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Philanthropist Tina Knowles Lawson, and mama of superstar Beyoncé, is behind an important initiative to encourage COVID-19 testing.
Sponsored by Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD Foundation, Knowles Lawson has arranged for free mobile testing services to be available this Mother’s Day weekend in their home city of Houston, Texas.
“The virus is wreaking havoc on the Black community so we need a movement to prioritise our health,” Knowles Lawson says in a statement, citing a recent report that shows as of April 23, 33.7% of COVID patients were African american, even though African Americans make up just 13% of the US population.
“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,” Knowles Lawson continues.
“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.”
Tina Knowles Lawson has been encouraging other celebrities to arrange free home testing in their hometowns too, calling it the #IDidMyPart challenge.
Actor, director and philanthropist Tyler Perry has already announced that he’ll be doing his part, offering free mobile testing in Atlanta, Georgia.