Life 4 All Zine | The Black History Edition

FEBRUARY 2021

LIFE4ALL

PUBLISHED BY LIFE4ALL

BLACK HISTORY MONTH: HEALTH AND HISTORY

HOW TO CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH YEAR-AROUND?

THE COLOR OF CORONAVIRUS: THE DISPROPORTIONATE EFFECT OF THE PANDEMIC ON BIPOC COMMUNITY

Systemic Racism Takes a Toll on BIPOC Mental Health Nadra Nittle, verywellmind

What Is Systemic Racism?

Slavery and Racism

Systemic racism refers to the social structures, policies, and institutions that serve to oppress people of color. Also known as structural or institutional racism, systemic racism in the United States predates the country’s founding in 1776.

The history of the United States has led Americans on both sides of the political aisle to cite racism as part of the nation’s original sin.

Another huge part of this original sin was the genocide of Indigenous peoples.

When European colonists settled in what is now the U.S., declared ownership of the land that Native Americans inhabited, and enslaved African Americans for generations, systemic racism was at play.

The policies instituted by the settler colonists centuries ago continue to affect BIPOC today.

Systemic racism not only puts marginalized groups at a socioeconomic disadvantage, but it also takes a toll on their mental health.

Policies laid the foundation for the negative effects that we are experiencing today. There was never any form of meaningful atonement, and as a result, many modern events that take place are modern vestiges of past events.

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In 2017, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, a Black Republican, told CBS News, "We forget in the United States how long it has taken us to make 'We the People' mean people like me.

And indeed, I do think that America was born with a birth defect; it was slavery.”1 Rice went on to say that the founding of America was not really complete until the Civil Rights movement led to the abolishment of the Jim Crow laws that enforced racial segregation until the 1960s. Only then could African American people like her father exercise their full rights as a citizen by voting.

When European colonists settled in what is now the U.S., declared ownership of the land that Native Americans inhabited, and enslaved African Americans for generations, systemic racism was at play.

The year before Rice’s comments, Michelle Obama delivered her last Democratic National Convention speech as First Lady. Reflecting on her time in the White House, Obama said that she “wake[s] up every morning in a house that was built by slaves,”2 alluding to the fact that enslaved African Americans constructed the White House, which was built during the 1790s and again after the War of 1812.

U.S. presidents are widely known as the “leaders of the free world,” even as they live in a house built by people that were held in bondage. In fact, 12 U.S. presidents enslaved African Americans, making the sole Black First Lady’s comments about the history of the White House all the more compelling.

Racism Affects Mental and Physical Health The nation’s legacy of slavery and colonization can be linked to the status of African Americans and Native Americans today. Racism runs deep in terms of dehumanization and breaking people down.3

The Impact of George Floyd's Murder on BIPOC Communities After footage of the May 25, 2020 police killing of unarmed Black man George Floyd was widely circulated in the news, reports of poorer mental health spiked.

Having historically been uprooted from their land, separated from family members, forced to culturally assimilate, and denied their humanity under policies that the federal government enacted, Black and Indigenous peoples now face high rates of poverty, illness, and police violence, among other problems.

Anxiety and depression in the Black, Asian, and Native American communities rose. Events such as George Floyd's murder get a great deal of attention, but it is also important to recognize that people have been paying attention to these issues for a long time. Every time a related event takes place, it brings feelings of trauma to the surface.

Systemic Racism and Poor Mental Health

African Americans

A person of color doesn’t have to directly experience racism to suffer from mental health problems. Just witnessing or hearing about racism and racebased violence can negatively impact mental health.

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Following Floyd's murder, anxiety and depression within the Black community rose dramatically, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey.4

"The employment, medical, and criminal justice systems contribute to debilitating outcomes and have adverse psychological effects on people of color, with numerous research studies finding a connection to systemic racism and poor mental health".

