At a time when some football players are sending bad messages about how to behave during a pandemic, Saints defensive back Malcolm Jenkins is sending an important message to the African-American community, which has been hit disproportionately hard by the coronavirus.
“This message is for my black brothers and sisters,” Jenkins said in a video posted on Twitter. “We must survive. This pandemic is real, and the damage that is left in wake of the coronavirus is realized mostly in our communities. Bad policy, institutional neglect, and overexposure place us disproportionately in arm’s reach of the dangers of this deadly virus.
“We are the essential worker. We are the most impacted, yet the focus of the resources aren’t being invested in us. 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.”
We all need to take the situation seriously, but too of us many aren’t. Kudos to Jenkins for sending the kind of clear, strong message that hopefully will persuade anyone and everyone to listen.