New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins is urging the Black community to take care of themselves during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The two-time Super Bowl champion said Black people can’t afford to depend on the government to help them, CNN reported.
Jenkins made the comments in a video he tweeted Saturday to his 355,000 followers.
“This message is for my Black brothers and sisters We must survive. This pandemic is real and the damage that is left in the wake of the coronavirus is realized mostly in our communities,” Jenkins said after thanking health care workers and first responders for their service.
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While wearing a t-shirt that said, “Dear Black People Love Us For Real,” Jenkins noted that “bad policies, institutional neglect and over-exposure” to adverse and inequitable situations has placed Black people disproportionately in harm’s way from the virus.
“We are the most impacted, yet the focus of the resources aren’t being invested in us,” Jenkins said. “We cannot wait for a government that has never prioritized us. We must look out for ourselves. So take care of you first, share your resources, protect the elderly and stay home as much as possible.”
“Please stay safe, stay healthy and survive because whether they know it or not, the world needs us and we need us,” Jenkins concluded.
Reactions to Jenkins’ comments were mixed.