Additionally, in the week after the video of Floyd’s killing became public, the percentage of African Americans with clinical signs of anxiety or depression rose from 36% to 41%, which represents an additional 1.4 million people with these symptoms.4 Witnessing this traumatic event may have led African Americans to relive their own experiences of racial trauma and revived concerns about the system of policing in the United States.

Racism in policing has affected African Americans for generations, and the criminalization of Black people dates back to enslavement when slave patrols pursued runaways for trying to escape their bondage.

Black youth also suffer mental health problems as a result of systemic racism, particularly in institutions like schools.

A 2020 study published in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology found that during a two-week period, African American teens experienced some form of racist behavior— including bullying, physical assaults, online insults, and the subtle racist remarks and actions known as microaggressions—at least five times per day on average.5The researchers also asked these youth about depression and found a worsening of symptoms in the teens who experienced more incidents of discrimination.

Depression symptoms can include trouble sleeping, concentrating, and disinterest in the activities they used to enjoy.

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Asian Americans

Slavery and Racism

Asian Americans also had more anxiety and depression symptoms in the period after Floyd’s killing. Signs of these mental health disorders jumped from 28% to 34% among this demographic, which represents an increase of approximately 800,000 people.4

The history of the United States has led Americans on both sides of the political aisle to cite racism as part of the nation’s original sin.

Another huge part of this original sin was the genocide of Indigenous peoples.

Asian Americans may have been more distressed by Floyd’s killing and racism in general during this period because reports of anti-Asian hate crimes increased after the novel coronavirus spread in the U.S. Native Americans Native Americans make up just 1.3% of the U.S. population,6 but they comprise a disproportionate percentage of Americans facing police violence. They are killed by police at higher rates than any other racial group, including African Americans.

In 2017, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, a Black Republican, told CBS News, "We forget in the United States how long it has taken us to make 'We the People' mean people like me.

And indeed, I do think that America was born with a birth defect; it was slavery.”1 Rice went on to say that the founding of America was not really complete until the Civil Rights movement led to the abolishment of the Jim Crow laws that enforced racial segregation until the 1960s. Only then could African American people like her father exercise their full rights as a citizen by voting.

Fighting Systemic Racism Systemic racism has existed in the United States since the country’s founding, meaning that it’s unlikely that any one individual can effectively challenge it. The old adage that there is strength in numbers applies in this context.

After the police killing of George Floyd, protesters across the country marched day after day and the Minneapolis City Council voted shortly afterward to repeal the requirement for a police department from the city charter.9 The move had a ripple effect, with cities such as Los Angeles rerouting $150 million it had earmarked for the police to other agencies.10 Fighting institutional At School racism can involve: Writing petitions Letter-writing campaigns Contacting elected officials Organizing sit-ins Marching Protesting Joining a political group It’s important that these endeavors have group support because a large number of activists attract the news media and are harder to ignore than a single individual taking part in a protest.

Contribute to Change in Your Community

If the students most likely to be suspended or expelled from your school are Black and Brown, for example, write about it in your school newspaper, raise the issue with a club on campus, or speak to the administration or school board about this disparity.

In the Workplace If you address an issue at work, there is a possibility of retaliation, but that doesn’t mean you have no rights.

When COVID-19 spread across the U.S., workers spoke out about company policies that put them at risk, demanded hazard pay for working during a pandemic, and continued to fight for fair wages.

People can also look directly at their sphere of influence to Many of these workers were people of color in low-paying jobs, and some discover how to make a difference. You can examine the of them did face retribution, but they inequities within your community drew attention to the workplace changes that desperately needed to —your school, workplace, or be made another setting—to learn which actions to take.

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.Self-Care Is Important Countering systemic racism isn’t just about workplace strikes and marches in the streets. For BIPOC particularly, it involves self-care, which the late feminist writer Audre Lorde declared “is not selfindulgence” but “selfpreservation.”11 Lorde pointed out that preserving oneself in a society hostile to one’s existence “is an act of political warfare. ”So, know that eating and sleeping well, leaving toxic work environments and relationships, exercising, getting medical checkups, and going to therapy are all acts of resistance.

