One thing the pandemic has shown is that minorities are at a greater risk of contracting COVID-19, whether that’s because of crowded housing, having essential jobs, education disparities and even discrimination, according to the CDC.
But here in the District, there's a local group that wants to make sure Black people are not forgotten. The Black Coalition against COVID-19 is made up of about 17 pastors, doctors, and community leaders, who are dedicated to making sure the Black community is safe and educated on the virus.
7News Anchor Robert Burton spoke with Co-founder and Former Commissioner of Public Health for The District of Columbia Reed Tuckson. He says an even bigger issue is mistrust in the vaccine.
Watch the interview below:
“What we do is take the past and use it as a gun to shoot ourselves. The Tuskegee study perhaps being the best example. Here’s a situation where black men with a disease were denied access to the drugs that would’ve saved them. In our legitimate outrage for that many people, today use their upset and outrage to deny themselves the very drugs that could save them.”
They have virtual Town Halls with community leaders and they also have resources for you to check out so you can stay educated.