Members of black and Latino communities concerned about face mask racial profiling

Per a Tuesday, April 7, CNN article, people of color are facing a challenging and fearful decision when they hear recommendations from officials to wear face masks made out of handkerchiefs. Large handkerchiefs and certain colors and patterns are associated with violent gangs that require that their members wear bandanas in specific colors to show affiliation. Some police officers and individuals racially profile people of color, especially men, who wear bandanas as headbands or face coverings.

As a result of a lack of medical-grade personal protective equipment, members of black and Latino communities must make a choice to protect themselves, their loved ones and others from SARS-CoV-2 infections by wearing homemade masks OR wear nothing to protect themselves from police or neighbors and strangers who might target them because of racial profiling.

On one side of the argument is a worker for the Racial Justice Action Center in Atlanta, Georgia, Che Johnson-Long, who told CNN that she will wear a homemade mask to protect others since she already assumes that the police or someone else might stop her at any time anyway.

On the other side is an Ohio educator, Aaron Thomas, who told his Twitter followers: “I don’t feel safe wearing a handkerchief or something else that isn’t CLEARLY a protective mask covering my face to the store because I am a Black man living in this world. I want to stay alive but I also want to stay alive.”

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/07/us/face-masks-ethnicity-coronavirus-cdc-trnd/index.html