN WITHIN YOUR OWN WALLS YOU HAVE HAD TO TELL THE STORY, WHICH YOU SAY IS VERY IMPORTANT IT BE DONE, WHY THIS VACCINE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THERE IS SOME HESITANCY ON COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND BY THE WAY JUSTIFIABLE, WE TALKED ABOUT IT ON THIS SHOW ABOUT WHERE THAT COMES FROM, THE HISTORY OF THAT, BUT AS YOU SAID, IT IS INCUMBENT UPON THE MATERIALS, THE SUPPORT, THE PROGRAMS, EVERYBODY TO TELL THE STORY AND MAKE IT CLEAR TO PEOPLE WHY THEY SHOULD WANT TO TAKE THE VACCINE.

BUT THAT HASN'T HAPPENED IN THE WAY IT SHOULD YET, EVEN DESPITE EFFORTS LIKE YOURS AT THE DIMOCK CENTER.

>> AGREED.

I THINK WHAT IS ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT POINT FOR ME IS THAT BEFORE YOU GET TO HESITANCY, IT IS REALLY ABOUT TRUST, IT IS REALLY ABOUT CONFIDENCE, SO THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT IT HERE IS HOW DO WE ACTUALLY BUILD VACCINE CONFIDENCE?

AND WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO BE WHERE WE ARE AND HAVE THIS SORT OF TRUSTED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT HAS ALLOWED US TO TAKE THAT TRUST AND 7 THAT INTO CONVERSATIONS THAT ENGAGE PEOPLE EXACTLY WHERE THEY ARE.

AND I THINK THAT IS THE IMPORTANT THING.

YOU KNOW, WE WENT THROUGH THIS .. AND MY BACKGROUND IS ALSO I AM A PEDIATRICIAN, NEWBORN INTENSIVE CARE DOCTOR SO I HAVE LIVED THROUGH THESE ERAS OF VACCINE LACK OF CONFIDENCE, SO TO SPEAK, AND WHAT WE FOUND FROM THOSE EXPERIENCES, JUST HAMMERING PEOPLE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE VACCINE DOESN'T NECESSARILY GET YOU THERE.

YOU HAVE TO MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE AND ALLOW THEM TO TELL THEIR STORIES AN HOW THEY GAIN CONFIDENCE IN THIS VACCINE, AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE AND I THINK THAT IS GOING TO BE A CRITICAL PART AND TO YOUR POINT, THERE HASN'T BEEN A REAL COORDINATED EFFORT TO DO THAT ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH, WE ARE TRYING TO DO OUR PART RIGHT HERE IN THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE.

>> DR. ANDERSON, YOU ALSO GOT YOUR MASTERS OF HEALTH IN JON JOHNS HOPKINS AND THAT HAS BEEN THE CENTER NATIONALLY FOR ALL OF THE INFORMATION, THE DATA ABOUT HOW COVID IS MOVING IN COMMUNITIES WHEREIN TECH SHUNS ARE HIGHEST OR LOWEST, AND I IMAGINE THEY ARE ENGAGED IN THE SAME KIND OF DATA COLLECTION WITH REGARD TO THE VACCINE.

SO YOU KNOW FULL WELL HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE THIS DATA COLLECTION THAT EVERYBODY ELSE ON THIS PANEL HAS SAID IS NECESSARY.

I WOULD LIKE YOU TO SPEAK TO THAT AND WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT WOULD MAKE IF THERE WERE A DASHBOARD, IF THERE WERE THE KIND OF DATA COLLECTION, PARTICULARLY AROUND RACE AND ETHNICITY IN PLACE.

>> WELL, AGAIN, MY BACKGROUND IS SUCH THAT WHATEVER YOU DON'T MEASURE YOU CAN'T AFFECT, AGAIN, NEWBORN INTENSIVE CARE IT IS ABOUT GIVE ME BLOOD GAS AND I CAN MAKE THIS CHANGE.

WITHIN A COMPANY, SHOW ME WHAT IS GOING ON, IF I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO INFORMATION, I CAN'T MAKE THE CHANGE.

SO IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO THE WORK WE ARE TRYING TO DO WITHOUT GOOD DASHBOARDS.

HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY MAKE COURSE DIRECTIONS WITH SOMETHING YOU ARE DOING FOR THE FIRST TIME WITHOUT DASHBOARDS AND WITHOUT GAUGES TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND HOW YOU ARE DEALING WITH IT?

IT REALLY IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO IT.

SO IT IS CRITICAL AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE DOING HERE RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE WE ARE ACTUALLY FOCUSING PRIMARILY ON OUR EXISTING POPULATION OF PATIENTS THAT WE SERVE WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY LEVERAGING OUR DATABASE TO KNOW ARE WE REACHING EVERYONE WHO IS IN THESE VARIOUS PRIORITY GROUPS?

WHO ARE WE MISSING AND WHAT CAN WE DO MORE EFFECTIVELY TO REACH THIS?

>> THIS?

CALLIE CROSSLEY SO MORE NUMBER, THE ROXBURY BAY CENTER, REGGIE LEWIS CENTER OPENED UP TO OFFER VACCINES INITIALLY.

THERE WAS A FLOOD OF PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE CITY WHO WERE MOSTLY WHITE, BUT NOW THAT CHANGED ACCORDING TO THE LATEST STATISTICS THERE HAVE BEEN 4,000 VACCINATIONS GIVEN AND OF THE 4,045 PERCENT OF THOSE PEOPLE WERE PEOPLE OF COLOR, ACCORDING TO THE STATS THAT THEY GATHER AND 55 PERCENT WERE BOSTON RESIDENTS, MOST OF THEM FROM ROXBURY.

SO SENATOR CHANG IS THAT, CHANG-DIAZ?

WHERE DOES THAT PUT US ON MOVING TOWARD THE EXTHAT YOU THINK YOUR BILL COULD ACTUALLY EXPEDITE?

>> AGAIN, A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND I THINK IT SHOWS WHAT IS BOBBLE HERE, I THINK WHAT A LOT OF TIMES, WHEN A LOT, A LOT OF TIMES WHEN PEOPLE HEAR FRUSTRATIONS ABOUT EQUITY THEIR EYES GLAZE OPEN AND HOW 400 YEARS OF STRUCTURAL RACISM AND DREAM ON, BUT ACTUALLY, THE DIAL REALLY DOES MOVE, RIGHT?

THE SYSTEM DOES RESPOND TO EFFORT AND SO I THINK ADJUST IN THE SPACE OF A COUPLE OF WEEKS WE HAVE SEEN AS PEOPLE, AS FOLKS IN CHARGE OF THIS EFFORT HAVE BECOME MORE LASER FOCUSED ON, YOU KNOW, DRIVING ATTENTION, DRIVING RESOURCES AND DRIVING RESULTS IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, AND WE ARE SEEING THOSE NUMBERS GO UP SO IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE IF WE STARTED THIS IN SEPTEMBER WITH THAT TRUST BUILDING THAT DR. ANDERSON TALKED ABOUT, AND I WANTED TO RETURN TO SOMETHING YOU SAID EARLIER, CALLIE, ABOUT THE RISING TIDE LIFTING ALL BOATS, ANOTHER WAY, ANOTHER ANALOGY THAT FOLKS USE I THINK TO DESCRIBE, YOU KNOW, ARGUE THAT THE CURRENT SYSTEM IS FAIR IS TO SORT OF THINK ABOUT THE CURRENT SYSTEM AS A LOTTERY AND WE ARE JUST, LOOK, THE DOSES ARE OUT THERE, THEY ARE AVAILABLE, AND SOME OF EVERYBODY IS GOING TO GET, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THAT DOOR TO GET THOSE FIRST DOSES.

BUT REALLY, WHAT WE NEED TO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT IS IT IS NOT A LOTTERY SO MUCH AS A RAFFLE AND THAT EACH ADVANTAGE THAT DIFFERENT POPULATIONS HAVE GET THEM STATICS INTO THAT RAFFLE DRAFL DRAWING SO IF YOU HAVE A LIFE EXPECTANCY OVER 75 TO BEGIN WITH YOU GET AN EXTRA TICKET, RIGHT?

