Close to 3 Million Demand Justice For Police Killing Victim Elijah McClain Whose Last Words Were ‘I Can’t Breathe’
With the onslaught of news reporting unarmed Black men being killed by police officers nationwide, there has been a renewed call to revisit the death of 23-year-old Elijah McClain of Colorado, who died after being placed in a police chokehold nearly a year ago on August 24, 2019, according to The Denver Channel.
The pressure has gained steam due to the daily protests that have been occurring worldwide since the filmed police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month.
Denver Gov. Jared Polis announced Wednesday via Twitter that he is preparing to look into what can be done by his office to respond to the death of McClain, who died following an interaction with Aurora police last year. The autopsy report stated, “The decedent was violently struggling with officers who were attempting to restrain him. Most likely the decedent’s physical exertion contributed to death. It is unclear if the officer’s action contributed as well.”
First responders had administered a dose of ketamine to calm the victim down.
“The blood ketamine concentration was at a therapeutic level,” the report stated, “but an idiosyncratic drug reaction (an unexpected reaction to a drug even at a therapeutic level) cannot be ruled out.”
McClain had vomited and suffered a heart attack on the way to the hospital and later died.
Public confidence in our law enforcement process is incredibly important now more than ever. A fair and objective process free from real or perceived bias for investigating officer-involved killings is critical. (1/2)
I am hearing from many Coloradans who have expressed concerns with the investigation of Elijah McClain’s death. As a result, I have instructed my legal council to examine what the state can do and we are assessing next steps. (2/2)
The need to take action is being spurred by an online petition on change.org to reopen the investigation into McClain’s death. The petition was approaching 3 million signatures at press time.
According to the petition:
August 24th, 2019, 23-year-old Elijah McClain was walking home after buying some tea at a local convenience store. According to Elijah’s family, Elijah, who was anemic, preferred to wear a ski mask to keep his face warm while he was walking. The Aurora Police Department received a call of a “suspicious man.” This call resulted in Elijah’s death. After the McClain family requested the bodycam footage from the officers on scene it was reported that in the footage:
He is laying on the ground vomiting, he is begging, he is saying, ‘I can’t breathe.’ One of the officers says, ‘Don’t move again. If you move again, I’m calling in a dog to bite you,'” -Mari Newman (the McClain’s lawyer)
When the paramedics arrived they administered a dose of Ketamine to the already unconscious Elijah to “sedate” him. He was pronounced dead August 27th, 2019, at only 23 years old of a heart attack. Denver 7 News stated, “…they couldn’t determine whether McClain’s death was an accident, was due to natural causes, or is a homicide related to the police department’s use of a carotid hold.” The officers on the scene were placed on temporary leave, however, they are back in the field with no charges.
Sign this petition to bring justice for Elijah. Demand these officers are taken off duty, and that a more in-depth investigation is held.
Oakland Business Group Attempting to Become NFL’s First Black-Owned Team
There has been a proposal sent to the National Football League to consider bringing a professional football team back to Oakland. If the proposal is accepted, it would put in place the first Black-owned team in the NFL, according to SFGate.
With the Oakland Raiders moving to Las Vegas, there is no longer a professional team in Oakland. The African-American Sports & Entertainment Committee, a Black business development group, is looking to bring an NFL franchise back to Oakland. Earlier this week, the group sent a letter of intent to file a formal application with the NFL.
The Raiders had moved to Los Angeles at the start of the 1982 season but moved back to Oakland in 1994 when renovations were made to the Oakland Coliseum. They are slated to play in Las Vegas this upcoming season. Their move has again left Oakland without an NFL team.
Based on a letter that was sent to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, which has been reviewed by SFGATE, the Black-owned team would plan a sports stadium complex at the site of the Oakland Coliseum. The business group will not seek out government funds and intends the development to be a “privately financed, developed, and operated endeavor.”
“It would just be such a historic opportunity, the NFL wanting to support the African American community and an opportunity for economic equity,” Oakland business owner Ray Bobbitt, who is part of the African-American Sports & Entertainment Committee, told SFGATE. “This is an opportunity for an entire community to establish an economic vehicle for itself and be self-sustaining.”
“A lot of people in that community have been impacted by the loss of two of our sports teams,” said Bobbitt, who co-owns a prominent nightlife venue in San Francisco as well as a commercial facility management and event production company in Oakland. “Our proposal is a unique one because it has an economic component and educational component and we want it to be one of the anchors for that site.”
