by Juliette Rihl, PublicSource
What does Black Pittsburgh need to know about COVID-19?
A virtual town hall organized by 1Hood Media and UrbanKind Institute set out to answer that question on Tuesday. The panelists discussed topics ranging from COVID-19 myths to how to build systems and resources moving forward.
“We’re doing this because we care about Pittsburgh, but we especially care about Black Pittsburgh, because they are really under assault by COVID-19,” moderator Cheryl Hall-Russell said.
The speakers directed the audience to resources, discussed distrust of the healthcare system and mainstream media in the Black community, busted myths and misconceptions about COVID-19 and urged the Black community to take it seriously and the community-at-large to be cognizant of the existing inequities, like housing, access to the internet and food, that the coronavirus crisis exacerbated further. The speakers said that they were planning another town hall on the same topic next week. To send them a question, email [email protected].
PublicSource summarized the key points the panelists made below and included the abbreviated answers to some of the questions for brevity.
The panelists on Tuesday included:
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- Jamil Bey, PhD, CEO of UrbanKind Institute
- Tiffany L Gary-Webb, PhD, associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health
- Jasiri X, CEO of 1Hood Media
- Cheryl Hall-Russell, Ed.D, President of BW3 (moderator)
- Q: What have we seen happening in Black communities across the nation as it pertains to the impact of COVID-19?