IF YOU HAVE A RELIABLE INTERNET CONNECTION, CONNECTION, EXTRA TICKET, IF YOU HAVE LOTS OF SURPLUS HOURS IN YOUR DAY TO SPEND ON THE -- ON THE WEBSITE, JUST CLICKING THROUGH AND CLICKING THROUGH AND HOPING TO WAIT TO SEE IF YOU GET AN APPOINTMENT, THAT IS FIVE, SEVEN, SIXES TICKET, IF YOU HAVE A CAR, A DRIVER'S LICENSE YOU CAN HAVE SOMEBODY WHO CAN AFFORD TO TAKE TIME OFF WORK TO GET YOUR SHOT THOSE ARE ALL EXTRA TICKETS AND THAT REALLY ADDS UP, SO ARE THOSE NUMBERS AT THE REGGIE IMPROVEMENT ABSOLUTELY AND WE NEED KEEP DRIVING THAT DIAL, YOU DIAL FURTHER BECAUSE WE SHOULD NOT BE SATISFIED WITH 45 OR 55 PERCENT WHEN THIS IS THE SITE, YOU KNOW, THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE HEART OF THE BLACK AND LATINX COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, WE STILL AREN'T SEEING THAT REALITY SHOW UP IN THE NUMBERS.

I THINK WE CAN GET THERE WITH APPLIED EFFORT.

AND THEN THE LAST THING I WOULD SAY BACK TO THE ANALOGY ABOUT THE RISING TIDE, IT WORKS BOTH WAYS, RIGHT?

LIKE IF WE REALLY DRIVE ALL OF THESE RESOURCES AND FOCUS INTO THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN HARDEST HIT BY COVID AND WE DO RIGHT BY THOSE COMMUNITIES, THAT IS GOING TO RISE OUR TIED FOR THE WHOLE TIDE FOR THE WHOLE STATE BECAUSE BLACK, LATINO, IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN AT -- THOSE ARE OUR FRONTLINE WORKFORCE AND THE PEOPLE TAKING CARE OF OUR CHILDREN, OUR ELDERS, YOU KNOW, OUR NURSING STAFF IN THE WORKFORCE IN THE HOSPITALS, THE WHOLE STATE NEEDS COMMUNITIES LIKE CHELSEA AND EAST BOSTON AND DORCHESTER AND MATTAPAN TO DO WELL.

>> AND IN FACT -- >> CAN I JUMP IN?

>> YES.

GO AHEAD.

>> WE WERE GOING TO COME RIGHT TO YOU.

>> I WANTED TO GET IN ON THAT NUMBER PIECE, BECAUSE THE EXAMPLE THAT WAS GIVEN IS ACTUALLY BECAUSE OF A COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BLACK BOSTON COVID 19 COALITION AND CIC HEALTHCARE, THE VENDOR, THE CONTRACTOR THAT THE CITY -- I MEAN THAT THE STATE HAS FUNDED IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DO THE VACCINATIONS AT THAT SITE.

AND IN OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BLACK BOSTON COVID COALITION ALSO INCLUDES THE CITY.

>> MEANING THE REGGIE LEWIS CENTER?

>> YES.

>> Rooney: GO AHEAD.

>> SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY IN ORDER TO GET ALL OF THE FOLKS FROM OUR COMMUNITIES REGISTERED, SO WE HAVE A PLACE WHERE FOLKS CAN GO ON TO OUR WEBSITE, BLACK BOSTON COALITION.ORG, SIGN UP, AND BEYOND THIS WEEK, WHICH WE HAVE A SPECIAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT TOMORROW AND SUNDAY, WHERE FOLKS HAVE REGISTERED OVER 800 PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GET VACCINATED JUST THIS WEEKEND, BEYOND THAT WILL ALSO BE CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY IN GETTING REGISTERED.

>> REGISTERED.

CALLIE CROSSLEY I WANTED TO PICK UP FROM SENATOR CHANG-DIAZ'S POINT ABOUT ALL BOATS RISING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, MEANING THAT OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE ALSO PUT IN A BETTER POSITION IF THERE IS TARGETED, MATERIALS TARGETED, EFFORTS TOWARDS COMMUNITIES WITH THE HIGHEST RISK OF INFECTION AND DEATH.

