US Surgeon General Jerome Adams Says Black People Need To Lay Off Alcohol, Tobacco And Drugs
Surgeon General Jerome Adams shows his inhaler during a coronavirus task force briefing at the White House where he urged African Americans to stay home
Evan Vucci/AP
By: Omar Cook
"Speaking of mothers, we need you to do this, if not for yourself, then for your abuela. Do it for your granddaddy, do it for your Big Mama, do it for your pop-pop." This was a quote from US Surgeon General Jerome Adams as he addressed the nation during a coronavirus task force briefing at the White House. Adams was giving a message to African Americans to stay home due to an increased risk of coronavirus exposure.
Adams stated that Black, Latino and other people of color should “avoid alcohol, tobacco and drugs. We need you to step up.” These statements were not only offensive to people of color by deliberately using cultural slang such as “big mama, granddaddy, pop pop”, but even more so coming from a person of color. Adam’s spoke to BET previously this week where he stated “we’re addressing the social inequities that have occurred and that can cause poor health in our society.” Among the reasons that he stated why Black people were more at risk were the inability to social distance because of the need to work, environments they live in, as well as higher rates of chronic disease such as asthma, diabetes, and lung disease.
PBS’ Yamiche Alcindor asked Adams about his statements and he responded “I use the language that is used in my family,” Adams explained. ”I have a Puerto Rican brother-in-law. I call my granddaddy, granddaddy. I have relatives who call their grandparents big momma. So that is not meant to be offensive.”
US Surgeon General Jerome Adams
It seems as if the tone towards Black people regarding Coronavirus has dramatically switched in the past few weeks as more statements have deliberately been made about African Americans being at risk. It was even suggested that a vaccine be tested in Africa even though African countries have some of the lowest fatality rates in the world regarding the virus.
To address a situation in health regarding African Americans is one thing, but to address it using the language Jerome Adams spoke with in an address to the nation further perpetuates a false narrative that Black people are reliant on alcohol and drugs; as if only Black people used these vices.
Adams also mentioned the fact that there is no scientific proof that shows people of color are "biologically or genetically predisposed to get COVID-19," but that they are "socially predisposed to coronavirus exposure, and have a higher incidence of the very diseases that put you at risk for severe complications of coronavirus.” The statements sound even more ridiculous when you break them down piece by piece. Jerome Adams seems to be a puppet that the White House is using to make statements regarding the Black community and coronavirus but it is imperative for African Americans to read between the lines and not feed into the media’s agenda of making Black communities out to be unhealthy environments.
The White House should be figuring out a solution to help avoid further spread of the virus into Black communities instead of delivering divisive statements at a time that we should all be coming together.
YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN:
