>>> YOU HAVE HEARD THEM TALK
ABOUT IT.
TRYING TO REACH THE MOST
VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AMONG US
IN HOPES OF MEETING THE
PRESIDENTS JULY 4th VACCINATION
GOAL BUT POLITICO REPORTS IT
THIS WAY.
EVEN A BLUEPRINT THAT WORKED
WITH OTHER GROUPS ISNT DOING
ENOUGH TO WIN OVER BLACK
AMERICANS.
TO TALK ABOUT IT WE ARE SO HAPPY
TO WELCOME BACK LIZ WALKER, CITY
OF BOSTONS FIRST
AFRICAN-AMERICAN WEEKNIGHT NEWS ANCHOR AND THESE DAYS SENIOR
ANCHOR AND THESE DAYS SENIOR
PASTOR AT ROXBURY PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH.
REVEREND, GREAT TO SEE YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING
BACK ON.
YOU HAVE WARNED ABOUT CLAIMING
VICTORY TOO EARLY, IN EFFECT OF
SPIKING THE BALL TOO EARLY.
TELL US WHY YOU SAID THAT BASED
ON WHAT YOURE SEEING IN BOSTON.
>> THE PROBLEM AND IM DELIGHTED
TO BE WITH YOU AGAIN, BRIAN,
EVEN THOUGH THE SUBJECT MATTER
IS LESS THAN WHAT I WANT TO TALK
ABOUT.
THE PROBLEM IN BOSTON AND THE
NATION IN BLACK COMMUNITIES IS
THE SAME AS IT WAS WHEN WE
STARTED.
WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE WITH TRUST
PROBLEMS, MISINFORMATION, FEARS.
WE ARE WORKING ON THE SAME
ISSUES THAT WE WERE WORKING ON
WHEN THIS PANDEMIC GOT STARTED.
WE CANT STOP NOW.
WE CANT JUST CLAIM VICTORY IF
THERE IS NO VICTORY IN OUR
COMMUNITY.
AND THATS WHAT WERE GOING TO
CONTINUE TO WORK ON HERE TRYING
TO GET THE WORD OUT, TRYING TO
GET DEEPER INTO THE COMMUNITY
AND TALK TO NEIGHBORS AND MAKE
SURE TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE AND NOT
GOING TO GIVE UP BECAUSE OUR
NUMBERS ARE DISMAL IN
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR RIGHT NOW.
>> AS A GREAT MAN ONCE SAID
LETS CHOOSE TO ACCENTUATE THE
POSITIVE.
WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND EVEN THOUGH
THE OVERALL NUMBER IS DISMAL?
WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND THAT WORKS
ON A MICRO LEVEL?
>> I THINK THE THING THAT WORKS
IS GOING INTO THE COMMUNITY TO
NOT EXPECT PEOPLE TO NECESSARILY
COME OUT TO THE SITES THAT WE
HAVE SET UP BUT WE ARE GOING TO
ANNOUNCE TOMORROW THAT WE HAVE A
MOBILE VAN IN ONE OF THE
COMMUNITIES AND GOING OUT INTO
THE COMMUNITY TO GO DOOR T DOOR
TO PUT OUT FLYERS, TO TALK TO
PEOPLE.
SOMETIMES WHEN THERES HESITANCY
OR FEAR AND IM NOT ASSUMING
THAT EVERYTHING IS BASED ON FEAR
BUT IN SOME CASES THERE IS FEAR.
YOU REALLY DO HAVE TO TAKE YOUR
TIME AND LISTENING TO PEOPLE
TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE ISSUES
SLOWING THEM DOWN AND WHY THEY
DONT TRUST THIS.
HAVE NEIGHBOR TALK TO NEIGHBOR
AND THAT TAKES TIME.
WE KNEW AT THE BEGINNING THAT
YOU WITH RESPECT GOINGERENT GOI
MINDS AND HEARTS OVERNIGHT.
THESE ARE TRUST ISSUES BUILDING
FOR GENERATIONS AND WE ARE STILL
DOING THE SAME WORK WE HAVE BEEN
DOING.
I THINK THAT THINGS ARE SLOWLY
TURNING AROUND.
I THINK IN BOSTON AREA OUR
NUMBERS ARE BETTER THAN MANY IN
THE UNITED STATES.
SO WE ARE PROUD OF THE CHANGE WE
HAVE MADE AND RAILIZE WE HAVE A
LONG WAY TO GO.
THIS WAS NEVER GOING TO BE A
PRINT AND I WANT TO SAY TO ALL
THOSE PEOPLE DOING THE HARD WORK
ON THE GROUND, TALKING TO THEIR
NEIGHBORS AND LISTENING AND
BEING PATIENT WE JUST HAVE TO
KEEP IT UP AND WHAT WE WILL DO.
I DONT WANT ANYONE TO FORGET
BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS IF THE
MAJORITY POPULATION IS
VACCINATED AND WE ARE ALL
CELEBRATING AND VISITING AND
TRAVELING YOU FORGET THE
COMMUNITY THAT NEEDS THE
VACCINES MORE THAN ANYBODY.
AND THE LICHFE GOES ON AND THEN
HOLD THE BURDEN OF THIS DISEASE
EVEN MORE SO THAN WE ARE HOLDING
NOW.
THATS MY BIGGEST FEAR TO
CONTINUE TO JUST KIND OF GROW IN
OUR COMMUNITIES AND PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO CONTINUE TO GET COVID
AND TO GET SICK AND TO DIE AND I
BELIEVE THATS HAPPENING AS WE
SPEAK THOUGH NOT IN THE BIGGER
NUMBERS THAT WE HEARD ABOUT