According to the proposed plan, it will also heavily focus on community, with the intention to incorporate a Black college or university satellite program in sports and “entertainment management, sports management, and police science.” A sports and entertainment museum is also a part of the stadium plan, showcasing Oakland’s history of arts, sports, and entertainment. Bobbitt emphasized that the committee’s proposal would also be in alignment with helping the Oakland A’s stay in town.
Beyoncé Takes the ‘Black Parade Route’ as She Releases Song and Initiative to Support Black-Owned Small Businesses
Beyonce Knowles-Carter released her latest surprise single, “Black Parade” on Juneteenth last week. Along with the release of the single, she launched an initiative that supports Black-owned businesses according to CBS News.
She brought the song and the news to her Instagram account where she has more than 149 million followers. “BLACK PARADE” celebrates you, your voice, and your joy and will benefit Black-owned small businesses,” she states.
The talented artist and philanthropist has also listed a directory of Black-owned businesses that was created and curated by @ZerinaAkers with @black.owned.everything on her website. The site lists several hundred Black-owned companies.
The companies can be searched by category, including Art and Design, Beauty, Fashion, Home and Living, Lifestyle, Restaurants and Bars, Services, and Wellness and Health.
“Being Black is your activism. Black excellence is a form of protest. Black joy is your right,” the site states.
“Black Parade” benefits BeyGOOD’s Black Business Impact Fund, administered by the National Urban League, to support Black-owned small businesses in need.”
The singer has been vocal lately regarding the social injustice that has been ongoing in the country. She recently wrote a letter to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron stating that the three Louisville police officers involved in the death of Breonna Taylor “must be held accountable for their actions.”
“Dear Attorney General Cameron,” the letter on her website reads. “It has now been over three months since members of the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) killed Breonna Taylor. Plainclothes officers with a ‘no-knock’ warrant forced their way into her apartment, where she was asleep and unarmed. Moments later, the officers fired over twenty shots into Breonna Taylor’s home, striking her at least eight times.
“Three months have passed—and the LMPD’s investigations have created more questions than answers. Their incident report states that Ms. Taylor suffered no injuries—yet we know she was shot at least eight times. The LMPD officers claim they announced themselves before forcing their way into Ms. Taylor’s apartment—but her boyfriend who was with her, as well as several neighbors, all say that this is untrue.”
The Kentucky Attorney General’s office has told CNN that they are in receipt of the letter.
“We are aware of the letter. As the letter makes requests related to the ongoing investigation involving the death of Ms. Breonna Taylor, we have no further comment.”
Senate Democrats Block GOP Police Reform Bill Calling It Flawed
Senate Democrats have blocked Republicans from taking up a bill on police reform, calling the legislation flawed and a non-starter.
According to NBC News, a motion to open debate on the measure failed 55-45. The motion needed 60 votes to go forward. Ahead of the vote, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) attacked Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Republicans for a “partisan and “irrevocably flawed” approach to solving police brutality.
“I want to ask the American people, I want to ask Republican senators, who is a better guardian of the civil rights of African Americans when it comes to police reform, the NAACP or Mitch McConnell?” Schumer said. “So don’t get on your sanctimonious horse, leader McConnell. You have none of the civil rights community behind you.”
The GOP bill would require additional disclosures about the use of force, codify reporting requirements on the use of “no-knock warrants,” and provide incentives for chokehold bans. It would also make lynching a federal crime.
The Democratic proposal would ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants in federal drug cases outright and also limit qualified immunity for police officers to make it easier for citizens to sue the police. Most Republicans refuse to entertain the Democratic bill.
Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) joined Sen. Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) in a press conference following the failed vote.
“Our country is demanding an end to the constant loss of Black life at the hands of police. Americans are demanding an end to Black Americans having to live in fear that their sons, daughters, grandchildren, students, or loved ones will be next,” Harris said.
“And it is Congress’ duty to meet this movement by putting forth a solution that will achieve police accountability and take meaningful steps to end these horrific killings.”
The legislation was drafted by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and other Senate Republicans after the police shootings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd led to nationwide and eventually worldwide protests in favor of Black Lives Matter. The protests gained further traction when Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed at a Wendy’s drive-thru and Martin Gugino, 75, fractured his skull when a Buffalo police officer shoved him to the ground during the same week in June.