AND YOU HAVE SAID THAT POOR WHITES ARE LEFT OUT THE SAME WAY, THAT THE KINDS OF NEEDS THAT ARE BEING EXPRESSED BY COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, WHO HAVE BEEN MARGINALIZED IN THIS, POOR WHITE SOX HAVE -- POOR WHITES HAVE TOO.

>> YES.

IT IS THIS IDEA DA OH, I AM SORRY, I THOUGHT YOU WERE ASKING ME CALLIE CROSSLEY YES.

>> SO, YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE THAT WE ARE MISSING HERE IS THAT WHEN YOU FOCUS ON PRIORITY POPULATIONS, PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY MARGINALIZED IN SOCIETY UNDERESTIMATED IN SOCIETY, YOU DESIGN DIFFERENTLY, YOU DESIGN IN WAYS THAT HELP TO MEET THOSE -- THE RANGE OF NEEDS, WHETHER IT IS LANGUAGE ACCESS, WHETHER IT IS TRANSPORTATION SUPPORT, WHETHER IT IS MOBILE VACCINATION SO PEOPLE WHO ARE -- WHO CAN'T GET TO THESE SITES CAN GET ACCESS, SO THE WHOLE RANGE OF WAYS THAT WE CUSTOMIZE OUR APPROACHES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF VARIOUS COMMUNITIES AND THAT INCLUDES POOR PEOPLE, WHICH INCLUDES WHITE PEOPLE CALLIE CROSSLEY OKAY.

>> SO THE MARGINALIZATION OF PEOPLE HAPPENS WHEN WE TRY TO CREATE POLICIES AN SYSTEMS THAT ARE ONE SIZE FITS ALL SOLUTIONS.

THERE IS NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL SOLUTION.

SO IN ABSENCE OF OUR INTENTIONALITY, WE END UPPER PET 88 INEQUITIES ACROSS THE WHOLE SPECTRUM OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY MARGINALIZED IN OUR SOCIETY.

CALLIE CROSSLEY REPRESENTATIVE MIRANDA, ONE OF THE PIECES THAT YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO PUSH FORWARD IS A MOBILE VACCINATION, SO IT CAN GET RIGHT TO PEOPLE, SPEAKING OF WHERE THEY LIVE AND I SHOULD MENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT IS PERSONAL FOR YOU TOO.

YOU HAVE LOST FAMILY MEMBERS BECAUSE OF THIS HORRIBLE PANDEMIC, SO IT IS NOT -- YOU KNOW, YOU REPRESENTING PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING MARGE LOVED FOR THIS VERY IMPORTANT MEDICINE BUT THIS HAS MEANING FOR YOU DOUBLY.

>> THANK YOU FOR HONORING THAT.

I LOST MY BELOVED GRANDMOTHER IN APRIL OF LAST YEAR WHEN 20, OVER 20 MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY GOT COVID EARLY ON.

SHE HAD A BUNCH OF FALSE NEGATIVES AND IN FIVE DAYS WENT FROM A HEALTHY 84-YEAR-OLD AND BEING GONE AND, YOU KNOW, I SAW MY COMMUNITY IT SEEMED LIKE ALMOST EVERY DAY ON FACEBOOK THEY WOULD HEAR OF PEOPLE'S GRANDMOTHERS AND GRANDFATHERS AND A DEMOGRAPHIC WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT WHERE BLACK MEN AND WOMEN IN THEIR 40S AND FIFTIES, WE SAW, I SAW MANY FAMILIES LOSING PEOPLE SUDDENLY THAT THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WERE SICK AND LET ME JUST MAKE IT CLEAR ON A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT.

DIFFERENTLY ABLE PEOPLE ARE ALSO MARGINALIZED.

THIS IS A COMMUNITY -- THIS IS WHY MOBILE VACCINATIONS ALSO REALLY MATTER, NOT EVERYONE IN OUR SOCIETY CAN ACTUALLY GET OUT OF THEIR HOME OR IN THE CONGREGATE CARE THAT THEY ARE IN.

