The filmmaker has a special BET where he addresses difficult issues related to COVID-19 and the vaccine while addressing the concerns of the black community. We are approaching an open America where quarantine mandates will be a thing of the past, but to what extent this remains in the future is still unclear. The first rounds of vaccines against COVID-19 have been distributed and government officials expect everyone to have access in the coming months. Within the black community, there have been conversations about skepticism around the vaccine, especially given the historical context of the use of blacks as medical experiments in America. Tyler Perry hopes to alleviate these fears with his next BET feature, Covid-19 Vaccine and the Black Community: A Tyler Perry Special. Perry sat with him CBS This morning to talk about the special while sharing why he decided to take both doses of the vaccine. “I’m not taking this vaccine because I want you to get it, I want to give you the information so you can make your own decisions,” the media mogul said. “I think that’s what education and information is all about.” Perry recognizes it and that can “[raise] for African Americans, ”but he still believes education is key. The filmmaker admitted that he also did not trust the vaccine when it was first announced, but after doing his research he felt more comfortable with the process. “I think it’s important for people to know that if you take a risk with Covid, you’ll never know how it will affect you and can affect your health in the long run.” Perry’s special airs on BET this Thursday (January 28) at 9pm Watch his clip with Gayle King below.
David Ryder / Stringer / Getty Images