Last night, ABC aired the "virtual" One World: Together At Home benefit concert. More than 100 artists performed from their living rooms in an attempt to raise funds for the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization.
Pop sensation Beyoncé Knowles-Carter also made a surprise appearance on the show, delivering a message of thanks to key workers and medical professionals, as well as a statement about African-Americans being at a "disproportionate" risk of the novel coronavirus.
Watch Beyoncé's powerful message in the video below:"Tonight we celebrate true heroes. Those who are making the ultimate sacrifice to keep us all safe, fed and healthy.
"To the doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers who are away from their families to take care of ours, we continue to pray for your safety.
"To those in the food industry, delivery workers, mail carriers and sanitation employees, who are working so we can be safe in our homes, we thank you for your selfless service."
The former Destiny's Child star then expressed her concern for black communities across the country facing the COVID-19 pandemic. She said:
"Black Americans disproportionately belong to these essential parts of the workforce that do not have the luxury of working from home. African-American communities at large have been severely affected in this crisis.
"Those with pre-existing conditions are at an even higher risk.
"This virus is killing black people at an alarmingly high rate here in America.
"A recent report in my home city, Houston, Texas, showed that of COVID-19 deaths within Houston city limits, 57% of fatal cases are African-American. Please protect yourselves. We are one family and we need you, we need your voices and your abilities and your strength all over this world."
Ending her appeal, the 38-year-old added: "I know it’s very hard but please be patient, stay encouraged, keep the faith, stay positive and continue to pray for our heroes. Goodnight and God bless you."
Texas is not the only state to report on disproportionate statistics when it comes to coronavirus death tolls and people of color.
Per Associated Press, New York City's Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke out about racial disparities in COVID-19 deaths earlier this month during a City Hall briefing.
As reported by the AP, preliminary data has indicated that black people account for 28% of the city’s COVID-19 death toll, despite being just 22% of the city’s population. And Hispanic people account for 34% of the city's virus death toll and are 29% of its population.
Mayor de Blasio said of these figures: "We’re seeing folks who have struggled before really being hit particularly hard. [...] It’s sick. It's troubling. It's wrong. And we are going to fight back with everything we’ve got."
Similar statistics have also been reported elsewhere in the country.
Per the Washington Post, black people in Michigan account for 41% of the COVID-19 death toll, despite black residents making up just 14% of the state's population.
In response to these reported figures, former NFL star Colin Kaepernick has started a relief fund for black and brown communities devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic virus via his organization Know Your Rights Camp.
Watch Kaepernick's video plea below:The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback and civil rights activist revealed that he has already donated $100,000 to the fund, writing to his 2.2 million Twitter followers:
"Structural racism makes Black & Brown ppl more likely to die from #COVID19. We've launched the Know Your Rights Camp COVID-19 Relief Fund to directly impact the disproportionate effect #coronavirus is having on our communities. #WeGotUs
"Donate at: knowyourrightscamp.com/covid19"
In the video, which was posted on his social media accounts Thursday, Kaepernick explains his reasoning for the incredible fund, saying: "Black and brown communities are being disproportionately devastated by COVID-19 because of hundreds of years of structural racism.
"That’s why we’ve established the Know Your Rights Camp COVID-19 Relief Fund to help address these issues. We need each other now more than ever."