February 22, 2021 — With the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in its early stages, the possibility of an end to the global pandemic seems finally in sight. However, this positive development has not mitigated an issue that has persisted since the beginning of the pandemic — its disproportionate effect on communities of color. The challenge now is equitably distributing the vaccine and reaching out to those communities to overcome vaccine hesitancy due to historical medical malpractice.

Dean for Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Dr. Michelle Ann Williams, CEO of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Los Angeles Connie Chung Joe, and CEO of Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital Dr. Elaine Batchlor discuss the unequal impact of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic minorities in a conversation presented by Asia Society Southern California. The session was moderated by Director of Marketing for MLKCH Eileen Kwan. (58 min., 33 sec.)