This Week: Waves of Change

The Washington Post sends Breaking News reports to my cellphone all day long. These reports, Express coupons, bank balances, and AlertDC traffic updates crowd the Yahoo! inbox I've demoted to "important slash annoying emails" status. Last Friday, when I got an alert that Japan suffered an 8.9-magnitude earthquake, and was then struck by a 13-foot tsunami, I shook my head, called His name and put my phone down. Admittedly, ever since Hurricane Katrina, I tend to feel a here-we-go-again feeling every time a natural disaster occurs. I've been desensitized by this incessant email feature, making lives lost seem as unimportant as a quick glance at a cell phone. But, when I saw these pictures, I was brought hurtling back to reality.

 

My mind was bewildered and full of questions: "Seriously, where is all of that water going to go? Who is going to rebuild all these houses? How are the kids supposed to go to school, what if someone is somewhere having a baby, when are the funerals, what are people eating, where are the doctors...what are they going to do?"

I wish, more than anything, that I had an answer to these questions. I wish I could do more than send a text messaged donation, because what is my measly contribution going to do for a little girl who saw her house, engulfed in flames, swept away by the ocean. When disasters strike, I don't think about it being the end of days. Why think of the end and waste moments that could be the beginning of recuperation? Now, with the threat of nuclear plant disaster, there are brand new problems to solve, amplifying the already unbearable waves of destruction.

Do something. Do anything but sit there and ignore what's happening. The end is not here, and if you're up reading this, it's not near either. You have an opportunity, right now, to make a difference.

Ways to help:
1. Pray. Think nice thoughts. Wish for good things to happen. Spread good karma. Whatever you choose to call it, send some positive vibes Japan's way.
2. Pay. Because money makes the world go round, even though the earthquake shifted the earth's axis.
--UNICEF
--Mercy Corps
--AmeriCares
--Save The Children
Or check Google for even more organizations who are accepting donations.

I know Mother Nature's been busy the past few years, but it's imperative that we treat every situation urgently. Don't become jaded by those convenient reminders that turn news into nuisances. Don't allow (in)famous actors to steal the spotlight from the true stars of the show- our fellow world citizens who are desperately in need of our immediate and heartfelt attention.

*Thanks to http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/03/earthquake-in-japan/100022/ for the photos. View more photos by following that link.*

This Week: U-N-I-T-Y!

Readers, I'm so excited to introduce BPHSN's faculty advisor, Karen Pomerantz, as our guest blogger for This Week. I hope you enjoy the post and are encouraged to become an an advocate for public health across the world, or right here in our own backyard.

From North Africa to the Midwest, conditions for working people are getting worse.  In Congress and state legislatures, Republicans and Democrats have cut funding for housing subsidies, HIV medication programs (ADAP), energy subsidies for the poor, literacy training (Even Start), child care, and education while spending billions to fight wars and prop up dictators.  

Yet, people are not taking this lying down!  Students have shut down the University of Puerto Rico to oppose new fees, and workers have occupied the state house in Wisconsin to protest union busting.  Meanwhile, 10s of 1000s of people in Africa, Iraq and the Middle East have demanded civil liberties, basic services, and jobs.

Why should we care?  As public health students, we know that decent living conditions, such as well paid jobs, employment security, access to higher education, paid sick leave, influence our health and health care.   As employers push down wages and benefits for higher paid workers and slash the safety net, it will be harder for us to enable healthy choices and policies.

We also have a very personal stake.  Most students pay exorbitant tuition rates and leave the University with a burden of debt.  We need jobs and economic security for our own well-being as well as for the public.  For decades, unions set the standard for union and non-union jobs.  But when union workers are forced to take a cut, all working people in the community see their wages, benefits, and working conditions deteriorate.  Employers no longer have to compete for workers by offering better jobs.

Therefore, it is in our interest to support labor actions that demand better – and we don’t have to travel to Wisconsin or Ohio.  Right here in DC are 2 hot labor struggles we can support.

Washington Hospital Center nurses:  The nurses walked off their jobs on a 1-day strike on Friday, March 4 to protest pay cuts in night and weekend shifts and dangerous staffing levels.  Nurses on the picket line described how the Hospital is trying to push out experienced nurses so they can hire new ones with less pay.  The Hospital threatened to cancel clinical practicums if a nursing school didn’t provide scabs for the strikers!  For now, the Hospital has locked out the workers til Wednesday, March 9.  You can join them on their picket lines during this time – let them know public health supports nurses!

