Rep. Maxine Waters Confirms Sister Passed From Coronavirus Complications
Nearly three weeks ago we reported that California Rep. Maxine Waters made the reveal that her sister was dying from coronavirus. Late last week, she passed from complications.
Speaking with theGrio, Waters, a St. Louis native, explains, “It is one of the most painful things that I’ve ever had to experience in my life. She had suffered. And so, we are going through a very difficult time. It was not easy, but in many ways, I’m so glad she’s out of pain.”
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To the black community, Waters warns, “I want Black people to do everything that they can to take care of themselves. I want them to be aware that they gotta have masks. They can’t go out. They can’t party. They can’t be in groups. I want them to isolate as much as they can. I want us to honor all of that. I want us to be patient with all of that. The President of the United States does not care. He does not care about these deaths.”
She continues, “We are disproportionately vulnerable. And why is that? We don’t have health insurance. Oftentimes, we can’t afford it. We don’t work on a job where it’s available to us. And so we are doing whatever we can do, going to the emergency room trying to find a free federal clinic that can help us.”
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She added, “The nursing home is the only place we have for many of our seniors, many of whom have outlived their families.That’s where they go. And now these nursing homes are like a petri dish for the continued development of this virus that is killing us.”
Prior to the confirmation of her sister’s passing, a few weeks back, the congresswoman shared an emotional tribute to her sister on Capitol Hill during a debate regarding the stimulus relief. Take a look below to hear more.