Beth Chandler
President and CEO of YW Boston
Beth Chandler joined YW Boston in November 2012, with more than 20 years of experience in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors. In August 2018, she was appointed President & CEO. Her breadth of work experience encompasses program development, delivery and evaluation, business development, and operations.
Prior to working at YW Boston, Beth served as vice president at the Achievement Network, a national non-profit dedicated to helping urban public and charter schools close the achievement gap. Beth also held positions at Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation, the largest funding source for civil legal aid programs in the Commonwealth and Neighborworks America, one of the country’s preeminent leaders in affordable housing and community development. Beth also worked as a corporate banking associate with Bank of America in corporate banking and began her career as a research and evaluation analyst with the Urban Institute.
Currently, Beth serves on the MA Conference United Church of Christ Board of Directors, the Women’s Workforce Advisory Council and the Leadership Circle of Hope Central Church. A former professional basketball player, Beth received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Discussion Content
COVID-19 may not discriminate based on race — but U.S. health care does
PBS Newshour
Brief Intro:
The current COVID-19 pandemic has elucidated the inequities in United States institutions. Front line workers, many of whom are women and women of color, are not receiving the physical protection or economic support they need, and people of color are being infected and dying at higher rates.
We must resist the notions that the pandemic is an equalizing force and that we are all sharing the same experience in response to the pandemic. Some people can work and shop from home, but others cannot. Many residents of Massachusetts are at risk of food, money, and healthcare shortages. Some workers, who were once referred to as “unskilled laborers” and already financially vulnerable, are now considered essential, unable to work from home, and receiving the least support. We are not all in the same boat. We may be navigating the same rough waters, but some folks are on a lifeboat while others are on a yacht.
I am hopeful, though, that through creating community and supporting one another, we can create more equitable outcomes and address threats to equity.
Beth’s Discussion Questions (PDF for Print)
- What surprises you about this report?
- Had you considered how a health crisis would disproportionately affect communities of color? If so, what prompted you? If not, why do you think that is?
- What changes would you like to see to help eliminate racial health disparities in the future?
- What can we do, as individuals or as a group, to help vulnerable communities that are disproportionately harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic?
- What can we do to help frontline workers such as Dr. Uché Blackstock?