‘Which death do they choose?’: Many Black men fear wearing a mask more than the coronavirus
When the CDC issued guidelines in early March asking people to wear masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the question for many Black men was not where to get a mask or which kind. It was: How do I cover my face and not get shot?
As the recent killing of George Floyd made achingly clear, the widespread fear of violent death at the hands of law enforcement is not unfounded. Being killed by police is one of the leading causes of death for young Black men. A study last year found one in a thousand Black men in America could expect to be killed by police.
