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International ‘Reunion’ focuses on Medical Family Tree
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eople of African descent from all over the world met in Baltimore for a “family reunion” to discuss how to resolve medical problems that have persisted since slavery. Experts highlighted research on communities from Washington, DC, to Halifax, Nova Scotia, that will be included in a book on the conference theme, The Great Scattering: Solving the Puzzle of Slavery, Race and Contemporary Health in the African Diaspora. “Those of us living here are part of the diaspora; we’re part of the international family that was transported through the trans-Atlantic slave trade,” said Thomas LaVeist, PhD, conference chairman and director of the Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. Looking at poverty – a key indicator or social determinant of health – Daniel L. Howard, Ph.D., executive director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Health Policy at Meharry Medical College, pointed out that the highest rates of prostate cancer in the world are in places like eastern North Carolina, Jamaica and Trinidad. LaVeist noted the persistence of lowered life expectancies among people of African descent in port cities that were part of the slave trade. “We’re constantly bombarded with opportunities to do things that are unhealthy,” said LaVeist, citing lines at fast-food restaurants all over Africa, the Caribbean and the US. “We need to start counteracting that.” Some Washingtonians are planting community gardens, creating more farmers’ markets and taking other steps to address food deserts in parts of the city where liquor or foods high in salt and sugar are easier to find than fresh fruits and vegetables. LaVeist and Howard suggested an increase in the number of health educators to improve health literacy so that people learn to take better care of themselves before problems set in. “We need to … take care of our own health,” LaVeist said. “It’s not our doctor’s job to keep us healthy.” From a report by Yanick Rice Lamb in the Afro American, Baltimore, Maryland.
Mothers of Hope
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others of Hope in Kalamazoo, Michigan, is a group that supports recovering drug and alcohol abusers. The organization helps women suffering through addiction by offering support for them and their families. They host an annual event called Ultimate Family Reunion, where “everyone is considered family.” The event is for people who are often hard to reach. The family style event allows them to connect or reconnect with individuals in the community for relationship building. Activities range from bobbing for apples and potato sack races to blood pressure checks and diabetes screenings. Sponsors include the City of Kalamazoo, banks, Walmart, medical centers and hospitals, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation and Western Michigan University’s Lewis Walker Institute. From a story by Emily Monacelli in the Kalamazoo Gazette – Mlive.com, Kalamazoo, Michigan. FEBRUARY/MARCH/APRIL 2013 v Reunions 13