The 5G Controversy
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, 5G nestled its way into the peripheral conversations of millions of Americans. There has been a recent surge of concern about the construction of 5G towers, particularly in communities of color, and lower-working class communities. Claims have been made that the 5G towers are a public health problem and may be contributing to the spread of the Coronavirus. Major media outlets refer to these concerns as no more than rumors and fake news.
The following statement was taken from a New York Times article quoting England’s national medical director, Stephen Powis on April 4, 2020, “The 5G story is complete and utter rubbish, it’s nonsense, it’s the worst kind of fake news,” Powis said. “The reality is that mobile phone networks are absolutely critical to all of us.”
There have also been claims that the 5G towers emit high levels of radiation, which can cause cancers. However, according to a CNN Business article, published on April 9, 2020, research shows that radiofrequency (RF) waves given off by cell phones do not have enough energy to damage DNA directly or heat body tissues — their energy levels are lower even than technologies such as microwave ovens and televisions.
With all that said, the world still deliberates on whether 5G is guilty as charged. But amid the controversy, COVID-19 has exposed a weakness in a particular demographic within the United States; the African- American community.
The Black State of Emergency
The overwhelming truth about COVID-19 is that a great majority of those who have severe complications and die from the virus are those with pre-existing health conditions. The black community in America has disproportionately found itself at the mercy of this pandemic, due to our history of health disparity.
Louisiana, one of the country’s hardest impacted areas, tells a story that is grim, and all too real. According to an ABC News report written on April 10, 2020, Blacks accounted for 70% of the 702 deaths in Louisiana linked to the coronavirus as of Thursday. Louisiana Health Department data shows that 66% of those who have perished from the pathogen suffered from hypertension, 43% had diabetes, 24% were dealing with obesity and 22% had cardiac disease. Strangely, only a few states publicly report coronavirus cases and deaths by race, but the chart below is quite helpful in telling an interesting story between the percentage of population and percentage of deaths in the black community in regards to COVID-19.
Now or Never
The Black community is beyond a state of emergency. Case after case has taught us that a healthy immune system is the best line of defense for surviving the coronavirus. Therefore, our health must take precedence over everything. We must educate ourselves on how to eat healthier and live more active lifestyles. We must see our doctors more regularly, not just when we are ill, but as routine. Black men, especially, need to talk about our health more, so that we can empower each other. Before coronavirus and 5G towers, the Black community had underlying health issues that continue to be a major problem today. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
- African American adults are 60 percent more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to have been diagnosed with diabetes by a physician.
- In 2014, African Americans were almost three times more likely to die from asthma-related causes than the white population.
- African American women were 20 percent more likely to have asthma than non-Hispanic whites, in 2015.
- African American women are 60 percent more likely to have high blood pressure, as compared to non-Hispanic white women.
- In 2017, African Americans were 20 percent more likely to die from heart disease than non-Hispanic whites.
- African American women have the highest rates of obesity or being overweight compared to other groups in the United States.
- In 2018, African Americans were 20 percent less likely to engage in active physical activity as compared to non-Hispanic whites.
My father battles diabetes, high blood pressure and being overweight. Each day, I watch him digest nearly 10 different medications. He has become dependent on them, which in reality, he would not have needed if he made healthier life choices. Staying away from fatty, greasy, salty foods, but instead eating more fresh fruits, vegetables, and oats. Exercising for at least 20 minutes does wonders. Now, getting out of bed and walking to the bathroom is a challenge for him.
I do not blame my father, friends or community for the lifestyles they chose. Many of us are simply the products of where we come from. Whatever Ma put on the stove or in the refrigerator is what we ate. If Pop smoked cigarettes and sat on the couch, we eventually became a part of that as well. The great Sunday and holiday feasts of our childhoods, filled with fried chicken, pork, over seasoned stews, mounds of rice, cakes, cobblers, pies and to sum it all up with a sweet syrupy beverage, packed with sugar. This is our culture. This is our behavior. This is what we all have done. But now that the verdict is out, we must make a hard shift.
The truth of the matter is that Black Americans have become the face of the pandemic. Our traditional patterns and ways of life must be re-examined and adjusted. We are still unsure about the long term effects of 5G, but we surely know the day-to-day impacts of poor diet, lack of exercise and misinformation. I recently spoke with a good friend, who is an African-American male, in his early 50s, type 2 diabetic, currently residing in New York City. He lost 16 friends to the virus. Needless to say, the majority of the victims had at least one of these conditions: hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and cardiac disease. These health conditions are all preventable, but all too prevalent in the black community.
It’s now or never. Healthier choices and opportunities are all around us. Our health and our survival are in our hands; one healthy decision at a time.
My Two Cents 