But, of course, many people lack the resources to do these things, so it's important to define selfcare in a way that best suits your needs and circumstances.

Source/References: Click here

HOW TO CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH YEARAROUND? Originally published in Intuit

February marks the start of Black History Month– a time to celebrate the contributions that African Americans have made to history in their struggles for freedom and equality.

The origin of the month can be traced back to Carter G. Woodson who has been called the “Father of Black History Month”, and was the original creator behind Negro Week in 1926. The month eventually morphed into a month-long celebration of achievements of African-Americans and today, Black History Month is celebrated in the US, Canada and the U.K. While many people celebrate Black History Month in different ways such as reading up on overlooked historical figures, or by supporting their favorite black-owned businesses, the African Ancestry Network, one of our 11 employee resource groups, shares a few ways you can celebrate yearlong.

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February marks the start of Black History Month– a time to

Role model allyship

celebrate the contributions that African Americans have made to history in their struggles for freedom and equality.

One of the best ways to honor the spirit of Black History Month is by strengthening your allyship. While you’re doing your

The origin of the month can be traced back to Carter G. Woodson

research and reading up on Black history, find ways you can

who has been called the “Father of Black History Month”, and was

use your privilege and find intentional ways you can fight

the original creator behind Negro Week in 1926. The month

injustice each day.

eventually morphed into a month-long celebration of achievements of African-Americans and today, Black History

Iake time to reflect on the diversity in your team at work or in

Month is celebrated in the US, Canada and the U.K.

your personal network. Consider being a mentor or even by extending your network, to be more inclusive. If you’re a hiring

While many people celebrate Black History Month in different

manager, be aware of unconscious bias and partner with your

ways such as reading up on overlooked historical figures, or by

HR team to create hiring criteria that can remove some bias

supporting their favorite black owned businesses, the African

when reviewing candidates.

Ancestry Network, one of our 11 employee resource groups, shares a few ways you can celebrate year-long.

Remember Black history is not just American history– it’s global history While the focus of Black History month primarily shines a light on American history, many of the contributions people of African ancestry have made have impacted the world in significant ways.

Did you know African-American inventor and businessman Garrett Morgan created the three-light traffic signal? Or that the first home security system was created by African-American nurse Mary Van Brittan Brown?

Black History Month is a celebration of contributions that have not only impacted the US, but the globe. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “We are not makers of history, we are made by history”.

Take a moment to recognize the great accomplishments in areas including technology, fashion, pop culture, food, and more. We can all celebrate and most importantly, acknowledge the long standing global impact they’ve made year-round.

Take a moment to engage, research and reflect A great way to extend the spirit of the month is by taking a moment to create a safe space for dialogue or discuss serious topics such as racism, poverty or everyday experiences members of the black community may face.

There’s no rule that you can only learn more during Black History Month. “When you see interesting facts or interesting people that are being highlighted, take five minutes and read more about them,” said Damion Wright, Global African Ancestry Network cochair. Take time to learn more, educate yourself, read a book, or even watch a documentary.

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Consider using your power or privilege to give others a voice in conversations or the seat at the table. Our CEO, Sasan Goodarzi, has mentioned that in meetings, he regularly takes a mental inventory of those contributing to the conversation and encourages everyone to speak. “By being more intentional, you have the power to include more voices in the conversation.” he says, “And the more voices, the better. Because the more ideas that are heard and tested, the more you discover the one great idea that can make a difference. That’s the power of inclusion” In many marginalized groups representation is key and being an ally can make all the difference. Being an ally has the ability to have a ripple effect and lift everyone up.

Partner Organisation Highlight Task Force in Chicago https://www.taskforcechicago.org/

About TaskForce is committed to addressing the HIV/STI-related needs of adolescents and young adults living in systemically disenfranchised communities with limited resources, by providing HIV/STI prevention education, testing, treatment, and care services.

