Shannon Hardin, City Council president in Columbus, Ohio, tweeted Monday: “While I encourage folks to follow the guidelines of the CDC, children of color must be prepared for the bias they will face outside their home.”
Black Americans reacting to the recommendation have suggested that by walking in public spaces with their faces covered they could be mistaken for gang members, attract unwanted attention from the police, have other citizens call the police on them or be racially profiled in general.