OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – A fun event that was scheduled to celebrate Black businesses and artists has been postponed due to the sudden spike of COVID-19 cases.
On Thursday, officials with the Oklahoma State Department of Health announced 450 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours.
On Friday, the Plaza District announced that it was postponing the ‘Solidarity in the Plaza: Black Lives Matter” event.
“It is with great sadness that we postpone this event,” says Plaza District Executive Director Selena Skorman, “But we have to put the health of our attendees, our artists, and our businesses first.”
Organizers say the future date remains unclear due to the ever-changing effects of the coronavirus.
“You can’t say Black Lives Matter and then put the lives of those who are most vulnerable to the disease at risk,” says Chaya Fletcher, event organizer. “Black people have been disproportionately affected by COVID and it is our responsibility to not contribute to the increase in those numbers. In celebration of Juneteenth, we urge you to find a black business to support today in hopes that this will spur long-term economic equality for businesses of color.”
