Urban League Officials Encourage Vaccine Acceptance Despite History of Betrayal

Officials with the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis (St. Louis, MO) are encouraging seniors in north St. Louis County to register for a special vaccination event at St. Louis Community College-Forest Park in a couple of weeks.

But vaccine reluctance in people of color is not based on hearsay. It has historical precedence.

“We're going to give mayors 25 slots that they can utilize each week moving forward," Urban League Vice President James Clark said. "Because we really believe that we've got to have a pipeline where we can get the seniors vaccinated.”

Ferguson Mayor Ella Jones got the vaccine in January. Now she’s encouraging other people of color to do the same.

African American reluctance about government vaccines is not without good reason. The 1997 HBO movie "Miss Evers' Boys" depicts the Tuskegee Experiment, where 400 poor, Black Alabama sharecroppers were used in an investigation on the effects of syphilis without their knowledge or consent.

Even so, Jones said, medical experts tell us the COVID-19 vaccine is safe for all.

“We do have to overcome the fact that history has illustrated that African Americans have been targeted in some very hellacious ways when it comes to the medical field,” added Clark. “Still, in this day and age, we all have access to information.” 

To read the full article, click here.