They told us to do it for our community. They told us to trust the science. They told us the side effects were rare. But now, millions of people are sick—really sick—but what we don’t know is how many of them are Black. The problem? Most of them aren’t being counted. And if they are, they’re being dismissed.
This is not an anti-vaccine rant. It is a warning. A wake-up call. A demand for honesty about what is happening in the aftermath of the pandemic, particularly in the lives of Black Americans. While the media and institutions have largely moved on, many in our communities are still suffering—silently, invisibly, and without support.
From the outset of the pandemic, Black communities were categorized as “vulnerable” and aggressively targeted for vaccination campaigns. These efforts, framed as care, often came with coercion: mandates, job requirements, and public pressure. Many complied because we wanted to protect our elders, our children, and our future. But now, too many of us are left dealing with chronic symptoms—fatigue, brain fog, nerve pain, irregular heartbeats, dizziness—that doctors can’t or won’t explain. For the poor and uninsured, there are few pathways to understanding what’s happening to their bodies.
In early 2025, Yale University published a groundbreaking study confirming what thousands have reported for years: Post-Vaccination Syndrome is real. The study revealed abnormal immune responses, reactivation of dormant viruses, and even the persistent presence of the spike protein in some individuals more than 700 days after vaccination. These findings mirror what is also being reported in Long COVID sufferers, and the symptoms overlap. Both are linked to chronic health conditions that disrupt lives, families, and economic security.
It is now estimated that over 17 million Americans are suffering from Long COVID. But how many of them are Black? We don’t know. And that’s the problem. We know that in most health crises, the impact on Black people is more severe due to underlying systemic disparities—yet we lack the data, resources, and advocacy to prove and address it. We have been shut out of the research. We don’t have the luxury of high-end clinics or specialists. And too often, when we seek help, we are dismissed.
What makes this even more dangerous is the silence. There are no widespread Black-led initiatives focused on Long COVID and post-vaccine syndromes. Few Black doctors specialize in these emerging illnesses. And most importantly, we don’t have enough Black advocates speaking up for our wellness and our recovery. We need more Black doctors, researchers, and public health experts dedicated to understanding what this disease is doing to us specifically. We need our clinical trials, our research hubs, and our patient support networks. We need culturally competent care and policy that reflects our reality, not just national averages that ignore race and poverty.
This is medical racism playing out in real time. We were first in line for prevention but last in line for healing. Our communities were used as the face of public compliance, and now we are being erased from the conversation about its consequences.
This is also a fight against Big Pharma and Big Media. These are the industries that profited from our compliance, shaped the public narrative, and now work overtime to downplay or erase the damage. Pharmaceutical companies raked in billions while giving us liability waivers instead of guarantees. Media outlets that once elevated Black voices during the pandemic are now silent when those same voices report ongoing harm. When money and reputation take priority over public health, especially Black health, it’s up to us to expose the truth and demand justice.
This is not a call for panic—it’s a call for power. We must organize, speak out, and demand a full accounting of how Long COVID and post-vaccination injury are impacting Black lives. We must train and fund Black doctors to lead this fight. And we must build independent institutions that center Black health and wellness, not just in times of crisis, but permanently.
They called us heroes when we rolled up our sleeves. Now, many of us are sick, broke, and forgotten. It’s time to speak the truth. Our lives and our future depend on it.
