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Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7766-9875 = Tomeka Robinson

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4916-3364 = Sabrina Singh

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the realities of systemic health inequities within the United States. While the virus has severely impacted the entire country, people of color bear the brunt of this pandemic, from surges of COVID-19 cases in their communities to spikes in unemployment rates. Simultaneously, citizens are dealing with the impacts of natural disasters such as hurricanes along the Gulf Coast. The common denominator concerning these two stressors is that they can be exacerbated by institutional racism. This can be seen in the case of a small city in Southwest Louisiana, namely, Lake Charles, which has become a prime site of compound risks as COVID-19, natural disasters, and institutional racism converge in one location. While the state of Louisiana did not create COVID-19 or hurricanes, it did help to create the structural conditions within the state that allowed these risks to disproportionately impact marginalized communities. In this paper, critical race theory is used in conjunction with a counter narratives framework to analyze interviews with Lake Charles residents to prioritize the voices of those directly affected by the convergence of risks.

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