; Whereas because of racial and ethnic disparities, people of color are more likely to have preexisting, preventable, and chronic conditions, which lead to higher COVID–19 morbidity and mortality rates; Whereas people of color are overrepresented in the number of people in the United States living under poor air quality conditions, which can increase the likelihood of COVID– 19 morbidity and mortality; Whereas the COVID–19 pandemic has worsened barriers for Black, Latino, and Native-American households that suffer from disproportionately higher rates of food insecurity; Whereas Black and Latino workers make up a disproportionate number of frontline workers, are less likely to receive paid sick leave or have the ability to work from home, and have been excluded from many forms of relief readily available to other groups; Whereas people of color are disproportionately impacted by the criminal justice and immigration enforcement systems and face a higher risk of contracting COVID–19 within prison populations and detention centers due to the over-incarceration of people of color; Whereas during the COVID–19 pandemic, an increased use of anti-Asian rhetoric has resulted in Asian Americans being harassed, assaulted, and scapegoated for the pandemic; Whereas communities of color continue to bear the burdens of inequitable social, economic, and criminal justice policies, practices, and investments that cause deep disparities, hurt, harm, danger, and mistrust; Whereas over 40 percent of Latinos report being discriminated against or harassed because of their race; Whereas approximately 24 percent of the Latino population in the United States identifies as Afro-Latino and is thus potentially subject to both race and national origin discrimination; Whereas a public health issue is defined as meeting the following 4 criteria— (1) the condition affects many people, is seen as a threat to the public, and is continuing to increase; (2) the condition is distributed unfairly