We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.
Until We Do It operates under the belief that we can’t wait for someone else to step up and help those who are suffering in the shadows. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we’re delivering protective supplies to populations most at-risk for Covid-19. We partner with local organizations with proven legacies of serving these groups to assess the needs of their clients, and then leverage our networks to collect the funds, supplies and resources required to respond to the challenge.
THE FACTS
“In Chicago, African Americans are 30 percent of the population but 69 percent of coronavirus deaths”
— abcNews
“Unemployment, food insecurity and unstable or substandard housing conditions may further perpetuate disparities in health outcomes for people infected by the coronavirus, most specifically among low-income communities of color”
— Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Rep. Robin Kelly , Sen. Cory Booker, and Sen. Kamala Harris in a letter to Health and Human Services
“Latinos made up 34% of deaths in New York City, despite being 29% of the population”
— Governor Cuomo, abcNews
“In Wyoming, American Indian patients so far make up a staggering 22.3 percent of confirmed COVID-19 cases but represent 2.7 percent of the state’s total population”
— Wyoming Department of Health, Star Tribune
our focus
BLACK + BROWN COMMUNITIES
“People of color are more likely to work in low-wage jobs that cannot be done remotely and to have fewer financial resources to draw on in the event of health problems or economic disruption.”
—Congressional Letter to HHS
Covid-19 is infecting black and brown communities at alarming rates. In data compiled from 35 states and the District of Columbia, the APM Research Lab found that Black Americans are dying at 2.7 times the rate for Whites. In DC, Michigan, and South Carolina, the gap between Blacks’ population share and percentage of deaths is more than 30 points. In Chicago, African Americans are 30 percent of the population but 69 percent of coronavirus deaths; and in Louisiana, African Americans are 32 percent of the population but 70 percent of coronavirus deaths.
NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITIES
“Native communities are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19 due to inequality in accessing quality healthcare. The federal government spends $2,834 per person on health care in Indian Country, while it spends $9,404 per person on veterans health and $12,744 per person on Medicare, according to the most recent data.”
—NPR.ORG
Native communities have higher incidences of pre-existing conditions that are co-morbidities for Covid-19; according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Native Americans experience diabetes three times more than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States, and have the highest rates of asthma. The health authority for the Navajo Nation which includes areas of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico, reported 1,197 positive coronavirus cases and 44 deaths. If it were a state, it would rank third in the country for confirmed cases per 100,000 population, behind only New York and New Jersey.
RURAL COMMUNITIES
“This public-health crisis has really illuminated inherent structural inequities in health infrastructure. I’m most afraid that my Black Belt communities started on unequal footing and will just get left behind.”
—Rep. Terri Sewell, AL
Rural Americans already face a dire challenge of inequity in access to resources. Rural residents die at higher rates from heart disease, cancer, and stroke than those in cities, and black people in rural areas die at especially high rates. In Sumter, a county in Alabama’s Black Belt, only 375 people total have been tested for the virus by early May, 87 of whom tested positive -- an 23% positive test rate on par with other hotspot areas like New York City and Chicago.
working families
the elderly
the homeless
OUR story
As data emerged about the disparate impact of Covid-19 on black and brown people, each founding member of Until We Do It began to reach out to our network to understand how we could help. We soon connected the dots about our common passion and decided to join forces: Ari and Kene met on a leadership trip, Kene and Kethlyn are sisters-in-law, and Kethlyn and Kristen are close friends from Spelman. After struggling to find initiatives focused on getting personal protective equipment to at-risk populations, we started Until We Do It to meet the needs emerging from the communities we love.
Ari Afsar
Ari is an activist/artist. She is the composer of Jeannette, about the first woman elected into Congress. American Idol Alum, former Miss CA, and original Eliza in Hamilton Chicago, Afsar is an advocate for the ACLU, Women’s March and USOW (where she opened for Michelle Obama).
Kene Anoliefo
Kene is an entrepreneur based in Los Angeles. She has over a decade of experience working as a product leader in entertainment and technology at Spotify, Netflix and Google. She received her BA from Yale University and her MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Kristen Gillis
Kristen is a Montgomery, Alabama native and an Associate Attorney at Means Gillis Law, P.C. in Montgomery, Alabama. Kristen received her Bachelor’s degree from Spelman College and her Juris Doctorate from Thomas Goode Jones School of Law .
Kethlyn White
Kethlyn is a global business design and strategy professional. As a graduate of Spelman College and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, she continues to ensure her work and philanthropy is rooted in the continued support and betterment of her community.