Founded in 1990, TaskForce Prevention and Community Services (TaskForce) is located on the west side of Chicago, in the heart of the Austin community. The agency’s board of directors, staff, and community stakeholders work together to maintain a holistic approach to preventive healthcare.

Mission The mission of TaskForce Prevention and Community Services is to provide HIV/STI preventive services to at-risk Black and African American youth and young adults and other community constituents throughout the Chicagoland area with a particular emphasis on the west side of Chicago. Available services include HIV counseling and testing, STI screening, comprehensive case management services and various medical services for adolescents and young children via our onsite clinic.

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THE COLOR OF CORONAVIRUS: THE DISPROPORTIONATE EFFECT OF THE PANDEMIC ON BIPOC COMMUNITY Anjali Joshi

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.”Martin Luther King Jr, 1966 The year 2020 had our world turned upside down. Covid has definitely affected everyone but not in the same manner or equally. While existing structures of healthcare have continued to maintain the status quo, the BIPOC community has suffered a disproportionate share of Covid cases and Covid-related deaths.

According to an article by Mental Health America, while Black people make up 13-15 percent of the US population, about 27% of the cases of Covid 19 have been of Black people. The mortality rate for Black American is high and nearly 2.5 times the rate of mortality for white people. The manner in which the Covid-19 virus has affected the BIPOC community has been a reflection of the inequalities and systemic discrimination pervasive in our society.

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Medical Effects and Social Effects Even as the rate of fatality and transmission is higher in BIPOC communities, the effects of the pandemic have not just been medical but also seeped into our everyday lived experiences. Discrimination and prejudice can lead to stress, and give rise to increasing mental health conditions. Apart from this, where people work and under what conditions can be a major contribution in perpetuating social inequality related to healthcare.

Stress is also directly related to immunity. Increased stress can lower immunity considerably. It may not only make

Social Determinants of Health

the BIPOC community more susceptible to Covid but also to related complications but also make healthcare

While people of color are more prone to the virus due to

unaffordable and out of reach. Black, indigenous, and

various socio-economic conditions and implicit biases, yet,

people of color are 1.5 to 2.0 times more likely than white

historically they have been used as test subjects(

people to develop many of the major chronic health

Government admits unauthorized sterilization of Indian

conditions. Lack of health equity attacks racial, ethnic

Women ) for various drug trials or vaccine testing. With this

and gender minority groups from all ends even as they

as the historical record, how would the BIPOC community

continue to work on the frontlines as essential workers.

trust medical experts? Medicine is not an apolitical realm and given how our society has perpetuated and upheld social inequalities, it is not surprising to note that minority groups are hesitant in trusting the government and the institutions that represent the current unjust healthcare system.

Structural inequalities have led to loss of jobs, lack of economic security, clean and hygienic work conditions and have perpetuated the myth that health is an individual matter alone and is not affected by social conditions. What happens when these social inequalities are paired with a global health emergency? There is chaos, death, lack of accountability and a lot of distrust and hurt.

The service industry has an increasing number of colored

What does Health Equity Mean?

population; these are people who are on minimum wage but working as the frontline workers during this

Job and wage losses due to COVID-19 have also hit the

pandemic, be it healthcare or essential services. The

BIPOC community the hardest. Most Black and Hispanic

pandemic era has also witnessed an increased comfort

Americans do not have the financial security to cover any

with “work from home� and remote working; the internet

emergency expenses. In an April 2020 survey, nearly three-

is replete with content on work/life balance, effective

quarters of black (73%) and Hispanic adults (70%) said

ways of working remotely and even on self-care. What

they did not have emergency funds to cover three months

about the population for whom this is not an option?

of expenses; around half of white adults (47%) said the

According to a study by U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,

same. Furthermore, even when not consciously done,

most Black and Hispanic people are likely to work in low-

implicit biases by healthcare workers can also manifest in

paid, consumer-facing jobs in difficult conditions, so

preferential treatment and lack of access, making the

working remotely is never an option and we need to

situation particularly difficult for people of color.

challenge our assumptions that everyone is working remotely.

