The outbreak of COVID-19 reminds us that many people live paycheck-to-paycheck when they shouldn’t have to. Many part-time, hourly or contract workers - who are disproportionately Black and low-income - are meeting economic hardship as hours are cut or reduced, leading to lost wages and a juggling of whether to pay for housing, medical care, and other need-based items. The response to the coronavirus has shown how society has consistently left the most vulnerable to fend for themselves, leaving Black communities to bear the brunt. The increasing need to “self-isolate” with an equally increasing need to pay expenses is why there should be a universal, basic income. A universal, basic income would not only help plug financial holes where necessary but eliminate the nearly 80% of workers who live in economic uncertainty.