CDE roundtable on how vaccinations support Black communities
State schools chief Tony Thurmond on Wednesday will host a roundtable in a series of online discussions with state and national leaders about the importance of encouraging vaccinations in Black communities.
The first online roundtable, “How Vaccinations Can Support Latinx Communities,” occurred Friday and featured U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, and California Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez, among others.
Speakers shared resources as well as creative ways that they have done outreach to Latinx communities to make sure vaccines are available and that the benefits of getting vaccinated are made known. The discussion can be viewed on the California Department of Education’s Facebook page.
Today, Thurmond will lead another virtual discussion, with its aim to raise awareness of the importance of increasing vaccination rates in underserved communities that have been hit hardest by COVID-19.
Experts, including Dr. Anthony Iton, senior vice president for Healthy Communities at The California Endowment, “will address common concerns and questions within the Black community and discuss how encouraging all to get vaccinated will support the recovery, health, and vitality of California’s communities, students and families,” Thurmond noted in a press release.
Others on the panel include Congresswoman Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles; Supervisor Holly Mitchell of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and Shamann Walton, of City and County of San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
The one-hour roundtable begins at 10 a.m. on Zoom, and advance registration is requested, at https://us02web.zoom.us/ webinar/register/WN_VTqMulQ8Sjex8gJ3BDXF5g.
It can also be watched live on Facebook, at https://www.facebook. com/CAEducation.