I WORK A LOT IN THE DOC SYSTEM AND WE HAVE A SITUATION WHERE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, MANY OF THEM OF COLOR ARE IN OUR PRISONS AND THEY ARE NOT GETTING -- THEY DIDN'T GET THE COVID VACCINE THEY NEED QUICKLY YOU HAVE THE CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS THAT ONLY VACCINATED THEMSELVES AT THE RATE OF 50 PERCENT AND THEY ARE GOING BACK TO THEIR TEAMS AND GOING BACK INTO OUR PRISONS AND IMPACTING AND INFECTING OUR LOVED ONES.

WE HAVE A DIFFERENT REALITY TO THE POINT THAT EVERYONE HAS SHARED TODAY THAT WHEN YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT FAIRNESS THIS HAS NEVER BEEN FAIR FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CHALLENGED BY OUR PUBLIC HEALTH OUTCOMES THAT HAVE BEEN DETERMINED BY POLICIES THAT HAVE BEEN ROOTED DEEPLY IN RACISM AND ONE OF THE PIECES OF THE BILL THAT I THINK HAS BEEN LOST A LITTLE BIT IS THE REASON WHY SOME THINGS LIKE THE BLACK BOSTON COVID COALITION WORKS IS WE KNOW OUR COMMUNITY.

WE ARE WORTHY AND BRILLIANT AND WE HAVE ALL OF THE PROVIDERS HERE.

WE KNOW WHAT TO DO IN ROXBURY AND DORCHESTER.

A WEEK AGO OR TWO WEEKS AGO I FOUND OUT ABOUT A SITE IN MY COMMUNITY, IN THE GENEVA CORRIDOR THAT WAS ONLY OPEN TO BETH ISRAEL PATIENTS AT A CHURCH THAT ISN'T REALLY UTILIZED IN MY COMMUNITY, AND THAT IS ONE OF THE POOREST CORRIDORS AND TO THINK THAT MY NEIGHBORS OR MY CONSTITUENTS COULDN'T WALK TO THAT FACILITY TO GET A VACCINATION BECAUSE IT WAS ONLY SET ASIDE FOR A CERTAIN NUMBER OF PATIENTS WAS DEEPLY DISTURBING AND I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T EVEN GET A CALL, IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE THIS ERASURE OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT -- AND WE CAN'T BE FORGIVING, YOU KNOW, WHEN SENATOR SONIA SAYS IT IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, THIS IS A MOMENT OF CLARITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SAY, WE DIDN'T DO THIS RIGHT AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, AND BE ABLE TO PIVOT, BUT IF YOU DO NOT PIVOT ROOTED IN TRUST AND TRUTH, YOU ARE ACTUALLY DENYING THE FACT THAT YOU ACTUALLY DID SOMETHING WRONG.

AND AS A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL, I WILL BE THE FIRST TO TELL YOU THAT WE MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHEN WE DON'T DO THE RIGHT THINGS RIGHT.

AND I AM HOPING THAT WE, YOU KNOW --, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR BILL HAS BEEN IMPLEPPED ALREADY AND I AM HAPPY TO SAY THAT HAS HAPPENED BUT THAT HAS BEEN AT THE ERASURE OF THE FOUR WOMEN WHO ACTUALLY TOOK THE STEPS TO WRITE THIS EQUITY BILL IN THE FIRST PLACE AND I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ALSO REPRESENTATIVE DOM AND SENATOR RAUSCH FOR BEING OUR PARTNERS IN THIS BECAUSE WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER ALL ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS VACCINE EQUITY, NOT VACCINE EQUALITY.

AND THAT IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF EQUITY ACTUALLY INVESTS IN THOSE THAT NEED IT THE MOST.

CALLIE CROSSLEY SO DR. ANDERSON I WANT YOU TO PICKET UP A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SAID.

I DO WANT YOU TO ADDRESS THE IMPORTANCE THAT MOBILE VACCINATION, MOBILE BUSES OFFERING THE VACCINATION COULD MEAN FOR A LOT OF THESE COMMUNITIES AND COULD HELP TO BRING UP THE EQUITY AS HAS BEEN EXPRESSED.

