June 19, 2021
Higher Heights Leadership Fund partners with PHENOMENAL and others for a GOTVaxx Week of Action
Mobilization and education effort aims to help save Black lives by preventing the further spread of COVID-19
(June 18, 2021) — Higher Heights Leadership Fund in partnership with PHENOMENAL will convene a coalition of Black women-led organizations across the country for a week-long grassroots mobilization and education effort to help save Black lives by preventing the spread of COVID-19. The GOT Vaxx (Get Out the Vaxx) week of action begins on Juneteenth, Saturday, June 19 and runs through Friday, June 25.
As the only national organization exclusively dedicated to harnessing Black women’s political power, Higher Heights believes ending the COVID-19 threat and its disproportionate impact on Black communities is an urgent call to action and is central to the work of Black women leaders across the country. The most recent Center for Disease Control and Prevention data show that Black people are getting vaccinated at a much lower rate than their white counterparts even though our communities have carried a heavier burden of infection and death from COVID-19.
“We often say when Black women go to the polls, we don’t go alone, we bring our house, our block, our church, and our sorority with us,” said Lakeila Stemmons, National Director of Higher Heights. Now more than ever we need to implement the same strategy when it comes to ensuring that we and those we care about get vaccinated. Just like Black women lead when it comes to pushing democracy forward, we can take the lead in protecting the health and lives of those in our communities through vaccination.”
Stemmons is available for interviews to discuss the week of action. The week includes the following events:
Saturday, June 19: Juneteenth Health Fair with St. Mary’s Center
Time: 11 am – 3 pm
Location: Michigan Park Christian Church | 1600 Taylor Street, NE, Washington, DC 20017
Join us as we partner with St. Mary’s Center on Juneteenth to raise awareness and get the community vaccinated.
Tuesday, June 22: GOTVaxx Twitter Storm
Time: 12 Noon ET
Location: Join us on Twitter here.
Follow the hashtag #BlackWomenLeadGOTVaxx
Join us for our Twitter storm as we uplift the facts around COVID-19 and vaccinations and as Black women share their vaccination stories.
Thursday, June 24: GOTVaxx Virtual Block Party
Time: 6:30 pm ET
Join us for a Virtual Block Party as we gather friends, partners and special guests as they share their vaccination stories and trials with coronavirus.
Register here.
Friday, June 25: The Sip Hour GOTVaxx Edition
Time: 2 pm ET
Join us for the culmination of GOTVVaxx Week of Action for the Sip Hour as the hosts of the Sip Hour share their vaccination stories.
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