Congressional Black lawmakers say they support New York City’s passport vaccine mandate despite a recent local Black Lives Matter protest claim that the policy is too often used to deny services to Black patrons.
The protest was a result of a fight that broke out last week when a hostess at Carmine’s Restaurant demanded proof of COVID-19 vaccination from three Black women and accused the trio of carrying fraudulent documentation.
Black lawmakers told The Washington Times, though, the city’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate is necessary.
Rep. Yvette Clarke, New York Democrat, whose Brooklyn district includes Midwood and Crown Heights, called the vaccine passport mandate an “imperative,” adding, “I think everyone needs to be vaccinated.”
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat and caucus chairman, agreed saying, “I support following the public health guidance, both in New York City and throughout the country. So, we can crush this virus.” Mr. Jeffries’ own Brooklyn-Queens district includes majority Black and Caribbean-American Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville, and Canarsie.
The activists, however, denounced the mandate as an excuse to discriminate against Black people and exclude them from restaurants, bars and entertainment venues. It was later found the women’s documentation was verified, but others in their party who attempted to join them later were denied entry for lack of a vaccine passport.
SEE ALSO: Black Lives Matter calls COVID-19 vaccine mandates ‘racist’ after brawl at NYC restaurant
“Having a vaccination card does not protect you from discrimination,” said Chivona Newsome, co-founder of Black Lives Matter of Greater New York. “The 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibits the actions of Carmine’s. It says it is illegal to discriminate against you on the basis of race.”
Since Sept. 13 the city began enforcing that all restaurants and other public indoor venues ask their customers to show proof of vaccination documentation from the COVID-19 virus. Any business that does not comply will face exorbitant fines from the city.
However, as of mid-August, only 28% of young Black New York City residents are vaccinated, a number often rooted in distrust of government or current discriminations.
Additionally, new polling from Morning Consult shows that Democrats’ support for President Biden’s federal vaccine mandates is hurting his numbers among Black voters.
Mr. Biden’s net approval rating among unvaccinated Black voters has plummeted 17 points since before the rollout of the mandates.
Rep. Gene Greene, Texas Democrat, says that while he encourages Black people to get vaccinated, he understands why they remain hesitant to get the jab.
“I attended Tuskegee Institute of Technology, majoring in engineering, and I’m very much aware of the Tuskegee experiment. It is something that is known by many persons of African ancestry,” Mr. Green said during an interview, referencing the four decades long syphilis study on black men that began in 1932. “People are aware of it, and people have also had other things occur, such that they don’t have the level of trust in the government.”
He added, “So there is this level of distrust in the government. This emanates not only from what’s happening in vaccinations, not just what happened at Tuskegee, but also the interaction with law enforcement.”
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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