MPR News with Angela Davis

How can we ensure an inclusive and equitable economic recovery?

President Joe Biden talks to owners of a small business.
President Joe Biden visits Smith Flooring, a small minority-owned business, to promote his American Rescue Plan in Chester, Pa., on March 16. With Biden are business owners Kristin Smith, center, and James Smith, left.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds |AFP via Getty Images

The economy is rebounding faster than many economists expected, thanks largely to the increasingly successful rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.

Add in the $1.9 trillion stimulus package passed this month and the fact that many Americans saved money during the pandemic, and some economists are predicting a boom. 

But unless there is a focus on equity, it could be a boom that leaves many people farther behind.

Before COVID-19, Black and Latino workers were already more likely to be unemployed and earn less than white workers. The pandemic brought devastating job losses in leisure, hospitality and food service, sectors that hit Black workers and their families especially hard. 

MPR News guest host Chris Farrell talks with two Minnesota leaders about what it will take to ensure an inclusive recovery. 

Guests:

  • Louis King is the president and chief executive officer of Summit Academy OIC.  

  • Tawanna Black is the founder and chief executive officer of the Center for Economic Inclusion.

Use the audio player above to listen to the program.

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