A white woman who started her argument with “this isn’t me being racist or anything” went on to make a racist statement about Black people being affected by the coronavirus. The comment was made by #FireFauci tweeter and conspiracy theorist DeAnna Lorraine and according to her YouTube clip, she isn’t “buying” the fact that COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting Black Americans. If it was, she says it’s because of the “parties” and “barbecues” people are having.
“This isn’t me being racist or anything,” she started in the video. “But I’m just reporting the facts. If there is a true discrepancy. If there is truly — I’m not really buying it — but if it’s true that the coronavirus is disproportionately affecting Black people and they’re apparently getting the coronavirus at a higher rate than white people then, I do have to say this, here’s what I’m seeing, I’m getting reports from some folks saying that they’re seeing a lot of Black folks in their community having parties and barbecues and crawfish boils and other kinds of things. I am hearing reports about this, so maybe they’re causing this. Maybe they’re bringing on the spread of the coronavirus and you know, they’re not quite following the rules.”
Lorraine then went on to cite a house party in Chicago filled with mostly Black people that went viral. Although there have been reports of Black people hosting large gatherings they pale in comparison to many states reporting stats that their Black residents are contracting and even dying from COVID-19 at a disproportionate rate.
In Georgia alone, a recent Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study showed that Black people make up a majority of the 297 coronavirus patients reported. According to this study, 83.2 percent of the patients with coronavirus were Black. The report prompted backlash against Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, who green lit the reopening of businesses such as barbershops, nail salons, bowling alleys and even in-person dining at restaurants.
“That is a very high rate of infections,” said Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick, Howard University president and cancer surgeon. He explained that the high percentage of Black people in the CDC study most likely reflects the occupation of the patients.
“A lot of it may come from the fact that African-Americans are essential employees in our system,” he said. “Everything from bus drivers to health care workers and cleaning services, they are on the front line, and therefore are far more likely to be exposed.”
According to New York Magazine, Georgia also saw Black people making up 52 percent of the coronavirus-related deaths and they only make up 33 percent of the population. Heath professionals have stated that such stats are probably due to pre-existing health conditions — such as high blood pressure, diabetes and asthma — being common in Black communities. This can be attributed to a larger issue of intense environmental and health care disparities in the U.S.
As expected, the far right conspiracy theorist must’ve missed these points.
SEE ALSO:
Disturbing Video Of Cop Pulling Gun On Bashaud Breeland Raises Questions: ‘They Can’t Contain Me’