Metro workers:  Members of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689, 7,000+ Metro workers, have been working under an expired contract since 2008.  In 2010, binding arbitration resulted in a contract that increased workers' payments for their health insurance, eliminated retirement health benefits for new hires, and froze wages for the first year of the contract.

Nevertheless, the union agreed to abide by this contract because it included retroactive 3% pay increases per year – bare minimum cost of living increases, which they haven't had since 2007.  Now the court has ruled that Metro workers can’t even receive this small pay increase unless they prove the company can afford it! 

Metro's work force is predominantly African American, meaning that cuts to wages and benefits have a racist effect, hitting black families in our area the hardest.  This group is already disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic, the housing crisis, and cuts and layoffs in public schools.  Metro management also continues systemic racism by cutting bus lines and service east of the river, and threatening to cut late night train service – just when workers in food service, health care, and other service jobs end their shifts.

Workers and riders alike suffer from overcrowded trains and buses, broken escalators, and faulty switches.  Metro operators and engineers are responsible for the safety of their co-workers and hundreds of riders every day.  We cannot protect their health and safety – or our own – by increasing their stress and workload, or blaming the people with the least authority every time a malfunction makes the news. 

Metro workers' wages and benefits help support the entire local economy, especially low-income families.  A minimum wage worker at Walmart, for instance, may depend on their spouse's health insurance from Metro to cover health costs that would otherwise bankrupt the family.

Developers flock to the area around Metro stations because they know they'll make a profit there.  The federal government and businesses like the Verizon Center, Whole Foods, Target, and countless others depend on the Metro system.  If the DC government can afford to offer millions in tax breaks to developers, and the federal government can afford to spend millions every day in Iraq and Afghanistan, surely enough resources exist to fund the Metro system safely and fairly.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

- Celebrate International Women’s Month by supporting the nurses.  Join the nurses’ picket lines at 1^st and Irving St. NW til March 9^th and check back for updates.

- Rally with Metro workers outside Metro headquarters at the JACKSON GRAHAM BUILDING, 600 5th St, NW (Judiciary Square) on March 10, 8:30am – 12pm to demand that Metro fulfill its contract obligations.  Contact movingforward689@yahoo.com for information.

- Circulate this article.  Talk to your own union, co-workers, student groups, church, and community organizations.  Invite Metro workers to speak with your group about what they experience on the job.  Share with them your ideas and experiences.  Metro workers will meet with public health and GWU students in early April.  Stay tuned.

-          Be critical of media coverage of Metro and the Washington Hospital Center.  Discuss why accidents are part of a systemic failure, not the shortcomings of individual workers.  Think about who benefits by cutting wages and busting unions.  What are the public health implications?

This Week: The Kids Aren't Alright

The epidemic of childhood obesity hit this nation like an over-capacity elevator hits the floor. At their age, school children should not be expected to know enough or have the maturity to make choices that will most benefit their health. Without prompting, some adults may not be able to make those choices, either.  Since most Americans 16 and under spend the majority of their daylight hours in and around a classroom, it only makes sense to incorporate healthy behaviors into their daily school regimen.

The Virginia House of Delegates took a running start in the right direction with their new bill. If signed into law, by 2014, there will be a mandatory 150 minutes per week of physical education in all Virginia public elementary and middle schools. I’m not by any means a full-fledged grown-up, but the world of difference I see makes me feel like it was lifetimes ago that my mother had to force me to come inside from our street hockey games. Now the flick of a wrist is made with a virtual hockey stick, from the comfort of the family room. The way I grew up, kids didn’t have choices. Those who knew better, taught us to do better. I hope we realize that someone has to come up with a solution and actually do something about, instead of just talking about, childhood obesity. We can’t watch documentaries and talk shows and pity “those people”, when those people are growing (in size and quantity) every day. Airlines offended us when they made overweight individuals pay for more than one seat on a flight. We watch, from our couches no less, with amusement as our fellow Americans vie to be the biggest loser. Virginia took matters into its own hands when television shows and airline fines did not do the trick. As Americans, we are probably most sensitive about people telling us how to raise our kids. Well, 31% of Virginian 10-17 year olds obese or overweight is not anything to brag about. As Delegate James M. Scott said, “parents need a little help.” So, why not change the status quo? 