Scott, the senate’s only African American Republican member, believes Democrats are taking advantage of African Americans and waiting until after the November elections when they could be in the majority to push their own version of the bill.
“I don’t know what it’s going to take to wake up our entire nation about the importance of a duopoly and not a monopoly,” Scott said. “Because look at your results. Look at the results we are getting.”
President Donald Trump said Democrats blocked the bill because”they want to take away a lot of our strength from our police and from law enforcement generally.”
Harris responded in a press statement saying the GOP bill gives departments more money at a time when most Americans want to decrease police budgets.
“Our country is demanding that we fundamentally re-imagine public safety and policing in America. Instead of responding to the demands of the people, Senate Republicans are offering billions more in funding for local law enforcement to preserve the status quo,” Harris said.
“Rushing more money to local departments to put more police on the streets is just wrong thinking and will not make our communities safer. Safe communities are healthy communities, and achieving healthy communities will require us to re-evaluate spending and invest in education, mental health, access to health care, job training, and affordable housing.”
Here’s How These Dream Vacations Franchise Owners Are Adjusting to Travel and Business During COVID
Dream Vacations, a leading national travel agency franchise, believes in the future of travel. According to UBS research, 76% of people who had a canceled cruise have chosen a future cruise credit in 2021, while Cruise Critic reports that 92% of its members are open to cruising again.
BLACK ENTERPRISE spoke to two Dream Vacations franchise owners and vacation specialists to see how their businesses have been impacted and how they are adapting to the new normal.
BE: How are you adjusting to this new COVID-world? Have you changed the way you are doing business or marketing?
Trinita Brown, Washington, D.C.: I decided to use this opportunity to do some continuing education–to take classes provided by suppliers, become a destination expert, take travel certification classes. Additionally, I took some time to reorganize my files and resources but, most importantly, I took the time to think about my business in general, my focus/niche (“Bucket List” Travel Groups), and my goals.
Since the onset of the COVID pandemic, I have become more than a travel destination expert to my clients. Over time, many of my clients have become friends. It is not always about selling or marketing. This is a “people” business. Recently, I have become more of a resource in general to many of my clients. I checked in with them to see if I could assist in any way. Some clients wanted to know what was happening in the travel industry and some wanted to chat about the “new normal” and what that might look like, while others wanted to talk about a recent loss of a friend or family member to COVID-19. Some needed even more practical assistance. For example, I picked up groceries for one of my older clients and had some items delivered for another. It was a pleasure to continue to assist my clients in any way I could. COVID-19 has increased my need to think out of the box as I do all that I can to meet my clients’ ever-changing needs.
Donald Smith, Fontana, CA: The travel industry holds a unique position in society that can help mend a broken heart, heal emotional sorrows, create happy, memorable moments, or even get you to a distant job opportunity. As the pandemic reached unprecedented levels, travel was not on the minds of many; at least not for pleasure or business. However, our agency realized the loss of many vacations was not just about fun in the sun, but well-earned getaways, weddings, family reunions, and even opportunities to visit countries never explored. Through adjusting how we viewed our customers’ travel interests and what may simply be a typical vacation for some, we took it to a personal level. We understand the challenges each individual, group, or new prospective traveler may experience in response to the new requirements of what is considered COVID-19-responsible travel.
My travel agency franchise goes beyond researching dates and locations to travel but personalizing our client’s vacation to their desires. I developed marketing strategies to identify client needs and stay true to those principles. Since the COVID-19 pandemic literally caused many people to reconsider travel, ensuring them their interest and safety comes first was a guiding principle in our approach. As such, a slight change in marketing and how we conduct business was enhanced to ease the tensions of skeptical clients.
Supporting Owners in Challenging Times
Dream Vacations remains committed to upholding its reputation for world-class support for its franchise owners.
“We say it 365 days a year and during these unprecedented times, one thing has never changed: that our number-one priority is taking care of our customers, and our customers are our Dream Vacations travel agents,” says Chief Operating Officer Debbie Fiorino. “We are in the business of making business dreams become a reality, and this means making adjustments to ensure our agents can afford to stay in business while the industry is at a standstill.”
