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Bronx-native Cardi B has committed to covering the funeral costs for those who died in a Bronx apartment complex earlier this month, as reported by CNN.
"I'm extremely proud to be from the Bronx and I have lots of family and friends who live and work there still," Cardi B said in a statement. "So, when I heard about the fire and all of the victims, I knew I needed to do something to help.”
The January 9th fire killed at least 17, including 8 children, and sent over 30 tenants to the hospital. Tenants’ rights attorney Leah Goodridge, who works with tenants in the Bronx, recently wrote for Teen Vogue about the deadly threat of fire for low-income tenants: “Studies show that low-income families are more likely to die from residential building fires than more affluent families. The death rate of Black people in residential fires is twice the overall rate…. These are just some of the ways that tenants are trapped in a system of poor infrastructure.”
Just this week, another person died and others were injured in a Bronx home fire. In the wake of the January 9th fire, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY) announced plans to introduce a bill in both chambers to require heat sensors in residential buildings that receive federal funding. “New York City’s four worst fires in the past 30 years have all been in the Bronx. And that is not an accident,” Torres told The Real Deal. “That is a consequence of systemic disinvestment from affordable housing.”
Though Cardi B has largely stepped back from her political platform after supporting Bernie Sanders in the 2020 presidential election, citing online harassment, the rapper has consistently put her money toward her values. In 2020, she donated $2 million to COVID relief and cash donations for her fans, then matched fan donations to charities of their choice.
“I cannot begin to imagine the pain and anguish that the families of the victims are experiencing, but I hope that not having to worry about the costs associated with burying their loved ones will help as they move forward and heal,” Cardi B’s statement continued. “I send my prayers and condolences to everyone affected by this horrific tragedy."
Want more from Teen Vogue? Check this out: How Building Neglect Endangers Low-Income Residents
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