Catch up with the latest 'Keeping It Honest and Real on COVID-19' detailed resource episodes

Also, listen to exclusive podcast interview with Pastor Tobaise Brookins on the COVID-19 experience from the church's perspective

By ONME Newswire

Join us is “Keeping It Honest and Real on COVID-19” web-series, brought to you by The Center at Sierra Health Foundation. Go to www.covid19.ca.gov to get the most updated information on the COVID-19 virus as well as the vaccine.

In this Resource #1 episode of Keeping It Honest and Real on COVID-19, a detailed review of online, vetted websites available for those wanting more information about the COVID-19 vaccine is very helpful: www.covid19.ca.gov and the California Wellness Foundation's website, www.cawellness.org

These websites have the most current information regarding the COVID-19 vaccines; people can also make appointments online or call the number and book a vaccine appointment by phone.

Also, The California Wellness Foundation Board Chair, Dr. Pamela J. Simms-Mackey, M.D., FAAP was featured in community forum, The Conversation Between Us, About Us. The online forum with host W. Kamau Bell featured questions Black people had about the COVID-19 vaccines---the panel of Black doctors addressed all of the questions without judgement.

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Listen to audio podcast interview below with Pastor Tobaise Brookins of The Bethesda Churches in and throughout Fresno County:

Keeping It Honest and Real on COVID-19 : An In-depth Interview with a Pastor on the COVID-19 Vaccine Experience

About Brookins:

Pastor Tobaise Bookins serves the spiritual community as pastor of large, diverse congregation, The Bethesda Churches. Bookins, originally from Los Angeles County, moved to the San Joaquin Valley with the encouragement of his mentor, the late senior pastor of Bethesda, Bishop Henry L. Johnson, founder of the Bethesda Church. By 2014, Bookins was able to quickly establish two locations for the church congregation: Bethesda Southeast and Bethesda River Park.

Bookins has also been an educator for over 20+ years: he holds master’s degrees in education and special education, teaching special education students in the Los Angeles Unified School District for 12 years and also in the New York Public School District.

Bookins is also the father of three daughters and husband to wife, Dr. Antionette Bookins, who is a licensed marriage and family therapist who owns her own practice called Destination Hope Counseling and Enrichment Center, which specializes in Christian counseling.

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In this Resource #2 episode of Keeping It Honest and Real on COVID-19, the American Public Health Association YouTube channel has a unique web series from a Black perspective called, Barbershop Medicine.

These online webisodes are lead by two dynamic Black doctors, Dr. Italo Brown, who is an emergency physician and chief impact officer of TRAP medicine, and Dr. Cedric Jamie Rutland, who is a pulmonary and critical care physician. He is also a spokesperson for the American Lung Association.

Both doctors sit down with a group of Black men with diverse backgrounds and ages to have a candid conversation in an outdoor, barbershop-setting about the COVID-19 vaccines. The doctors identify the vaccine hesitancy roots during the candid conversation with complete compassion and understanding, following up in the conversation with important or misinformation regarding the COVID-19 vaccines.

Here is an episode from Barber Shop Medicine