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Boys and Men of Color: COVID-19 Listening 
Session 

 

Resources 

 

The past few weeks have brought significant and unprecedented 
changes to our lives and work. While everyone is impacted by the 
COVID-19 public health crisis, the impact is far greater on people 
from underserved communities, including boys and men of color. 
Prior to COVID-19, boys and men of color were already 
underserved by victim services despite experiencing higher rates 
of victimization. They also have access to fewer resources, which 
compounds the challenges they already face and the new 
challenges created by COVID-19. 

 

To ensure boys and men of color are at the center of all COVID-
19 response efforts, we sought to better understand the impact 
this health crisis is having on survivorsÕ needs and better 
resource the crime victim services field to respond to their needs. 

 


Through the boys and men of color listen session some of the 
unique challenges facing survivors from this underserved 
community surfaced. In addition, promising strategies and 
resources were shared. This document is a compilation of those 
strategies and resources. 

 

Technology 

¥ 14 Tips For Helping Students With Limited Internet 
Have Distance Learning 

¥ LAUSD to Provide Internet Connectivity for Students Who 
DonÕt Have Access 
¥ Free Resources for Schools During COVID-19 Outbreak 
¥ Transporting tech turns school buses into mobile WiFi 
hotspots, sack lunch delivery amid COVID-19 shutdowns 


Therapy 

¥ Ayana Therapy: This website matches people with therapists 
that match your experience, specifically for people of color. 


Public Benefits 

¥ Finding the Right Help During the COVID-19 (coronavirus) 
Outbreak - benefits navigator 
¥ How to get the coronavirus unemployment benefit - Charts 
benefits by states 



¥ Know Your Rights: Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the 
Workplace - The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has 
changed the work situations for millions of people 
throughout the United States. In this time of crisis, Outten & 
Golden is particularly concerned about protecting peopleÕs 
employment rights and has prepared a set of FAQs to 
explain how federal, state, and local laws can protect your 
job, your wages, and your livelihood. 
¥ One Fare Wage Emergency Fund - An emergency fund 
created to help provide cash assistance to restaurant 
workers, car service drivers, delivery workers, personal 
service workers and more who need the money they arenÕt 
getting to survive. 
¥ Erase the Red Line - ÒThe mission of #EraseTheRedline Inc. 
is to EMPOWER Veterans, Veteran's Families, Individuals 
that are the most vulnerable & dispossessed, and 
communities affected by unfair mortgage practices 
through EDUCATION and UNITY. We stand firm in 
our VALUES; no individual shall succumb to the lack of 
opportunities in their communities.Ó 
¥ Resourceconnect.com - offers a free end-to-end encrypted 
individual chat option for those in need. 



Racial Equity 

¥ Racial Equity Resources for the COVID-19 crisis - A curated 
list of racial equity and social justice resources that can help 
inform responses to COVID-19. 
¥ African American Policy Forum - hosts regular webinars on 
COVID-19 and has resources. 
¥ Racial Equity and Social Justice Resources - COVID-19 Racial 
Equity & Social Justice list includes information that we hope 
will help communities and activists as they work to 
understand and respond to the moment and for the long 
haul. Our COVID-19 Resources are arranged in categories 
such as Resources and Tools, Healing and Community Care, 
and Organizing and Solidarity. 


Strategies shared to support staffsÕ healing needs 

¥ ÒPrior to COVID19 we at our agency offer the opportunity for 
any staff member to come together daily for 20 minutes of 
meditation to help mitigate the effects of working in 
trauma.Ó 
¥ ÒWe've been trying to stay connected between staff 
members. Checking in, offering additional support, sharing 
self-care ideas, and enabling everyone to work remotely.Ó 
¥ ÒUsing virtual meeting with the young men I work with to 
talk about their knowledge of COVID-19 and how they are 



processing what is going on. Providing much time for them 
to talk to me about what is going on.Ó 
¥ ÒFor clients, we've been trying to use social media to spread 
the work that we're still offering individual services, and in 
some cases group services. We're also expanding the 
geographic area that we serve to help offer services in areas 
where crisis centers are going inactive.Ó 
¥ ÒSelf-care and mental health check ins have been key within 
our organization.Ó 
¥ ÒStaff in my program are all working from home. We are 
encouraged to contact each other regularly for support as 
well as meeting as a team once a week on a video platform. 
We are also encouraged to take breaks, walks, play with the 
children, snuggle with the pets. I have also been supplied 
with materials to make masks for my family, staff, and for 
clients in the future. Sewing is healing.Ó 


Recommended Reading 

¥ Healing Justice by Loretta Pyles 
¥ Trauma Stewardship by Laura Van Dernoot 
Lipsky and Connie Burk 
¥ Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome by Joy a Degruy 
¥ How to Be Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X Kendi 


¥ ÒStop Blaming Black People for Dying of the CoronavirusÓ by 
Dr. Ibram X Kendi in Atlantic Magazine 

¥ "White Fragility" by Robin Diangelo (recommended by 
participant)