Hey y’all! I know it’s been awhile since I’ve last posted and I apologize for that! I have so much to talk about and to be honest, I had a hard time coming up with my next topic coming off of BHM. I wanted to briefly talk about the COVID-19 vaccines and the Black Community. Most likely I know I’ll be preaching to the choir, but I want to talk about it anyway. I get it. Look I’m a GenZ, X or whatever they call it. I was the first generation in my family to be raised completely integrated and to be born at a hospital. My view on things can sometimes lean in different directions HOWEVER because of my background and how I was raised I completely understand the mistrust black folk have with doctors and the government. Let’s keep this real. Our government is no angel, and there really are no words to describe what they’ve done to the Japanese, Native Americans and ESPECIALLY black people! So I get it. There is no trust. We’ve been burned way too many times. Henrietta Lacks. The Tuskegee Experiment. I get it. I admit that sometimes I find myself thinking the same way. And I know it didn’t help that they had black people as the first people to get the vaccine. “Why they got us up there first? What’s up with that?” Cause guess what? I said the same thing! Basically, we didn’t fall for the “okie doke” inititally. It took pastors, black doctors, nurses and the like to convince us that it was safe. And I’m pretty sure there are still some out there that still aren’t convinced. But what if? What if we as a community, as a people, can get past this. Oh, I know I already got all kinds of side eyes going on. Hear me out. Now no way am I saying forget. We should never forget because that is how we prevent repeating history. I’m saying let’s work together and get more Dr. Kissmekia Corbetts in the game. Let’s donate to our HBCUs and put STEM Academies in our communities so we can bridge this gap. Let’s start well before PreK putting books in our kids hands, summer camps, math camps, implementing the arts. The whole nine. That’s what it’s going to take. I’m telling you from my perspective mistrust has protected us but it sometimes hurts us and instead of having that attitude, let’s move forward and put more of “us” in there so we can progress as a people (yes, I know you can’t always trust “us” either). And who knows? This next generation may just do that!
By the way, I’ll be getting my vaccine in the next few days and by no means am I advocating one over the other. This blog was really to address mistrust. As always, we have to do what’s best for us and our families. Praying God’s protection over all of you as we continue to navigate through this virus. Until next time…
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