This week, Oprah Winfrey’s newest TV series Oprah Talks COVID-19 is going to focus on the “deadly impact” that the virus is having on black America. The media mogul announced her plans for the upcoming episode on Monday, as she hopes to find out why the coronavirus is hitting the African-American community so hard.
“This coronavirus is shaking up the world,” tweeted Winfrey. “I hope you’ll join me to understand why COVID-19 is having such a deadly impact on black America as I speak to leaders in our community and family members who are having to bury their dead alone.”
COVID-19 is having a deadly impact on the African-American community. I’ll be talking with leaders, doctors, journalists, & REAL people suffering in this pandemic. Hope y’all can join me for this discussion tomorrow 4/14 at 11 PM EST on @OWNTV & streaming for free on @AppleTV. pic.twitter.com/L2nSJQ782x
— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) April 13, 2020
Winfrey also promoted the new episode during an appearance on The Today Show on Tuesday morning, and she said that the coronavirus is “ravaging” the black community. She said that the disease is serious and people are losing their loved ones, whether you know them or not.
She also believes that the coronavirus is impacting the black community in such a significant way because many people have jobs that are on the front lines during the fight against the spread of the disease.
“We as a people, as African Americans, have jobs that require us to be at work,” she said. “For so many African Americans, there isn’t this ability to telecommute.”
Winfrey explained that the responsibilities and dynamics of some people’s lives in the African-American community do not allow them to stay at home, so they need masks. She says that grocery store workers should all be wearing masks, and everyone needs to look out for themselves and their neighbors.
In addition to focusing on the impact of COVID-19 on the black community, Winfrey’s new episode will also talk about the need for more testing stations. However, she believes the most important thing is that African-Americans understand just how serious the pandemic is.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Oprah (@oprah) on Apr 14, 2020 at 9:03am PDT
She says that the disease is “taking us out,” and it is killing your cousins, friends, and neighbors. Therefore, you should do whatever you need to do to protect yourself.
In addition to spreading valuable information about the COVID-19 pandemic, Oprah Winfrey has also donated $10 million to relief efforts, including $1 million to Feeding America to make sure no one goes hungry during the pandemic. Other charities receiving donations from Winfrey include the Boys and Girls Club in Kosciusko, Mississippi, and Minnie’s Food Pantry in Plano, Texas.
The new episode of Oprah Talks COVID-19 will air Tuesday, April 14 on the Oprah Winfrey Network and AppleTV+