BUT I ALSO WANT TO GO BACK TO SOMETHING THAT REPRESENTATIVE MIRANDA HAS SAID AN THOSE PEOPLE IN THEIR 40S GETTING THE DISEASE AND DYING BECAUSE YOU ARE QUITE CONCERNED THAT A NUMBER OF PEOPLE, MANY, MANY FOLKS OF COLOR ARE PUTTING OFF HEALTHCARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS PANDEMIC, WHICH MAKES THEM DOUBLY VULNERABLE TO THIS PANDEMIC, BECAUSE WE ARE ALREADY AT ONE LEVEL AND THEN PUTTING OFF THE CARE AND NOW CONCERNED ABOUT THE VACCINE.

I MEAN WE ARE JUST -- THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PLACE FOR SO MANY FOLKS OF COLOR.

PLEASE EXPLAIN.

>> NO, NO.

I AM GLAD YOU ASKED.

IT IS SO ORBIT TO REMEMBER WE ARE DEEP IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS PANDEMIC AND APPROPRIATELY THAT IS WHERE WE ARE DEVOTING MOST OF OUR RESOURCES AND ENERGY, INCLUDING ON OUR NINE-ACRE CAMPUS HERE.

THAT'S WHERE OUR PRIMARY FOCUS IS.

THE REALITY, THOUGH, IF I DON'T YOU LOOK AT THE STUDIES, IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT ROUGHLY A THIRD OF INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC ILLNESSES HAVE DELAYED SOME ELEMENT OF THEIR CARE DURING THIS TIME PERIOD.

MOST OF THOSE ARE INDIVIDUALS WITH COMPLEX MEDICAL CONDITIONS.

WE ARE SEEING IT IN SOME OF THE INDICATORS WHEN WE START LOOK AT THEM HEMOGLOBIN MANAGEMENT, BY DELAYING ALL OF THOSE THINGS DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, WE KNOW THAT COMING OUT OF THIS WE ARE GOING ACTUALLY SEE A SIGNIFICANT NEED, INCREASED NEED FOR THE TYPE OF RESOURCES THAT WE WERE ALREADY STRUGGLING WITH TO SECURE TO PROVIDE THE CARE THAT WE ARE TRYING TO PROVIDE IN A COMMUNITY THAT HAS BEEN SO SIGNIFICANTLY DISADVANTAGED.

SO UNDERSTANDING THAT, I AM VERY, VERY CONCERNED AND PASSIONATE ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T TAKE OUR EYE OFF OF WHAT THE TITANIC WHICH WAS THE WATER THAT YOU COULDN'T SEE BY JUST FOCUSING ON THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.

NOW, WITH THAT SAID LET ME LINK THAT TO MOBILE AND THE IDEA THAT AS A REMINDER THIS IS NOT ANYTHING NEW, I THINK MANY OF US ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE FAMILY VENUE AND I STILL REMEMBER WITH DR. NANCY ORIOLE AND MY GOOD FRIEND DORSEY MUST HAVE GOT THAT STARTED A COUPLE OF DECADES AGO AND THIS BASIC PREMISE IF YOU BRING SERVICES TO SOMEONE'S DOOR, YOU MAKE IT NOT ONLY ACCESSIBLE, BUT YOU MAKE IT APPROACHABLE, RIGHT?

AND WE HAVE ALL SEEN, YOU HAVE AN AMAZING HOSPITAL IN THE MIDDLE OF A COMMUNITY AND HAVE THAT COMMUNITY HAVE SOME OF THE WORST HEALTH OUTCOMES.

SO THERE IS SOMETHING TO THIS IDEA OF HAVING PEOPLE ON A MOBILE UNIT WHO LOOK LIKE THE PEOPLE THAT THEY ARE SERVING KNOCKING ON PEOPLE'S DOORS, ENGAGED IN CONVERSATION IN A SAFE SPACE, THIS WHOLE IDEA OF I AM COMING TO YOUR HOUSE AS OPPOSED TO HAVING YOU HAVE TO COME TO MY OWN CALLIE CROSSLEY THAT'S A GREAT PLACE FOR US TO LEAVE IT RIGHT NOW AND CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION ON THE OTHER SIDE.

BUT RIGHT NOW, THAT IS THE END OF OUR BROADCAST AND THE END OF OUR SHOW.

THANKS TO ALL OF MY GUESTS AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND STAY WITH US AS WE CONTINUE OUR CONVERSATION ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.

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