The opposing team is mostly comprised of school officials who are worried about what the cost of these new mandates will do to already shrinking school budgets. If kids’ waistlines aren’t shrinking, there really is no argument to be made. When mortality from diabetes and heart disease is not shrinking, there is no argument to be made. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist or a lofty paycheck to supervise a game of basketball, as substitute teachers do it in the place of “PE Coaches” every day. It may sound to some like big government infringing on our personal freedoms. To others, it may be the sound of fewer nickels rubbing together in their pockets. But, to me, 150 minutes a week of sweaty 6^th graders’ sneakers wearing out a gymnasium floor sounds like a healthier nation. Game on!

This Week: The State of the (Dis)Union

Happy Black History Month, everyone. Another year, another 3rd grade class memorizing the "I Have a Dream" speech. The Super Bowl this weekend will be sure to feature ads about the American spirit, supporting our troops, and of course a stellar national anthem before kickoff. This is one of those days of the year when all Americans come together to do what we do best- eat and cheer for our team! Like the fabric of the Super Bowl team uniforms, our nation is comprised of every shade from black and white to yellow and green.

The theme of the George Washington University's 2011 Black History Month celebration is Marked, and is supposed to serve as a springboard for discussion about all of the different ways in which black Americans have been marked and "how they're still signaled [sic] out today". Our markings come from an incomplete portray by the media of what it means to be African-American. Even the first edition of the highly celebrated CNN Black in America special showed more of the desolation and desperation that black Americans face in the country, than it did of the triumphs and achievements. In a public health setting, black Americans are often marked by statistics showing immense disparity between us and every other race represented in this nation. From HIV/AIDS prevalence to low birth weight, black Americans consistently come out in last place.

Labels and markings have also spurred disagreement within the black community itself. Forgetting for a moment that there is strength in numbers, we pit good hair against nappy hair, light skin over dark skin, and even immigrant blacks over African-Americans. Is there a need for one group to assimilate entirely just because our ancestral origin is the same? Absolutely not. We know that collard greens and calaloo may come from the same plant, but taste entirely different. The African diaspora is the same way. Our roots are the same, but we've sprouted into individually thriving and uniquely beautiful plants. The most important thing that we have in common is that we call the United States home. So, different as we may be, that fabric would be weaker without the thread that each and every one of us contributes.

Simply blaming "the media" for an inaccurate portrayl or ignorant perspective is not enough. We will make no changes by pointing fingers or waving white flags. Opening up the floor for discussion is a great start. Even in a recent BPHSN meeting, the topic was raised about how to have these real conversations with individuals who may have never been exposed to anything or anyone outside of their comfort zone. In the classroom, the library or student lounge, there are opportunities for globilization even among those with whom we share a building every day. Further, we should feel free to speak candidly about what it is that makes us different, and how our individual contributions have strengthened the nation as a whole. That, I believe, is really what Black History Month is all about. Learning our history, reciting speeches and singing the Negro National Anthem are all ways in which we can honor and celebrate our past. Moving forward, we must all individually contribute to building understanding so that our future is just as rich.  The work we have to do is what our kids will learn about and reenact during their Black History Month celebrations. Let us have patience to teach others about where we've come from, where we are, and then show them where we are going.

This Week: Help is a Phone Call Away

"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." - e.e. cummings

We often associate youth with a healthy appetite for life. In these moments, which we’ll eventually refer to as the good ol’ days, we have an unwavering devotion to not only having fun, but ambitiously pursuing our goals.  While these characteristics can often lead to a fulfilling 80+ years on Earth, the pressure of maintaining a social life and thriving career is often a major source of stress, which can easily lead to depression. While we know “everyone’s dealing with it”, sometimes that reassurance is not enough to quell the feelings of being overwhelmed. In 2007, both the CDC and the National Institute of Mental Health cited depression as a major risk factor for suicide, particularly among young Black males. 2008 studies showed that rates had again started to rise, when the previous level of stability was reached in 2003 after a sharp increase in the '80s and '90s. In 2008, you may have heard about a 19-year old named Abraham Biggs, who committed suicide by overdosing while a populated chat room watched via webcam.  You would think that as students, (as individuals between ages 15-24 usually are) who have access to free or discounted health care services on campus, we would have no problem combating depression and other mental illnesses. Suicide rates should be low among our age-group, because we have such ease of access to care, right?

