Minority business owners and customers could be affected in large numbers.
“I talked to people who already have an appointment to get their hair and nails done,” James said. “Businesses are worried about liability and insurance. What happens if someone catches the virus in your place of business? There are lawsuits against nursing homes where people caught the virus and died. What happens if people don’t want to go back to work? Will they not get unemployment anymore? We’re concerned about a lot of things, and we’re concerned about saving lives.”
James said she hopes that more lives are not lost due to Kemp’s decision.
“The Black clergy are appalled by the reopening,” she said. “They will not reopen churches, and they have protested the reopening of nonessential businesses. This is the home of the CDC, and they are against the reopening because we haven’t reached a peak with COVID-19. Our mayor [of Atlanta] Keisha Lance Bottoms has opposed it as well. We hope that it doesn’t spread, but it could be a terrible impact.”