Both Brown and Smith echo this sentiment when asked about how they were being supported by Dream Vacations during the pandemic.
Smith: Dream Vacations is absolutely the best travel franchise company to be associated with within the industry. Immediately upon the realization that COVID-19 would have a dramatic effect on the world population and the travel industry, the Dream Vacations headquarters team began actions to provide accurate and immediate communications within its ranks. The need to deliver COVID-19 information was
not driven by sales, but a genuine concern for travelers, staff, and the moral desire to fulfill their responsibility as a worldwide travel organization.
Donald Smith, Dream Vacations franchise owner, Fontana, CA
Dream Vacations’ websites not only provide the best opportunities to find a great dream vacation at the best price, but you can find updates on COVID-19 as it affects the cruise industry. This includes COVID-19 refund policies, what are Future Cruise Credits (FCC), online payment and reservation status, and a detailed ship guide that provides specific information about the most popular cruise ships.
Brown: Of course, most travel professionals were initially so busy trying to contact their clients who were traveling in March and April to find out if they wanted to cancel their trip or postpone and rebook. Initially, it appeared that travel would resume in perhaps a few weeks, but as each day passed more restrictions were placed on travel. The Dream Vacations headquarters team has been amazing providing franchisees with critical information on restrictions in general, as well as supplier information regarding their cancellation process and rebooking process. Additionally, they provided updates from the CDC and essential travel destination each with its own guidelines and restrictions. Every day and at times, twice or more, the Dream Vacations headquarters team provided a newsletter filled with everything needed to provide clients with the most up to date information. This was critical and improved my ability to do my job with confidence knowing that I had up-to-date and accurate information.
Dream Vacations has provided franchisees with the resources to market to our clients during this time. At the beginning of the COVID-19 shutdown especially, we did not wholly focus on selling our clients anything. I have had several clients tell me that they loved our #LetsKeepDreaming theme in our newsletter. We are encouraging our clients to dream about where they want to go when travel resumes, so our newsletters contained crossword puzzles, word searches, and information about exciting destinations.
#LetsKeepDreaming is my favorite campaign, indeed. My clients told me that it reminds them to not dwell on the fact they cannot travel right now, but that they can still dream about and focus on fabulous places to go in the near future–and, most importantly, that there is light at the end of this pandemic tunnel.
Is It a Good Time to Start a Travel Business?
Travel was one of the hardest-hit sectors by the COVID-19 pandemic. But it is starting to bounce back, as airlines and cruise ships craft a “new normal” to ensure passenger safety. So, if this is a business that you considered before the pandemic stopped you, perhaps it’s time to reconsider. In spite of COVID-19, Dream Vacations continues to have new owners starting their businesses.
The company quickly launched a completely virtual weeklong initial training for new agents that provides the same amount of training and learning hours as in-person. The classes have been booked to capacity each month.
“All businesses have a ramp-up period, and travel is no different,” says Drew Daly, senior vice president and general manager of Dream Vacations. “We are advising new agents to use this time to train, earn certifications, and create a business plan so they can hit the ground running when people are ready to travel again.”
Black Woman Creates Juneteenth Shop Black Virtual Experience That Generated Over $1 Million in Sales
Memphis-based event planner Cynthia Daniels was forced to cancel 10 large-scale events due to gathering restrictions imposed by COVID-19. She had intentions to take the year off and plan for a lavish event schedule in 2021 until an idea for a Juneteenth Shop Black Virtual Experience popped in her head.
“I wanted to create a virtual platform that would help black businesses that had experienced a loss in income and had to halt business operations. My goal was to get at least 50 black businesses in Memphis to participate. I’ve worked with tons of vendors, started the Soulful Food Truck Festival, and done a Black Christmas Expo so I thought it would be easy enough to make this happen within a short turnaround period,” Daniels says. “When I put the information out there, I started receiving emails from all over the country from business owners who wanted to be a part of this, and that’s when I knew this would be something big.”
The Juneteenth Shop Black Virtual Experience took place Friday, June 19, to Monday, June 22. The site featured products from 100 businesses that represented 22 cities across the U.S., including Atlanta, Houston, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles. Daniels expected approximately 5,000 shoppers to participate. Thanks to national media attention, more than 16,000 individuals flocked to the website as soon as it was launched on June 19.