Wrong. The stigma associated with mental illness sometimes causes an even bigger barrier to healing than does access to care. The African-American community has an especially negative outlook on mental illness, which could spur from a number of different cultural influences. Dr. Annelle Primm, deputy Medical Director for the American Psychiatric Association, once cited the religious and spiritual center among many African-American families as a barrier to acceptance of mental illness. There is an association of an inability to deal with depression and sadness with a lack of faith. A large challenge for Black males is a heavy emphasis on masculinity; with the struggles that African-Americans face on a day-to-day basis as a minority population, Black men often serve as the impervious guard for the community. Seeking counseling is often seen as a sign of weakness.

By 2008, rates of completed suicides were still higher among males, while suicide attempts were more common among females. Whites and blacks leveled out in the rate of suicide among males.  I found no CDC or other major health institution reports on suicide more current than 2008. A lack of current literature on the topic may mean that the rates of suicide have leveled off or begun to decrease, as another increase would likely spur more research into the issue. I still consider it highly important, however, to continue to market that mental health counseling is nothing to be ashamed about. The CDC recommends using this website to search for inpatient and outpatient mental health counseling. Growing up is hard enough- if you or someone you know need to, seek help so you can continue to pursue your dreams, and live a happy and healthy life. There's a lot to look forward to, and we'll be looking back on the good ol’ days soon enough.

Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK

www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

This Week: Can't We All Just Get Along?

Many of you saw a vote for repeal, and resurgence of Republican opposition for the Affordable Care Act coming. However, you might have missed the shoes, bricks, and foul language thrown at both Republican and Democratic legislators who support health care reform. In 2010, just after the bill passed, a brick was thrown into a Niagara Falls representative’s office, and another shattered a window in the Democratic party headquarters in Rochester, NY. Last March, a Tucson-based Democratic representative’s office window  was destroyed only hours after she voted in favor of the bill. Now, Gabrielle Gifford is in Houston, about to begin rehabilitation after surviving a gunshot wound to the head on January 8th.

             It’s unfortunate to hear these stories, especially when they're juxtaposed with stories about those who this reform benefits. For example, pre-term infants born with chronic lung disease are currently guaranteed insurance because companies are unable to deny coverage due to a “pre-existing condition.” Medicare recipients, like Paul Horne who received a $250 rebate check to help cover his prescriptions once the bill passed, are desperate for someone to keep fighting for the Affordable Care Act. Democrats posit that mandating health insurance for all Americans will ultimately save the government money and reduce the deficit. Republicans argue that these conclusions were drawn from false financial reports from the Congressional Budget Office, and that the bill will ultimately put America in more debt.  

Regardless of which side of the aisle you’re pulling for in this debate, remember to also root for civility, compassion and, especially, for common sense. Rhetoric has been toned down, even if only slightly, for the sake of progress.

This time around, we can only hope that the vandalism and threats are kept at a minimum. The real fight needs to exist within the confines of the Capitol building, with lawmakers using only their pens, Pages, and valid arguments as weaponry. 

For more information on what the Affordable Care Act means to you, visit www.healthcare.gov. Read the facts, pick a side...in that order!

This Week: "...It's Who You Know"

January 2011 marks the 10th annual National Mentoring Month, so proclaimed by President Obama just before Christmas last year. Studies* show that both one-on-one and academically-centered mentoring increase college attendance and retention, knowledge of career opportunities, and mentees' self-esteem.

I spoke with Dorothea Parker, the program director for D.C.'s Child Family Life Services (CFLS) Volunteer Mentor Partnership. Mentors are paired with foster youth aged 6-21 years of age, and are committed to a year of service with their mentees. It's an activity-based program, where mentors take their mentees on outings for a total of 4-6 hours a month. Most of the hours are spent exposing the mentees to things that they may be interested in, but have never had the chance to experience. This Christmas, when Dorothea was making rounds to visit various foster families, she delivered gifts to mentees, some of whom told her that it was the first Christmas present they'd ever received. She also told me the story of a young man, age 15, who was ecstatic to bowl for the first time at a group outing for the mentees. By taking mentees to meet professionals in careers in which they've expressed interest, or to auditions for plays, the mentors facilitate personal and professional growth.

