We Could All Use a Shot in the Arm
Ok, so you know that Sommore is a very funny woman, one of the leading Black comedians today, in our humble opinion, but this is no joke.
You need to get vaccinated against Covid-19. We all need to get vaccinated.
Why You Might Have Been Hesitant
If you’ve been hesitant, we get it. There are some good reasons to be a little reluctant to trust the medical system, especially if you are a member of the African American community. And it’s not just the Tuskegee experiments or the story of Henrietta Lacks (if you don’t know that story, you should check this out – The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.).
Systemic racism isn’t limited to the justice system, people. And the medical community has a lot of work to do, but don’t let that stop you from getting the vaccine. Because you know what, Covid-19 is not an equal opportunity offender.
As the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota reports, “Studies have shown that the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affects Black people and other minorities in the United States in severity, mortality, economics, and more.”
WebMD says, “Hispanic, and Native American people are about 4 times more likely to be hospitalized and nearly 3 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than white people.
Yet African Americans have nearly the lowest rates of vaccination among any ethnic group. In fact, white Americans are being vaccinated at a rate 3 times higher than Black Americans.”
Why You Should Get the Vaccine
The best way to protect ourselves and our communities is by getting vaccinated. The science has been proven to be safe and effective. (Seriously people, do you really think all those White people would be lining up for shots, if it wasn’t?)
Studies show that people of color are slowly overcoming their hesitancy and, if you have been reluctant to get jabbed, we hope you will join them. Talk to your pastor or to the leaders in your community. If you have a personal doctor that you trust, talk to them. Ask all the questions you want and do all the research you need to feel comfortable. And then make an appointment to get your vaccine.
We aren’t going to be able to really get back to anything approaching normalcy until we win the battle against Covid-19 and the vaccine is our best tool in that fight. So, protect yourself, protect your loved ones and protect your community by getting vaccinated.
On behalf of Lori Ann Rambough, who you probably know as funny woman Sommore, and all the Black comedians who are looking forward to returning to the stage and to performing in front of live audiences, thank you for considering it.
