Though you would hardly know it by looking at him, Van Jones apparently has high cholesterol, prediabetes, and hypertension — an admission he made in an insightful piece for CNN on the disparate racial impact of the novel coronavirus. Jones notes that the reasons for coronavirus’s unequal racial effect are complex, ranging from the physically laborious jobs black Americans disproportionately take on to food deserts and cultural habits.

Jones’s proposed solution is bifurcated, noting that both individuals and government action must change.