Black people are scared of wearing COVID-19 masks out of fear of suspicion

Source: Robin Gentry / EyeEm / Getty

COVID-19 has forced all of us to get used to living in a very different way. The freedom to walk around has been suspended temporarily as a means to combat the spread of the disease and keep people safe. If you do go outside to get groceries, medicine, or other essential items, it has been recommended by doctors and the federal government that you wear a protective face covering or mask. Therein lies the rub.

As you’ve likely heard from BOSSIP and other news sources this week, African-Americans are dying from coronavirus at a much higher rate than other racial demographics. African-Americans also have a long history of being targeted as “suspicious” or criminal simply for being dressed a certain way. A bandana covering your face in a way that is typically associated with gangs, robberies, and crime is certainly one of those ways.

There are many Black people who have outright refused to wear protective masks out of fear of being harassed or worse but that also places them at greater risk of contracting the pandemic virus. What the f**k are we supposed to do to not die?!

Both activists and regular-degular citizens are asking this exact same question and Fox29 in Philadelphia spoke to some of them about their quarantine conundrum.

Here’s what one unidentified Black man said about it:

“I’m not trying to come outside as much as possible but that is a reason I wouldn’t want to walk on the street like that because I’m going to look like I’m suspicious,” he said.

“We were just talking about it in my neighborhood. We were standing out there just grilling and my homie was walking down the block and he had his mask on and his hoodie on. We were like you look real suspicious right now and if the cops see you they going to hop out on you. He took his mask off and his hood off and he was like, yeah you’re right,” said the young man.

Here’s some more sad truth for you:

“The fear of being mistaken for a dangerous criminal may be greater than the fear of contracting COVID-19,” said USC Law School Professor Jody Armour. “Wearing a protective mask while black is a concern is just like driving while black is.”