In an effort to encourage black communities to get tested for COVID-19, Philanthropist, entrepreneur, and fashion designer, Ms. Tina Knowles Lawson has teamed up with her daughter, Beyonce’s BeyGOOD Foundation to launch the #IDIDMYPART Mobile Testing Relief Campaign in Houston Texas.
In a statement, Ms. Knowles Lawson says she is urging the black community to get tested for COVID-19 because African Americans are dying at higher rates.
“The virus is wreaking havoc on the Black community so we need a movement to prioritize our health,” Knowles-Lawson says, citing a recent report from the CDC that as of April 23, 33.7% of COVID patients were African American, even though African Americans comprise 13% of US population. And as per the CDC, as of mid-April, roughly 33% of all fatalities are African American.
Ms. Knowles Lawson also says that while it is important to keep practicing social distancing it is also important to go get tested especially since testing is free.
“We are all in this together. But we have to look at what is happening in our Black and Brown communities and how they are being decimated by COVID-19,” Knowles-Lawson continues. “We must stay vigilant with social distancing, wearing a mask, and most of all getting tested. If you don’t get tested then you don’t know if you are a carrier of the virus. Being asymptomatic is how you infect your entire household and those around you, the very people you love. We have got to go to these free testing facilities and find out our status.”
Film Director Tyler Perry, who is known for his philanthropic work has accepted Knowles Lawson’s challenge to do the same and will set up his #IDIDMYPART campaign in Atlanta, Georgia. He will then challenge another celebrity to continue the movement in their city.
#IDIDMYPART Mobile Testing Relief Scheduled for Friday, May 8th, and Saturday, May 9th, in Houston, Texas.
