We're inching closer to an open America where quarantine mandates will be a thing of the past, but how far that is in the future remains unclear. The first rounds of COVID-19 vaccines have been distributed, and government officials are hoping that everyone has access in the next coming months. Within the Black community, there have been conversations regarding skepticism surrounding the vaccine, especially considering the historical context of Black people being used as medical experiments in America. Tyler Perry is hoping to ease those fears with his forthcoming BET feature, Covid-19 Vaccine and the Black Community: A Tyler Perry Special.
Perry sat down with CBS This Morning to talk about the special while sharing why he decided to get both doses of the vaccine.“I’m not taking this vaccine because I want you to take it, I want to give you the information so you make your own choices,” said the media mogul. “I think that’s what it’s about, education and information.” Perry recognizes and this may “[raise] flags for us as African American people" but he still believes education is key.
The filmmaker admitted that he, too, didn't trust the vaccine when it was first announced, but after doing his research, he was more comfortable with the process. “I think that it’s just important that people know that, if you take your chances with Covid you never know how it’s going to affect you and it could affect your long-term health."
Perry's special airs on BET this Thursday (Jan. 28) at 9:00 p.m. Watch his clip with Gayle King below.
