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Navigating This Season of Sorrow
Health ideas for wellness
Navigating this Season of Sorrow
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with the Black Clergy
One of the biggest untold stories of this pandemic is the tremendous burden it has placed on the Black clergy. For ministers, it has been a relentless marathon of wakes, funerals, and pastoral care exacerbated by the current world culture of “no-touch” and social distancing. But despite its tremendous emotional toll, COVID-19 is no match for the resilience, faith, and commitment of the Black clergy who –with unparalleled fervor– shepherd their flocks through the treacherous terrain of the pandemic. In doing so, a group of the nation’s renowned Black clergy recently took it to the next level with the launch of an initiative called the Choose Healthy Life Black Clergy Action Plan (CHL).
Among the leaders spearheading the charge are Rev. Al Sharpton of the National Action Network; Rev. Calvin O. Butts, III of Abyssinian Baptist Church, New York; and Rev. Jacques DeGraff of Canaan Baptist Church, Harlem. CHL –which comes under the banner of the National Black Clergy Health Leadership Council– will raise awareness, educate the community on preventative measures, and provide access to COVID-19 testing for high-risk communities through the Black church. Members of the Council include: Rev. David Jefferson, Metropolitan Baptist Church, Newark, NJ; Rev. Horace Sheffield, New Destiny Christian Fellowship, Detroit, MI; Rev. Frank Tucker, First Baptist Church, Washington, DC; and Rev. Raphael Warnock, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, GA.
Rev. DeGraff is the clergy chair of the Plan and brings sober thought to the mission at hand. “This is an exciting initiative because it energizes the Black Church at this time of a national crisis,” he said. “Historically, the Black Church has been the survival institution for Black 14 The Positive Community December 2020
BY GLENDA CADOGAN
folks. Together we faced Jim Crow, AIDS, and the crack epidemic; and now we turn our attention to this big COVID-19 pandemic.”
Putting the situation into perspective, Rev. Butts said: “COVID-19 is killing our community at substantially higher rates than any other population group in this country. Increased testing and accurate education about the virus are critical to stopping community spread in Black communities that have been devastated by the pandemic.”
In reiterating the critical need for this initiative, National Black Clergy Leadership Health Council Chair Rev. Al Sharpton echoed the Black community’s skepticism around vaccinations. “African-Americans have disproportionately been impacted by COVID-19, and given America's history of detrimental experiments on our bodies, we are less likely interested in a vaccine than our counterparts. [Therefore] The clergy must intervene to protect our people and help them make informed decisions.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Blacks are hospitalized from COVID-19 at a rate approximately five times that of non-Hispanic white persons. Additionally, a recent Johns Hopkins University study showed that Blacks in some communities are dying at a rate nearly seven times higher than other population segments.
Recently, in its first action step, the Council held a summit meeting with Dr. Anthony Fauci and other science leaders. “As a first critical step, we as clergy need to educate ourselves because there is so much misinformation around this issue,” said Rev DeGraff. “Secondly, there is no denying the distrust in the Black community about the healthcare system. We are quite aware that our health
disparities did not end with Tuskegee but are present today in the current Black maternal mortality rate, diabetes, and high blood pressure.”
CHL is modeled after the a similar project initially created by Debra Fraser-Howze, founder of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS. Under her directive, the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Black community expertly targeted its most viable resources. “Our communities trust our churches and when the Black Church stepped forward in the past to address a health crisis – the community listened,” she explained.
Working in collaboration with implementation partner the United Way of New York City and affiliated local agencies, the historic partnership will also address other health disparities in the Black community. “United Way of New York City is thrilled to be continuing our commitment to improving racial equity in communities through coordinating this important effort to provide increased COVID-19 testing and public health awareness in Black communities,” said Sheena Wright, president/CEO of United Way of New York City.
With funding support from Quest Diagnostics, the Quest Diagnostics Foundation, and Resolve to Save Lives, the flames of the initiative are fanning across five cities: New York, Newark, Detroit, Atlanta, and Washington. “I believe that the Black clergy have been at the frontline of this invisible war,” said Rev. DeGraff. “It has taken its toll, but our faith is empowering and together we will get through this season of sorrow.”
The final reassurance came from Dr. Tom Frieden, president/ CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital Strategies, and former CDC director: “When we recognize that we’re all connected, we can stop the virus.”
For more information visit: www.choosehealthylife.org
HELP FIND A VACCINE FOR COVID-19!
NYU Langone’s Vaccine Center is looking for adults aged 18 or older to participate in its COVID-19 vaccine trials recruitment registry. The registry is open to all who would like to take part in COVID-19 vaccine trials. We are especially interested in: ✓ People with underlying medical conditions ✓ People with greater chances of exposure at their job ✓ People over age 65
If you participate in one of our COVID-19 vaccine trials, you will be compensated for your time. You CANNOT get infected with SARS-CoV-2 or get COVID-19 illness from the study vaccine.
Let us know you are interested by joining our registry: nyulmc.org/covidvaccine
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