“Our site crashed immediately. It was overwhelming in a beautiful way. I had to work on Plan B,” says Daniels. “We went through three servers, my web designer created a new domain, and it still crashed. I ended up sending out website information for the featured businesses so that people could keep shopping until they could get back into the main website. We were able to create another website within three hours.”
The Juneteenth Shop Black Virtual Experience turned out to be more impactful and profitable than Daniels expected. The site attracted over 100,000 visitors in 51 countries. An idea that was implemented within two weeks helped 100 Black businesses generate over $1 million in combined sales within 72 hours. Daniels was also able to create a five-figure income stream from home!
“This all happened organically because of Mother’s Day weekend. My mother lives in Atlanta and I live in Memphis. This was the first time in years I was not going to be able to go home for the holidays. So, I decided to send my mom a care package filled with goodies from my favorite Black businesses in Memphis,” Daniels says.
“Then, I thought there are probably people like me who are stuck in Memphis and can’t get home to their moms. Let me share these business owner’s information on social media.”
Daniels’ posts went viral and gave Black businesses that were forced to halt brick-and-mortar operations a quick boost in online sales during Mother’s Day weekend. That is when she realized that she could expand her support beyond social media to create a virtual shopping experience for Juneteenth that would help more businesses.
“This experience shows how we can pivot during a pandemic. One requirement for the featured businesses was to have a website, so 20 of the businesses stepped up and said they would get a website done because they had to be a part of this opportunity, ” Daniels says. “The businesses consistently kept saying that not only was this their biggest sales day ever, but it also helped them gain new customers outside of their cities and gave them hope again during a pandemic.”
Chase Institute Study: Black- and Asian-owned Businesses Hurt More By Coronavirus
The JP Morgan Chase Institute’s new study shows that African American- and Asian-owned business have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the report, “Small Business Financial Outcome During the Onset Of COVID-19,” the cash balances of African American businesses have decreased by 26 percent from this time last year.
Asian-owned businesses have been hit harder by the coronavirus pandemic–revenues have declined by 60 percent from last year. The study admitted that the Asian American population in several states used for the study is not large, but said the statistics are relevant due to the discrimination of Asian American businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.
In March, Asian American businesses were in a relatively strong position, but by April the coronavirus pandemic reared its head as balances declined by 22 percent.
The study also noted African American and Latino businesses were already in a weaker financial position before the pandemic.
“Minority-owned businesses comprise a majority of personal services firms, a sector that has been particularly hard hit in the current economic environment.” the report stated. “Small businesses in majority Black and Hispanic communities also have less cash liquidity and therefore have fewer resources with which to withstand adverse revenue shocks.”
A study by the institute in April, showed African American and Latino families struggle more when faced with the economic instability of someone losing a job or having hours cut.
In March, balances of African American owned businesses were more than 10 percent lower than 2019, compared to a decline of about 3 percent overall. However, by the end of the April, cash balances were 26 percent lower.
The report also found cash balances dropped significantly in cities considered tourist destinations, including Las Vegas, New York, and Orlando. While small businesses in Seattle “fared relatively well despite an early cluster of coronavirus cases in the region.”
Additionally, the report showed restaurants were hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic. Lockdowns forced most eateries to go to takeout only. Food delivery apps were also taking up to 40 percent of each order, which kept some restaurants closed.
To conduct the study, researchers used daily transactions from a sample of nearly 1.3 million de-identified small businesses that hold Chase Business Banking deposit accounts, including both employer and non-employer firms, to analyze cash balances, revenues, and expenses through April 2020.
The study is the second in a series that uses real-time data to investigate the financial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
The House Votes For D.C. To Become A State This Friday
On Friday, The House voted to grant Washington D.C statehood, which would be the first time either chamber will approve legislation granting full representation to the District in the country’s history and will give it voting rights in Congress. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer announced the move earlier this week calling it a victory for the Black residents specifically because of the area’s large population.
The debate over D.C statehood isn’t a new political argument and has longed been argued on both sides. The issue of D.C. statehood has not been put to a vote since 1993. “This is not just an issue of local governance and fairness, it is a major civil rights issue as well,” Hoyer said according to Politico.
“This was an appropriate time to bring a bill forward to show respect for the citizens of the District of Columbia of whatever color, but also to show respect to a city that has a very large African American population.”
