At an alarming rate, COVID-19 has affected at least 2 million people, making medical supplies including mask and gowns, hard to come by. During the beginning of the crisis, essential workers along with citizens had a hard time finding protective material, and some online orders were backed up for months. No one would’ve guessed at the beginning of March that the entire world would be dealing with a pandemic, yet here we are. Most cities are getting ready to implement plans to open up; however, wearing a mask is almost mandatory everywhere you go.
With the scarce number of supplies, a few Black designers have stepped up by providing masks to alleviate the shortage. In the beginning of the pandemic, Kerby Jean-Raymond used his Instagram platform to announce his plans for providing aid to COVID-19 victims. The Brooklyn-based creative turned his New York studio into a donation center and granted small businesses with financial support, while independent brand Six20 curated a six-minute video detailing how to sew masks following the current CDC protocols. Below are a few Black designers on the front lines helping in the fight against the coronavirus.
For more information about effective face masks, visit who.int. This story was originally published on March 31, 2020.
