Chromatic Black Launches Nationwide “Justice in Action” Event Series on MLK Day Weekend

Jewell Jackson McCabe, founding president of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, to serve as National Chair of the Keep Black Love Alive Campaign

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Chromatic Black launches a national “Justice in Action” event series with 50+ events across the United States from January 14-17 in honor of Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday. As part of the Keep Black Love Alive campaign, the nationwide series of events aims to leverage the civic infrastructure of the African American community to boost confidence in the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, increase the convenience of getting vaccinated and immunize communities of color from truth decay.

Over the course of the 72-hour “Justice in Action” initiative, 50+ partners will host pop-up vaccination clinics in partnership with local public health departments, community leaders and national pharmaceutical partners in areas where the public health infrastructure is fragile. Events will be held across 35 states and the District of Columbia, including Florida, California, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington and Texas.

As the Omicron variant spreads throughout the United States, the Keep Black Love Alive campaign, in cooperation with some of the most prolific Black storytellers and effective community leadership, is combating conspiracy theories, misinformation and disinformation through truth-telling and myth-busting narrative discourse. The campaign focuses on explaining the safety and efficacy of vaccines, developed by experts including noted Black doctor, Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, PhD. Corbett is among the National Institute of Health scientists who worked directly to develop and produce the Moderna COVID-19 vaccination.

"I felt like it was necessary to be seen and to not be a hidden figure, so to speak. I felt that it was important to do that because of the level of visibility that it would have to younger scientists and also to people of color who have often worked behind the scenes and essentially [who have] done the dirty work for these large efforts toward a vaccine…,” says Dr. Corbett. “So, the first thing you might want to say to my African American brothers and sisters is that the vaccine that you're going to be taking was developed by an African American woman. And that is just a fact.”

The “Justice in Action” initiative will also conduct a temperature check of the community through the use of the WE in the World Well-Being Survey. This survey will help to identify how well members of the community are doing and what supports are needed during this critical time. Staff and volunteers will run an outbound call center to reach underserved populations and connect them to social and emergency support.

Angela Harmon, Co-Founder and President of Chromatic Black, says, “We are in deep gratitude for our partnerships with the CDC Foundation, Public Health Institute and the Health Resources and Services Administration for their invaluable support in the capturing of COVID truth and love stories.”

The initiative will also spotlight the power of story-catching in the preservation of cultural memory during this crisis. Chromatic Black storytellers — the 21st century griots — will be interviewing participants virtually and on the ground to capture COVID truth stories and record pandemic experiences.

“​​The Arts offer limitless possibilities and freedom of self expression especially during times of stress,” says Dr. Marietta Dantonio-Madsen, Chairperson, Humanities at Cheyney, the first historically-black college in the U.S. and a ‘Justice in Action’ partner. “Healing occurs, opening a window of hope when we create beauty through making art.”

Jewell Jackson McCabe, founding president of the National Coalition of 100 of Black Women, serves as the National Chair of the Keep Black Love Alive campaign. She is joined by Barbara DeBaptiste, former NCBW President, and a coalition of 50 influential women leaders and community organizers.

“‘Justice in Action’ is an opportunity for us to deploy our civic power and animate our democracy to ensure our communities have the information they need to make informed decisions about their health,” notes McCabe. “Keep Black Love Alive is an intergenerational movement towards reclamation and renewal. This platform will amplify and shape our 2022-2024 health equity public policy agenda, helping to create a blueprint to move us toward well-being. The first step is to strengthen our health systems at the local, state and federal levels as we work toward optimal well-being for everyone.”

Harmon adds, “We are honored to build upon the legacy of Septima Poinsette, Barbara Johns, Fannie Lou Hamer, Constance Baker Motley, Ruth Batson, Ella Baker, Ellen Jackson, Mae Mallory, Daisy Bates, Milton Galamison, Claudette Colvin, Mary Louise Smith as we provide community care and advocate for transformative justice in how we practice wellness in our country.”

ABOUT CHROMATIC BLACK

Chromatic Black is a community of artist-activists, technologists, community organizers and journalists working to build cultural power through the reclamation of STORY as a public common.

Caitlyn Foster
Gregory FCA for Chromatic Black
chromaticblack@gregoryfca.com
484-798-7730