Multiple award-winning singer, Beyonce and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey have together pledged 6 million dollars to an initiative aimed at providing mental health support during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The 38-year-old megastar announced on her website on Thursday that her charitable organisation BeyGOOD would be providing mental and personal health support relief.
In addition, her organization partnered with 43-year-old Twitter CEO’s StartSmall foundation in funding organizations that provide mental wellness service.
Beyonce will also partner with University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), as well as the National Alliance in Mental Illness (NAMI) to offer support in Houston where she was born and raised, New York, New Orleans, and Detroit.
The singer had previously used her platform to speak out on how black Americans are being disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
She wrote;
Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD recognizes the immense mental and personal health burdens being placed on essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beyonce added that;
In our major cities, African-Americans comprise a disproportionate number of workers in these indispensable occupations, and they will need mental health support and personal wellness care, including testing and medical services, food supplies and food deliveries, both during and after the crisis.
During her stint on the One World: Together at Home concert on Saturday, the mother of three told viewers that;
This virus is killing black people at an alarmingly high rate here in America. Those with preexisting conditions are at an even higher risk.
According to Beyonce, a recent report out of her hometown of Houston, Texas revealed that 57 percent of COVID-19 fatalities within Houston City limits have been of African American descent.
She urged viewers of the concert to protect themselves, saying;
We are one family and we need you. We need your voices, your abilities, and your strength all over this world.
As at Friday afternoon, there are 887,622 persons infected in the U.S and 50,283 deaths with New York City being the worst-hit.
