Stereotyping is never cool, but we can’t even front with this one. We’ve all, at one time or another, failed to replace the batteries in our detectors and left them to beep.
We joke around about the constant chirping, but Black Americans account for 24% of all fire deaths in the country. The dead battery in our detectors isn’t the primary culprit, though. We can thank structural racism for that.
Most zoning laws in predominantly Black neighborhoods have existed since segregation. The buildings are often neglected or dilapidated and lack adequate fire safety upgrades. The record of higher Black deaths by fire goes back to 1900, but it gets worse.
Historically, Black Americans have made the least money in this country. It’s so deep that we’re the second most likely to experience poverty, which keeps a lot of us in dangerous housing. Pair that with a lack of access to fire safety training and funding for fire education, and many Black people face danger.
We must spread fire safety education across our community and fight for fire safety education and safer homes in our communities. Deaths in the Black community due to an easily correctable stereotype, ain’t it.