In February, Dorothea will enroll at least 25 new kids into the program, all of whom she'd like to match with an appropriate mentor.  No matter the race or creed, any one who is willing to make the time commitment  is encouraged to contact CFLS. Dorothea noted that gender plays a critical role in matching mentors and students. The issue is not so much safety as it is the ability to relate. For example, some of the young ladies in the program are facing pregnancy, and it's obviously easier for a young woman to talk to a female mentor, because she can more readily relate to, or empathize with, that experience.

January 25 is Thank Your Mentor day. We are encouraged to not only personally thank our mentors, or share a tribute online, but to pass on what we've learned and become a mentor to someone else. So, I implore you, DMV readers, to contact Dorothea Parker at dparker@cflsdc.org, or by phone at 202-247-0511. And, readers across the country, you're not exempt- there are plenty of ways to get involved, which you can find here. Remember, in this world it's not just about what you know. So, do your part to guide others toward success. "Help them get there. Be a mentor!"

This Week: Poetic Justice

Everybody wants a taste of the ‘hood

Everybody sings a long with the songs about doing no good

But if you laid there, if you stayed there and couldn’t escape

How many hooks would you repeat about the dirty money you make?

When I was younger the cool thing was to wear baggy pants

Have a limp in your step til you hop up in mom’s minivan

Wearing And1’s and Polo, maybe a Nike wristband

Cuz you’re a baller, shot caller, right? That’s how the words go?

What if you knew they’re only expectation was you go to jail or go pro?

What if you did move on and upward, toward a college degree?

And you excel and do well despite their suspect on your pedigree

You’re all black in all-white schools

In the back but you’re no fool

But the last time you sat front row

The professor slowed down when he spoke to you

And every time you speak up they’re surprised at your eloquence

And should you let loose in front of friends

You hear gasps and “Oh my gosh, say that again!”

Like a puppet. A showman. Just a little more well-spoken than those crazy ones in the YouTube video they’re forwardin’

Is it fair for you to anger or be frustrated at this scene?

After all you were in the library with Soulja Boy on your laptop screen

And then your ringtone went off and Kanye crooned “ghetto university”

And that’s where you grew up, in the School of Hard Knocks

Rocks in palms on your block and you did your best to get out without a jump or gunshot

But, who said they needed saving? Who said they needed help?

Plenty are satisfied and don’t fold despite the hand that they’ve been dealt

When “experts” tell them it’s too much for them to bear

That someone must step in and show “the underprivileged” we care

We have what they don’t. We can succeed where they won’t.

They is not black, they is anyone who has ever been held back

And told that they were equal

They is anyone who was put up in a coop, or sat out on a stoop

‘Cause they were not welcome in buildings, though they paid taxes, too.

They is not Muslim, they is anyone who has ever been held back

When they just tried to move forward. But somehow every time they’re chosen from a random assortment

And then holed up in a room. Hold up. You’ll be released soon.

They is not Jew, they is anyone who was imprisoned in a place they were told would have enough room

But because of their looks, because they looked like they could be crooks

Even though they did no crime except to protest what sat on the books

Persecuted for money, of which they had none, and because they were broke the only choice for their first son

Was be cut up and dragged out, before he could witness the warm sun

There’s not enough room on this mattress for plus one

Not enough air in the casket you pay rent for every month

But somehow every Thanksgiving you fit the whole family in

Grateful at least for a meal and a place to block out the wind

So take back your advice and your Superman complex

That attitude is obtuse your spirit is convex

You’re thinking because you were schooled, because you read about it in school

That you know the rules and the needs and the way to save me from this cruel world

You school boy and school girl

you have attended university but still have no concept of adversity

No respect for diversity.  And you studied facts but you haven’t learned me

You can’t come in with your theories and stethoscope trying to cure

things of which you’re unsure

So be humble and open your eyes to the reason that I’m hurt, but don’t cry

I don’t have luxury to sit by. There are mouths to feed, clothes to dry

And I take the 6 bus to the Red line then walk a few blocks to the bread line

And get back in an hour so that I can pick my daughter up on time

I don’t lay hands except for prayer, so don’t assume I’ll fight back when you arrive

Come with an open mind. Although you’re degree says you’re qualified

You never lived and haven’t seen,

so step back before you step in to save me from misery

This isn’t a study…but you can learn a lot in this ghetto university.

-CelesteAurora