• Celebrity
    • Of The Essence
    • Celebrity News
    • If Not For My Girls
    • The State Of R&B
    • Time Of Essence
  • Fashion
    • 2023 Best In Black Fashion Awards
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • Red Carpet
    • Fashion News
    • Accessories
  • Beauty
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
    • 2023 Best In Black Beauty
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Hair
  • Lifestyle
    • Love
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
    • Bridal Bliss
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
  • Entrepreneurship
    • Money & Career
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Shopping
  • Video
  • Events
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
  • Studios
  • Girls United

WHERE BLACK CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS MEET

Sign up for ESSENCE Newsletters the keep the Black women at the forefront of conversation.

Your email is required.
Your email is in invalid format.
Confirm email is required.
Email did not match.
Select the newsletters you'd like to receive:
Please select at least one option.
By clicking Subscribe Now, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • Of The Essence
    • Celebrity News
    • If Not For My Girls
    • The State Of R&B
    • Time Of Essence
  • Fashion
    • 2023 Best In Black Fashion Awards
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • Red Carpet
    • Fashion News
    • Accessories
  • Beauty
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
    • 2023 Best In Black Beauty
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Hair
      • Hair News
      • Natural
      • Relaxed
      • Transitioning
      • Weave
      • 4C
  • Lifestyle
    • Love
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
    • Bridal Bliss
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
  • Entrepreneurship
    • Money & Career
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Shopping
  • Video
  • Events
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Home · News

2 HBCU Presidents Participated In COVID-19 Vaccine Trial

Dillard University President Walter Kimbrough and Xavier University President Reynold Verret spoke out about the importance of diversity in trials.
Black Healthcare Providers Organize To Build Trustworthiness Of COVID-19 Vaccine Process
CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
By Breanna Edwards · Updated May 3, 2021

The presidents of two New Orleans HBCUs are speaking out on the importance of Black and brown participation in the coronavirus vaccine trials, by using themselves as an example.

According to CNN, Dillard University President Walter Kimbrough and Xavier University of Louisiana President Reynold Verret announced their participation in a Phase 3 vaccine trial earlier this month, and have already received their injections and are monitoring and reporting symptoms and side effects.

“Our communities have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, with harrowing consequences for the lives and health of our fellow citizens. Overcoming the virus will require the availability of vaccines effective for all peoples in our communities, especially our Black and brown neighbors.,” the presidents wrote in a joint statement.

Currently, both of the educators are doing well, according to the statement, and encouraged other students, faculty and staff, as well as others in general to participate in similar trials.

“The people and communities we serve look to us as an example,” the statement read. “Our participation in such studies will help find ways to better fight the pandemic.”

Kimbrough told CNN that the lack of participation from the Black community particularly concerned him.

“I just kept seeing all of the articles that indicated we don’t have good representation,” Kimbrough said. “People are making the case that you don’t know if it works for all populations if you don’t have a robust sample.”

To that end, he has gotten some negative responses, with some people comparing him to a “lab rat,” according to the report.

“I think overwhelmingly people are skeptical,” he said.

Of course, neither Kimbrough nor Verret are overlooking the painful history of Black and brown bodies being used for experiments in medical research, such as with the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, and the systemic racism that continues to plague Black Americans in the medical field that have caused mistrust.

“Today, there are many regulations in place to assure the ethical execution of medical studies, including oversight by Human Subjects Committees with diverse membership and participation of clinicians of color,” they noted. “Two of the leading physicians are Drs. Julia Garcia Diaz and Yvens Laborde.”

TOPICS:  coronavirus vaccine COVID-19 Dillard University Reynold Verret Vaccine Walter Kimbrough Xavier University
COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now