Tina Knowles Lawson Partners with Beyonce for COVID-19 Mobile Testing Relief in Houston

Generosity runs in the family.

Philanthropist, entrepreneur, and fashion designer Tina Knowles Lawson, mother to singing sensation Beyoncé Carter, has created the #IDIDMYPART initiative to encourage Houston residents to get themselves tested in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recognizing the dire infection rates and fatalities affecting black communities, Lawson is pleading to Houston residents to know their status in an urgent appeal to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

“The virus is wreaking havoc on the black community so we need a movement to prioritize our health,” Lawson said in a written statement.

Based on a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of April 23, 33.7% of COVID patients were African American, even though African Americans comprise 13% of the U.S. population. And as per the CDC, as of mid-April, roughly 33% of all fatalities are African American.

“We are all in this together. But we have to look at what is happening in our black and brown communities and how they are being decimated by COVID-19,” Lawson continued. “It is critical that we stay vigilant with social distancing, wearing a mask, and most of all getting tested. If you don’t get tested then you don’t know if you are a carrier of the virus. Being asymptomatic is how you infect your entire household and those around you, the very people you love. We have got to go to these free testing facilities and find out our status.”

This program is sponsored by BeyGOOD, the philanthropic initiative founded by Beyoncé. #IDIDMYPART Mobile Testing Relief Campaign is slated to take place Mother’s Day weekend as it aims to bring awareness to the daily testing administered by United Memorial Medical Center, initiated by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX). This weekend’s effort will provide 1,000 test kits, face masks, gloves, essential vitamins, and household supplies to citizens of Houston. Testing is free and administered under safe conditions as participants don’t have to exit their vehicles.

“Testing is crucial because it helps find hot spots and saves lives,” said Jackson-Lee. “Texas has a very low COVID-19 test rate, second-lowest in the nation. This is why the commitment by Ms. Tina Knowles Lawson and BeyGOOD is so significant in helping Houstonians get out and get tested.”

Tyler Perry, has accepted Lawson’s challenge to do the same and will set up his own #IDIDMYPART campaign in Atlanta. He will then challenge another celebrity to continue the movement in their city.