The Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI) has received a $400,000 grant from the Rockefeller Foundation to rollout their COVID-19 campaign to improve vaccination rates within the Black community.
As part of The Rockefeller Foundation’s $20 million Equity-First Vaccination Initiative, the grant will aid BWHI’s current mission to increase access to Covid-19 vaccinations in communities of color, Post News Group reports. Findings from the campaign will be used to assist cities across the country with their rollout of the vaccine among people of color.
Funding for BWHI’s initiative works as part of the national north star’s goal of getting at least 70 million people of color fully vaccinated by July 2021.
“Throughout the pandemic, the disparities in health, economic, and social outcomes have been stark for Black women and their families,” said Linda Goler Blount, President and CEO of the Black Women’s Health Imperative. “This grant will help us equip Black women with science-based information so that they’re empowered to educate their families, friends, and communities about the Covid-19 vaccines.”
Through strategic partnerships with the National Caucus & Center on Black Aging (NCBA) and National Coalition of 100 Black Women (NCBW), BWHI is set to launch a vaccine rollout and equity initiatives in cities across the country including Baltimore, MD, Chicago, IL, Houston, TX, Newark, NJ, and Oakland, CA.
“We’re committed to meeting people where they are in order to remove barriers to vaccination, reduce hesitancy, and empower people to live, work, and assemble without fear,” said Virginia W. Harris, NCBW National President.
Players within the WNBA will support the initiative by using their platforms to spread vaccine awareness and advocating for equitable access.
“We’re excited to partner with Black Women’s Health Imperative to address vaccine equity in our communities,” said Karyne Jones, President and CEO of NCBA. “African American adults 60 and over have been hardest hit by Covid-19. We want to make sure they understand that vaccines are safe and effective – and will enable them to get back to enjoying life with their families.”
