A planning committee will organize a public workshop to examine the impact of COVID-19 on Black communities. This workshop, the first workshop of a series, will examine elements of SARS-CoV-2's pathophysiology in humans. We will explore why Black people are more likely to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, and why once infected, Black people are more likely to die from COVID-19. Strategies will be developed for fully investing in the human capital that is available in Black communities to train doctors, engineers, and scientists who will be well-positioned to provide rapid and effective responses to subsequent waves of COVID-19 and other medical crises. Partnerships which are required to build community response and community resilience will be explored. More detailed explorations will take place in subsequent workshops, which will be submitted separately for consideration by GBEC. A rapporteur-authored proceedings in brief will be issued following the workshop.