While today’s wave of protests focuses on the role of police in our society, we cannot ignore another big looming crisis for black lives: the destruction of the public sector.

GDP shrank by a whopping 32.9 percent in the second quarter. The economic crisis induced by the pandemic is leading to massive austerity across the country. Without federal fiscal aid, state and local governments are projected to make cuts resulting in 5.3 million workers losing their jobs before the end of 2021.

Given the crucial role the public sector has played for the advancement of black workers, this situation could spell a disaster for black life. Twenty percent of black workers are employed in the public sector, which means they are disproportionately more likely to be found in public employment. With around a third of the public sector unionized, these jobs are more likely to offer stability, a living wage, and strong benefits. On the whole, black workers in the public sector make almost 25 percent more in wages than their counterparts in the private sector.