Segregation 2.0, A Conversation with Kevin Jenkins

Perspectives on the Pandemic XXIV Nov 1, 2021

Segregation? How do black New Yorkers feel about vaccine mandates and passports? Well over half of them have refused to submit to the “experimental biologic”, which means they are officially banned from restaurants, gyms, and indoor venues. And yet 67 years have passed since Brown vs. Board of Education, which struck down the ridiculous notion that “separate” could be “equal”. Health activist Kevin Jenkins delivers a powerful rebuke to the New Racist Normal, reminding us that segregation, then as now, is about dividing society into the “clean” and “unclean”. How long until Americans wake up to Jim Crow 2.0? How long until we realize that the basic instinct that underpinned such a horrible chapter in our history is alive and well in 2021?

Kevin D. Jenkins is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Urban Global Health Alliance (UGHA) that serves as a valued partner with communities to empower and engage all on the issues of health and wellness. UGHA recognizes that in an increasingly urbanized world, health issues present new challenges that go far beyond the health sector and require action at the global, national, community, and individual levels.

Kevin and UGHA have been instrumental in the Health Freedom Movement, combining the institutional power of partnering with parents, religious, community leaders, and other advocacy groups to create step-by-step strategies and resources to help leaders stay engaged. Kevin works to bring together municipal authorities and decision-makers across multiple sectors with the aim of promoting intersectional action to reduce urban health inequities. UGHA’s strategic approach to grassroots organizing and spirituality has made it a powerful force for improvement. On behalf of UGHA, Kevin has participated in legislative strategy, interfaith alliance-building, freedom protests, and community organizing events in New Jersey, Connecticut, Virginia, New York, Illinois, Colorado, California, and Massachusetts. Kevin believes that it is time for Black Americans to own their “square” and help educate, embrace and activate their fellow countryman, and advocate for the right.