The discussion over statehood for the nation’s capital also caught steam again with the protests over police brutality and racial violence. Some critics argue it would stop President Donald Trump from taking advantage of the legal loophole. “Statehood fixes it all,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a press conference on the House vote according, to The Atlantic.
Although some are excited about the bill, it is unlikely that the bill will make it past the senate, others argue that if given statehood, it would only give an advantage to the Democratic Party. Rep. Jody Hice of Georgia’s 10th district vehemently disagreed with the bill, expressing his frustrations on this Twitter page.
If #DCStatehood was just about representation for DC residents, we could simply give the land back to Maryland — but that’s not what Democrats want.
This bill creates two more Senators. Guess which party they’d be?
Police Union’s Claim That NYPD Officers Were ‘Poisoned’ From Shake Shack Milkshakes is False
Last week, there were reports of NYPD police officers drinking poisoned milkshakes from a Shake Shack located in Manhattan and the police union stating that this was a targeted attack against the officers involved. According to the Detectives Endowment Association the officers were “intentionally poisoned by one or more workers at the Shake Shack” As it turns out, the story was a complete farce, according to The New York Post.
The three police officers, who work at a Bronx precinct, ordered the drinks from a Shake Shack that is located at 200 Broadway in Manhattan. The order was placed via a mobile app, around 7:30 p.m. early last week. According to police sources, the order wasn’t done in person, so the Shake Shack employees could not have known that the order placed was from the police. The order was ready for pick up when the officers did indeed arrive, so that would also eliminate the chance for anyone to poison or tamper with their drinks.
After claiming the shakes didn’t taste right and tossing the drinks in the garbage, the store manager apologized and gave the officers vouchers for free food or drinks.
Shortly thereafter, after telling their sergeant about the incident, the Emergency Service Unit was called and they set up a crime scene at the Shake Shack. The three officers were taken to Bellevue Hospital, where they were examined and released without ever showing symptoms, sources said.
After interviewing employees and reviewing surveillance footage showing the shakes were made normally, detectives essentially closed the case.
Shortly before 11 PM, the Detectives Endowment Association publicly stated officers had become “ill” after being “intentionally poisoned by one or more workers at the Shake Shack.” The Police Benevolent Association also declared at 10:47 PM that police officers came “under attack” from a “toxic substance, believed to be bleach.”
Then Chief Rodney Harrison made an announcement via Twitter.
After a thorough investigation by the NYPD’s Manhattan South investigators, it has been determined that there was no criminality by shake shack’s employees.
— Chief Rodney Harrison (@NYPDDetectives) June 16, 2020
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Manhattan) and Councilman Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx) have demanded a probe into the unions’ alleged “inflammatory” behavior.
Dr. Fauci Says Institutional Racism Played A Huge Part In Disproportionate Impact Of COVID-19
The spread of COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus pandemic, has disproportionately impacted Black Americans around the country, leading to new cases in major cities like New Orleans. This week, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has come out to confirm that institutional racism is a contributing factor to the severe impact the virus has on the Black community.
Fauci spoke on the matter when Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., asked him during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing to which he replied yes. “Obviously the African American community has suffered from racism for a very, very long period of time,” Fauci said according to The Hill.
“And I cannot imagine that that has not contributed to the conditions that they find themselves in, economically and otherwise. So the answer, Congressman, is yes….We know from a lot of experience now, that the situation regarding whether or not you have serious consequences, hospitalizations, intubations, complications and death relate very strongly to the prevalence and incidence of underlying co-morbid conditions, which are clearly more expressed in the African American population than the rest of the population.”
Fauci: “Would I consider institutional racism as contributing?…Obviously the African American community has suffered from racism for a very, very long period of time and I cannot imagine that hasn’t contributed….so the answer, congressman, is ‘yes.’” pic.twitter.com/pAI1lU6zu5
“African Americans have suffered disproportionately from coronavirus disease. They’ve suffered in that their rate of infection is higher because of the nature of the economic status that many of them find themselves in where they’re outside working, being unable to physically separate,” Fauci said previously on the topic on the US Department of Health and Human Services’ podcast Learning Curve, according to CNN.
“And then when they do get infected, given the social determinants of health which make … them have a higher incidence of diseases like hypertension, obesity, diabetes,” Fauci continued. “They are at much greater risk of suffering the deleterious consequences, including death.”
