BET X United Way COVID-19 benefit concert raises over $15 million for U.S. grassroots organizations including Chicago's Austin Coming Together
BET and United Way’s Saving OurSelves (S.O.S.) COVID-19 benefit concert aired across several BET channels and social media sites. Screenshot from Twitter by Maia McDonald.
Chicago’s own Austin Coming Together (ACT) is just one of several community organizations around the country that will receive resources and donations collected from a benefit concert organized by BET entitled “Saving OurSelves (S.O.S.) COVID-19 Relief Effort” and the United Way that raised over $15 million. On Wednesday, April 22, a number of celebrities came together across several television stations, including several BET channels, social media sites, and Bounce TV for a simulcast virtual concert event.
Proceeds of the concert are being donated to African-American communities severely impacted by COVID-19. United Way is planning to disburse resources to local organizations in six major metropolitan areas across the country including Chicago, with Austin Coming Together being one of recipients.
“Austin Coming has been supported by United Way for some time now and we actually are the lead organization for their Neighborhood Network Initiative,” said Alicia Plomin-Spitler, the marketing and development manager for Austin Coming Together. “That means we act as the central hub for resources in the Austin community and we act as a connector for families to connect with any service they might need.”
Also, with the City of Chicago recently reporting that Austin is one of the communities hardest hit by COVID-19 in Chicago, alongside Shore Shore and Auburn Gresham, Austin Coming Together was one of the partner organizations approached by United Way to be a beneficiary of the benefit concert.
Plomin-Spitler says at this point the organization doesn’t know how much money they’ll receive from the fundraiser, but says they do have plans for what they liked to accomplish with any help they receive in the future. ACT has created a COVID-19 response strategy, that consists of four strategies they plan to employ in order to help those in Austin impacted by the coronavirus.
The strategies include advocacy, communication, resource management and resource development, actions that ACT has largely already been taking as part of their model and mission has a community organization. ACT also plans on starting a COVID-19 response fund for it’s community. Plomin-Spitler says additional funding raised from the benefit concert will make it easier for plans like these and others to come to fruition. She also believes support for community organizations through similar actions should be commonplace, as they are essential to helping underserved communities, especially in times of crisis like the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s important that community-based organizations like Austin Coming Together get this level of support because we are the groups that are most connected to the residents themselves and have been working side-by-side with the residents to understand their needs,” Plomin-Spitler said. “So, we have a clear vision of what it’s going to take to respond to a crisis like this in our community. And other community-based organizations are so woven into neighborhood culture and knowledge that they data that sometimes government entities might not have. So we have that knowledge and understanding and we have the relationships that can really make a collective impact.”
Austin Coming Together is also part of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Racial Equity Rapid Response Team assisting in addressing the racial disparities seen in Chicago’s confirmed coronavirus cases and the communities most vulnerable during the pandemic.
In a press release following the event, United Way Worldwide Chief Experience Officer Stan Little said, “We are proud to have partnered with BET on such a successful event, and we are encouraged by the tremendous outpouring of support we have seen for the BET COVID-19 Relief Fund. The reality, though, is this is a drop in the bucket of what will be needed to drive recovery and rebuilding in these communities. We look forward to working with BET to not only provide this immediate relief, but to build stronger and more resilient communities for the long term.”
The event was co-hosted by Grammy Award-winning singer/actress Kelly Rowland, TV personality Terrence J, actress Regina Hall, and comedian/actor Anthony Anderson. There were several musical performances and celebrity appearances from singers like Alicia Keys, John Legend, Ciara, Chloe X Halle, Usher, Charlie Wilson and more. A gospel performance featuring Kirk Franklin, Fantasia and others, as well as appearances by celebrities like Tiffany Haddish, Idris Elba, Don Cheadle and more were other highlights of the two-hour event.
In a statement, president of BET Scott Mills talked about the importance of supporting black communities doing this tough time.
"The COVID-19 pandemic is savagely compounding the profound health and financial vulnerabilities many Black Americans face. Every day, there are new reports of how this pandemic is killing African Americans at much higher rates than other communities,” said Scott. “BET is using all of our resources – our capital, our media platforms, our relationships with the creative community, sponsors, businesses and charitable organizations to support our community in this time of crisis.”
People who tuned into watch also received tips on how to manage, cope and help with stress, anxiety and other challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. CNN political commentator Angela Rye, interviewed by co-cost Anthony Anderson, talked how COVID-19 has disproportionately affected black communities across the country.
“In our community we often say ‘when American catches a cold, black people catch pneumonia.’ Well, pneumonia has now evolved into coronavirus,” Rye said. “We are seeing impact from frontline workers, to teachers, to schoolbus drivers. There are so many people who are being impacted
There were a number of shout-outs to Chicago from celebrities calling attention to their hometown, which has been largely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Rappers Common and Chance the Rapper were just a couple of those from Chicago who made an appearance during the livestreamed event.