Note from the Editor

To our Readers: I write this as the world is in lock-down as a result of the COVID19 pandemic. During this extraordinary period in modern history, the government, public health and health care professionals, the media, and finally the public have witnessed on a large scale in the United States the sequelae of the health inequities we cover in every issue. In this case, we see especially clearly how much the health and socioeconomic inequities that have plagued African American, Latino, and American Indian populations for generations lead in an unbroken line to catastrophic morbidity and to death for people in these groups at rates that far outstrip those of their non-Hispanic White counterparts. The lead Commentary in this issue (by Dr. Ronald L. Braithwaite and Dr. Rueben C. Warren) directly addresses this concern. We begin with this short note simply because the ongoing crisis has overwhelmed the country and the world. We commend to you all of the articles in this issue, as they address with a longer view many of the wide-ranging facts underlying health inequities, as well as possible solutions.

Wishing you and all of your loved ones well-being,