New York, NY – November 23, 2020: Today, a group of the Nation’s renown Black clergy led by Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Calvin O. Butts, III, announced a historic partnership with United Way of New York City, the Nation’s preeminent community mobilization agency, to launch the Choose Healthy Life Black Clergy Action Plan to address COVID-19 and other health disparities in the Black community.

“The Black community has been devastated by COVID-19 and the disproportionate impact is cause for alarm as we head into the winter months. As clergy members we must intervene and help protect our people and help them make informed decisions,” said civil rights leader and President of National Action Network (NAN) Rev. Al Sharpton. “As faith community leaders we are demanding more accessible testing and transparency in the communities where we live.”

The Choose Healthy Life Black Clergy Action Plan will raise awareness, educate the community on preventative measures and most importantly provide access to COVID-19 testing for high risk communities through the Black church – the oldest and most trusted institutions in the Black community. Working in collaboration with implementation partner the United Way of New York City and affiliated local agencies, the Plan will initially launch in five cities – New York, N.Y., Newark, N.J., Detroit, Mich., Atlanta, Ga. and Washington, D.C. 

“COVID-19 is killing our community at substantially higher rates than any other population group in this country. Increased testing and accurate education about the virus are critical to stopping community spread in Black communities that have been devastated by the pandemic,” said Rev. Butts.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Blacks are hospitalized from COVID-19 at a rate approximately five (5) times that of non-Hispanic white persons and according to a recent Johns Hopkins University study, Blacks in some communities are dying at a rate nearly seven (7) times higher than other population groups.

“Fighting COVID requires all of society. It’s of utmost importance to have the engagement, partnership, and leadership of communities most impacted by COVID-19. Of particular importance is the leadership of Black clergy. I’m honored to support this initiative, which prioritizes getting services to people and communities most in need. When we recognize that we’re all connected, we can stop the virus,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, President and Chief Executive Officer of Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital Strategies, and former Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This initiative is being led by the National Black Clergy Health Leadership Council, which is chaired by Rev. Sharpton (National Action Network, New York, N.Y.) and Rev. Butts  (Abyssinian Baptist Church, New York, N.Y.) and includes council members Rev. David Jefferson (Metropolitan Baptist Church, Newark, N.J.); Reverend Jacques DeGraff (Canaan Baptist Church of Christ, New York, N.Y.); Rev. Horace Sheffield (New Destiny Christian Fellowship, Detroit, Mich.); Rev. Frank Tucker (First Baptist Church, Washington D.C.); and Rev. Raphael Warnock (Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, Ga.).

The successful model behind the Choose Healthy Life Black Clergy Action Plan was initially created and developed by Debra Fraser-Howze, founder of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, to successfully combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Black community.

“Our communities trust our churches,” said Fraser-Howze, who advised two U.S. Presidents as a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS from 1998 to 2003. “And when the Black Church has stepped forward in the past to address a health crisis – the community listened.”

Collaborative work among the Black church, the United Way agencies and support organizations has already begun and more details on the Plan’s implementation will be announced in January.

“United Way of New York City is thrilled to be continuing our commitment to improving racial equity in communities through coordinating this important effort to provide increased COVID-19 testing and public health awareness in Black communities,” said Sheena Wright, President and CEO of United Way of New York City.

Funding support for this initiative has been made possible through grants from founding sponsor Quest Diagnostics, the Quest Diagnostics Foundation and from Resolve to Save Lives.

To learn more about Choose Healthy Life, please click here.

General Media queries for Choose Healthy Life, the Black Clergy and United Way of New York City: Anne Smith at anne@thetascgroup.com, (917) 751-4839.

Resolve to Save Lives and Dr. Tom Frieden media queries: Steven Chlapecka, Resolve to Save Lives, schlapecka@resolvetosavelives.org, (917) 623-0246 or Erin Sykes, Resolve to Save Lives, esykes@resolvetosavelives.org, (646) 612-0001.

Quest Diagnostics media queries:  Dennis Moynihan dennis.jmoynihan@questdiagnotics.com or at (973) 520-2192

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About Choose Healthy Life
Choose Healthy Life Black Clergy Action Plan is a program developed by D. Fraser Associates (DFA) based on the DFA Choose Healthy Life Standard – a sustainable, scalable and transferable approach to public health. The highly successful Standard was created by Debra Fraser-Howze, principal at DFA and founder of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, to address the AIDS epidemic. It is centered around the Black church – the oldest and most trusted institutions in the Black community. Partnering with the United Way agencies, local health departments and community-based organizations, churches receive the necessary resources, training and support to make available health services to the region’s most vulnerable individuals. The Choose Healthy Life Black Clergy Action Plan has been made possible through the support of founding partner Quest Diagnostics, the Quest Diagnostics Foundation and from Resolve to Save Lives, a global health initiative focused on helping advance scalable, proven strategies to prevent and address epidemics. To learn more, visit: www.ChooseHealthyLife.org

About United Way of New York City
United Way of New York City (UWNYC) fights for the self-sufficiency of every low-income New Yorker by taking on the toughest challenges and creating new solutions to old problems. We win by helping families shift from barely surviving to thriving. We unite by mobilizing the best ideas, relevant data, internal and external experts, and resources—from money to manpower. UWNYC maximizes impact by coordinating and aligning organizations, companies, local government, and New Yorkers to help families eliminate tough choices and live better while making ends meet. To learn more, visit: www.unitedwaynyc.org.

About Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics empowers people to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from the world's largest database of clinical lab results, our diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve health care management. Quest Diagnostics annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our 47,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives. www.QuestDiagnostics.com.

About Resolve to Save Lives
Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital Strategies, aims to prevent at least 100 million deaths from cardiovascular disease and epidemics. Through its Prevent Epidemics program, Resolve to Save Lives has rapidly leveraged existing networks to partner with countries throughout Africa and beyond to combat COVID-19. Resolve is led by Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and is part of the global health organization Vital Strategies. To find out more visit: https://www.resolvetosavelives.org or Twitter @ResolveTSL.

Resolve to Save Lives created a website called PreventEpidemics.org that shows how prepared each country is for an epidemic, including COVID-19. This site is also a resource for current coronavirus statistics and resources.

Media Contact: Anne Smith
The TASC Group
Phone: 917-751-4839
anne@thetascgroup.com