Beyoncé and Mom Tina Knowles-Lawson Launch COVID-19 Testing Initiative in Houston, Texas
Beyoncé and her mother, Tina Knowles-Lawson (a.k.a. Miss Tina), are joining forces to encourage mobile testing in their hometown of Houston, Texas, with a charitable initiative to "encourage black communities to prioritize health in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic."
According to a press release, the #IDIDMYPART initiative, which is sponsored by Beyoncé's BeyGOOD program, was created to help flatten the curve by promoting testing, so those infected with the COVID-19 virus know their status and can take the proper precautions to stop the spread.
"The virus is wreaking havoc on the Black community so we need a movement to prioritize our health," Tina Knowles-Lawson said in a statement. "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."
She went on to stress the importance of doing your part: "It is critical that we 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."
The COVID-19 pandemic is infecting and killing Black Americans at high rates. A recent report from the CDC revealed that 33% of confirmed COVID-19 patients from 580 hospitals for whom race or ethnicity data was available were African-American. A mid-April analysis by The Associated Press based on available state and local data, showed that nearly one-third of COVID-19-related deaths were African-American.
#IDIDMYPART kicks off in Houston during Mother's Day weekend and is set to provide 1,000 free test kits, plus masks, gloves, household supplies, and essential vitamins. Testing is totally free, and will be "administered under safe conditions," meaning you won't have to leave your vehicle to get a test. Participants will also receive a grocery gift card and a "voucher for a hot meal," plus full safety guidelines.
Tina is hoping that #IDIDMYPART will become a movement across the country, and Tyler Perry has pledged to join, setting up an initiative of his own in Atlanta. According to the press release, Tyler will then challenge another celeb to keep the momentum going. You can find more information about #IDIDMYPART, including testing locations, here.
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