| Name | Eric |
|---|---|
| Last Name | Atkins |
| Home Address | P.O. Box 5441 Chattanooga, Tennessee 37406 United States |
| Organization Name | Unity Group of Chattanooga |
| Describe Your Role In The Organization | In my current capacity I serve as Co-Chair and day to day manager of communications and operational control. |
| Organization Address | P.O. Box 1554 Chattanooga, Tennessee 37406 United States |
| Website | |
| Best Phone Number To Reach You | 4233208598 |
| Alternate Phone Number | |
| Email Address | Unitygroupchatt02@gmail.com |
| Alternate Email Address | eatkins04@gmail.com |
| Please Describe Your Project In Detail | "A Just and Equitable Response to COVID-19. " The Unity Group will continue the work we began in 2020, and strongly advocate for a just and equitable response to COVID-19. In 2021, municipalities lifted COVID-19 protocols that served as mitigation strategies that served to greatly reduce the spread of COVID-19. This included free and accessible testing; a universal mask requirement; stay at home orders; remote schooling; PPE and safety equipment for essential workers; paid COVID leave for essential workers; accessible vaccinations and strategies to mitigate vaccine hesitancy; hazard pay for essential workers; a plan for safe workplaces during the pandemic; rent, utility payment and tax moratoriums; Opportunity Zone funds and other protections. The Unity Group will continue to be a voice for marginalized communities and essential workers who are demanding fair health and safety standards. |
| Please explain how your project meets the requirements of the American Rescue Plan | We believe our education and advocacy has helped to be a voice for the African-American, poor and disadvantaged communities in dealing with this pandemic. We believe our project fits under the following ARP funding guidelines: (1) Support public health expenditures, for example, funding COVID-19 mitigation efforts, medical expenses; (2) Address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency, including economic harms to workers, households, small businesses, impacted industries, and the public sector; (3) Mental health services and substance use disorder services, including for individuals experiencing trauma exacerbated by the pandemic. Since the pandemic began more than two years ago, we have had to dispel misinformation which has been constant because of the evolving nature of the science and data accompanied with the newest strain of COVID-19. We have been concerned with viewing the pandemic through a cultural lens and identifying what are the problems as they are classified in accordance with the social vulnerability index. We have also understood why there is vaccine hesitancy in our communities, and these reasons include the experimentation that was done on slaves, particularly women, the false dogma professed by eugenicists, experiments like Tuskegee and those done on inmates, and other variables. You must also consider the broad inequities healthcare that already existed. African-Americans and minorities already suffered from ailments such as hypertension and diabetes at higher rates than other communities. Likewise, when you factor into account that many of these communities are built on toxic areas where there are brownfields, landfills, and factories that put chemicals and pollutants in the air, ground and water drinking areas. This caused increased levels of lead to be found in those residents, and many suffered from health ailments such as asthma, sickle cell, and lupus. There has been some disruption in the cognitive development of young people as well due to the environmental factors. In lieu of all the mounting evidence and data, the State and county government made a determination to reopen the society last year, despite the stern objections from many in the medical profession, including the 5000 ProtectMyCare doctors from across the State because it was not safe enough to do so. When teachers urged for a mask requirement and the option to go to remote learning, again the state and county officials balked. When workers at the chicken house, the CARTA workers, the nurses who had no ppe, and in the nursing home all faced crisis, there places were not closed for deep cleansing, contract tracing was not conducted on a mass level, there was no covid sick pay, extra vacation days for childcare or hazard pay in many instances, and if it was those measures have rapidly dissipated. This State and County made the choice to reopen this society against medical advice, to do away with mask requirements and then provide the students or workers any safeguard measures. 600 new infections a day has become acceptable as the new normal. Those who die are just mounting casualties and statistics, that is if the State's medical examiner classifies you in the right category to start with. We labeled people as essential workers and not only did we not provide them the essentials to survive but treated them like they were wholly expendable, and it was and is shameful. This has prompted us to begin a campaign aimed at Mental Awareness and Wellness. The pandemic has been taxing. People have experienced an untold amount of stress and trauma. Our communities were already under stress and trauma. We suffered from Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome. We also suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder due to systems that are institutionalized, biased and in some instances racist and misogynistic. The City's last disparity report shows this in grim detail. But suicides particularly in black communities are increasing, as is depression, anxiety and other microaggressions. Our children suffered from adverse childhood experiences and need more restorative practice training and social emotional learning. Basically these funds are not a remedy but a relief. |
| Where would your project take place? | This project is already ongoing and will continue throughout the 2022 calendar year. |
| How much will your project cost in total? | 5000 |
| Do you have any matching funding sources from other local governments, private entities, non-profits, or philanthropic entities for your project? | No |
| Please describe the source and list amounts of any other funding. | |
| What portion of the project are you asking the city to fund? | |
| If funded, when would your project start? | January 31, 2022 |
| How long would your project take to complete? | Until the Pandemic subsides |
| What milestones would you use to measure your project’s progress? | When the elected officials and government entities do was in actually provide for the general welfare, begin to do for the good of the whole, make decisions based on medical data, evidence and analysis, and see that the pandemic is being addressed and mitigated in black, minority and poor communities because our people are not the expendables. |
| How would you ensure accountability and transparency throughout the project lifecycle? | Through public education, advocacy, outreach and through our range of communications to the community. |
| If successful, how would your project benefit the community? | Our project will benefit the community through public awareness, education and outreach. The real question is will the people tasked with mitigating this pandemic make decisions based on people or profits. |
| How will you attract community buy-in for your project? | We believe we have community buy-in. It was unfortunate that the taskforce charged withCOVID-19 response for African-/American and minority communities was disbanded on last year when questions and strategies over mitigation were given. It is also unfortunate that Opportunity Zone funds were not even discussed with the black community despite talking to the city managers of Red Bank, Soddy Daisy and all throughout the metro-region, but no one in the black community. We have buy-in because we have and will continue to speak towards the interest of the community. When we reopened the society, when we did away with mask requirements and worker protections, we took those we declare were essential and made them expendable and that is a shame, a travesty, and an injustice. |
| Name | Unity Group of Chattanooga Unity Group of Chattanooga |
| Contact Information | |
| Is there anything else you would like us to know about your project? | https://newschannel9.com/news/local/unity-group-of-chattanooga-criticizes-disparities-in-covid-19-response-for-local-minoritie https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2020/may/18/chattanoogas-unity-grocalls-pladdress-racial/523258/ https://www.chattanoogan.com/2021/8/11/432741/Masks-In-Schools-Should-Be-A-Required.aspx https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2021/feb/11/county-vaccine-data/541441/ https://www.chattanoogan.com/2021/2/28/424099/Shallowford-Road-Walmart-Closing-Is.aspx |