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It is a known fact that the Black community was the most effected by the Covid-19 virus physically with infection or death and economically through small business closures. Now, it is time to heal as a community, a state and a country. As of March 19th, there were 15 million full vaccinations for white Americans versus 1.49 million for Black Americans in the country. There is still a fear and skepticism within the Black community. Clark County and the State of Nevada has taken notice. Periwinkle Group and Sumnu Marketing have partnered to create the Southern Nevada Black Collective to educate, advocate and vaccinate.
The coalition of medical professionals, elected officials, influencers, business, nonprofit, and faith leaders will work together to support Clark County’s “Back to Life” campaign and initiative to vaccinate more Black and African American residents in Clark County. It’s time to get back to education, back to business, back to church and ultimately back to living.
The need is critical: as we cross the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, African Americans continue to be diagnosed at a disproportionately higher rate than other racial groups and are dying from coronavirus at a higher rate than other racial groups. We must put an end to this. It is our turn to make a difference and save the lives of our families, our friends, our neighbors.
Our strategy is three-fold: educate our community members to counter vaccine hesitancy, dispel myths, and persuade our people to take the COVID-19 vaccine when it’s their turn; build trust and advocate on behalf of our local healthcare entities and medical professionals; and pool our resources and use our networks to remove barriers and increase access to vaccines to some of southern Nevada’s hardest hit areas.
We are a people known for our resilience and strength in the face of adversity. Together, we can win the battle against COVID-19 and get Back to Life. Below is a list of Southern Nevada Black Collective members who have agreed to participate in the campaign. Jo Cato, President Periwinkle Group is leading the campaign with assistance from Shaundell Newsome and his team.
Southern Nevada Black Collective
Let’s get Back to Life together! Vice President Kamala Harris has been focused on ensuring that the Black community gets vaccinated and eradicate the virus in our neighborhoods, churches and businesses. In Nevada, we must do our part. Everyone join us to get Back to Life!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Shaundell Newsome is Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Urban Chamber of Commerce Las Vegas, Founder & Visionary of Sumnu Marketing and an advocate for small businesses around the country.