New research seems to confirm that, across the nation, the coronavirus has disproportionately impacted black people, with death rates more than twice as high as that for any other race.
One other big factor is that, sadly, our people also tend to have more underlying medical conditions-like obesity, diabetes, and hypertension-that make us more vulnerable.
In my own community in Oklahoma, I’ve witnessed many black folks not wearing masks or practicing any degree of physical distancing in public.
For others, it’s the fact the young black men have more negative encounters with the police, and people don’t want to wear masks and give anyone an excuse for mistaking them for criminals.
J.C. Watts is founder and chairman of J.C. Watts Companies, chairman of Black News Channel, and a member of National Coronavirus Recovery Commission.
