The NAACP wants to make sure anyone who needs a test can get one without the possibility of being turned away. In memory of her husband, Kerstin Duffy is hoping to make a difference by sharing her story.
"If I can help even just to save one person it would be worth doing what I did, even though I'm still grieving myself, the type of person my husband was he would want me to speak up for other people," said Kerstin Duffy.
Learning the news that Keenan Duffy passed away after being denied COVID-19 testing at the Cajundome, the NAACP local chapter in Lafayette is worried Duffy isn't the only one.
"If they were tested, they could've been treated, and that didn't happen, and I'm hoping and praying that those lives not have been in vain," said Lafayette Chapter President, Marja Broussard.
The Lafayette chapter is urging residents that are still being denied COVID-19 testing to text the word "Denied," to 337-704-8884.
"Right now, we're in the collecting the data stages, and I think it's important that we hold those people accountable in some way because everyone trusted the process because it was set up at the Cajundome it was a no brainer," said Broussard.
The fight to ensure racial disparities are being acknowledged and addressed is the battle the NAACP is taking head-on in the state of Louisiana.
"Me doing the story is actually giving a voice to other people because if I didn't say anything, this could probably still be going on," said Duffy.
