In the 1960s, chemical plants arrived in force to Reserve, Louisiana, drastically reshaping the region and transforming the town's racial makeup. For generations, Black residents living near chemical plants due to redlining have been dying of cancer at such high rates that the area is known as "cancer alley." Now, St. John the Baptist Parish, which encompasses Reserve, has one of the highest COVID-19 deaths rates in the country. And the people there now say they're experiencing another wave of the virus.

In pandemic stories, you'll read phrases like, "COVID-19, which disproportionally impacts communities of color, .... " But this tragic fact deserves far more than a clause. Numbers coming out of St. John the Baptist Parish represent real people.

This fall, a diverse team of USA TODAY journalists took a closer look at how communities of color across the country are vulnerable to COVID-19. Each of the five in-depth stories in our Deadly Discrimination series breaks down how systemic racism leads to more COVID-19 cases, more hospitalizations, and more deaths in communities of color. The stories feature Black, Latino, Asian, and Native American communities in California, New Mexico, New Jersey, and Louisiana.

Our journalists' reporting takes a historical view and uncovers the health impacts of racist laws and policies. We found that different communities of color face different problems, ranging from pollution to crowded housing to extreme lack of health care.

On this episode, USA TODAY national correspondents Alan Gomez and Rick Jervis join host Claire Thornton to discuss why chemical plants were first built in St. John the Baptist Parish, how they affect the area's Black community, and why lawmakers and officials have dragged their feet when it comes to regulating chloroprene, the chemical emitted into the air in Reserve, Louisiana.

Click here to read all five in-depth stories profiling communities of color. You'll find videos and graphics, as well as tool where you can search health outcomes in your own county.