Oprah Winfrey is known for being an important voice in the entertainment industry. She's using that voice to raise awareness of the dangers COVID-19 poses to the black community. Oprah is currently hosting a new series for Apple TV+ and OWN.
On a new episode of Oprah Talks COVID-19, she tackles the issue of the disproportionate effects the virus is having on the black community. The episode, titled "The Deadly Impact on Black America," is set to air Tuesday.
Joining her will be a number of prominent guests. CNN host Van Jones and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will appear. Dr. Aletha Maybank, chief health equity officer at the American Medical Association, and New York Times staff writer and 1619 Project founder Nikole Hannah-Jones are also set to speak during the episode. Jennifer Hudson will perform.
The episode will also feature conversations with families and frontline workers who are impacted by the coronavirus. It airs at 11 p.m., April 14, on Apple TV+ and OWN.
Oprah appeared on Today Tuesday to discuss the episode with Hoda Kotb. The urgency she feels and her passion for the subject are made evident by her tone.
Oprah Winfrey has always been known for trying to promote important messages with her various platforms. Our current global situation is no different. Oprah has been hosting a series for Apple TV+ and OWN called Oprah Talks COVID-19.
On the April 14 episode, Oprah will discuss an important subject. The episode, titled "The Deadly Impact on Black America," will feature discussions with panelists and everyday people. They are set to discuss how the coronavirus is disproportionately impacting the black community throughout the US.
Oprah appeared on Today to discuss the episode with Hoda Kotb. Oprah's passion for alerting the public to what is happening is palpable throughout her and Hoda's conversation.
"It's not only ravaging our community, but people who have preexisting conditions, which I think people didn't hear that," Oprah noted.
"So if you are taking medication for your diabetes, if you're taking medication because of hypertension, if you need an asthma inhaler for asthma, if you have any kind of lung disorder," she elaborated.
Oprah also told Hoda that she very much considers herself part of that group. She was hospitalized for pneumonia in September.
As Oprah explained to Hoda, she felt her "lungs never really fully cleared" after the bout of pneumonia. "So the moment I heard preexisting conditions, I'm like, 'Lock the door, nobody coming in here.'"
Oprah has teamed up with Tyler Perry and other black celebrities to raise awareness.
In a previous episode, Oprah spoke with Idris Elba. Idris was one of the earliest celebrities to reveal his diagnosis. He was also concerned with the lack of awareness.
"I just felt compelled to tell people that this is very real," he said.
Oprah noted the rumors that black people were immune as a reason why speaking out repeatedly is important.
"Obviously he was dispelling the rumor, but I didn't even take the rumor seriously," she explained to Hoda. "This was three weeks ago. Because I thought, 'Who's gonna believe that?'"
Oprah also plans to discuss how black people can be safe, even in their frontline jobs. "We as a people, as African Americans, have jobs that require us to be at work," Oprah said.
"For so many African Americans, there isn't this ability to telecommute."
"One of the things we're talking about in the special is the need for more testing stations obviously, but more importantly I think it's important for African Americans to understand for ourselves that this is so serious,'' she said.
"It's taking us out. It's killing your cousins and your friends and your neighbors. And you need to do whatever you can to protect yourself."
"We certainly understand that the responsibilities and dynamics of some people's lives, particularly African American and brown people, do not allow you to be able to stay at home," she continued.
"All these grocery store workers who are out there without the masks … that should not be. For now everybody needs to look out for themselves and for their neighbors."
Earlier this month, Oprah announced that she was donating $10 million to help the African American community combat the coronavirus.
"I was struck by the work these organizations are doing, and while everyone’s priority right now is to stay safer at home, I know there are many of us looking for ways to help. I believe that America’s Food Fund will be a powerful way to make a difference for our neighbors in need and am committing $1 million to this fund to support those facing food insecurity," she wrote.
"I am donating $10 million overall to help Americans during this pandemic in cities across the country and in areas where I grew up."
Oprah is working directly with leaders in black communities throughout the country. She's talking to black ministers in Nashville, Tennessee, and community leaders in Chicago and Milwaukee. "I love the idea of getting money directly into the hands of people," she told Hoda.
While she's concerned for her larger community, Oprah herself is doing pretty well being home. Her partner, Stedman Graham, joined her after being quarantined to the guest house for two weeks due to travel.
"Don’t be hating because I’m having a really good time," she told The Associated Press. "I’m really OK in retreat from everyone. I’m really OK with it."