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A response to the pandemic also calls to examine the social determinants of health and work towards removing the barriers of access. No one should be denied food, housing, water, security, education and healthcare. This brings us to a conversation about health equity and why it’s important. Health equity means that no one is denied healthcare on the basis of race, gender, age, race, ability, ethnicity or socioeconomic standing. According to WHO, “Health equity is defined as the absence of unfair and avoidable or remediable differences in health among population groups defined socially, economically, demographically or geographically”. There need to be more efforts to make sure everyone has a chance to live a healthier life. It may look like the following.

Health equity doesn’t just mean creating changes at the policy levels but it means creating a culture of change, at the level of community.This also means building trust with minority communities, holding space, passing the mic and keeping them a part of the decision-making process. With the vaccine on the doorstep, trust-based action will be of prime relevance. We need to go beyond strategy and build real relationships with communities and their leaders. The need of the hour is for us to understand why the pandemic has disproportionately affected the BIPOC community, what we can do to bring relief and trigger change.

Everyone deserves healthcare, a good life and to be heard. It’s time we act but first we listen!

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AFRICAN-AMERICAN TRAILBLAZERS IN MEDICINE & MEDICAL RESEARCH USF Health

The contributions of African-American physicians, nurses and research scientists to the advancement of medical care must never be taken for granted. There is no way to know how many human lives have been saved or improved through the efforts of these medical trailblazers, who not only shouldered the immense responsibility of learning but also had to overcome societal prejudice. Their efforts are more than worthy of celebration every day of the year. In acknowledgement of Black History Month, here is a small sampling of some of the brightest scientific and medical minds in American history: Patricia Bath Born in 1942 in Harlem, Bath became a pioneer in the treatment and prevention of blindness.

She also advocated for eyesight as a basic human right by founding the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness in 1976.

Bath became the first African-American to complete a residency in ophthalmology in 1973, which led to her appointment two years later as the first woman faculty member at UCLA’s Jules Stein Eye Institute. In 1988, Bath became the first African-American woman physician to receive a medical patent with her Laserphaco Probe, which improved cataract treatment.

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27 Alexa Canady Canady, a native of Lansing, Michigan, became the first African-American woman neurosurgeon in the U.S. in 1981. She served as chief of neurosurgery at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan from 1987-2001. Intending to retire when she moved to Florida, Canady instead began practising part-time after learning that there were no pediatric neurosurgeons based at Pensacola’s Sacred Heart Hospital. In 1993, she was awarded the American Medical Women’s Association President’s Award.

Emmett Chappelle A renowned NASA biochemist and inventor, Chappelle holds 14 U.S. patents and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of

Alexa Canady

Fame in 2007 for his work in bioluminescence.

This Phoenix native and World War II veteran worked in support of NASA’s manned

Rebecca Lee Crumpler

spaceflight missions, and his research enabled the more accurate detection of bacteria in

Crumpler, a Delaware native, is widely

water.

acknowledged as the first African-American woman physician in the U.S. She was born in 1831 and worked as a nurse in Massachusetts before applying to the New England Female Medical College in 1860.

She graduated in 1864, becoming the first and only African-American graduate of that institution, which closed in 1873. For many years, Crumpler’s status as the first African-American woman to become a physician was not known; that distinction was mistakenly given to Rebecca Cole, who graduated from Women’s Medical College in Pennsylvania three years after Crumpler’s graduation.

relpmurC eeL accebeR

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27

Joycelyn Elders The unapologetically outspoken Elders was appointed the first African-American Surgeon General by President Bill Clinton in 1993, and subsequently asked to resign when the administration took exception to Elders’ outspoken advocacy of early sex education, drug education and distribution of contraception in schools.

Elders spent many years teaching medicine and was an accomplished pediatric endocrinologist.

She remains a voice for progressive ideas in medicine and education Dr. Mae C. Jemison Jemison, a native of Decatur, Alabama, was the first African-American woman admitted to the

Joycelyn Elders

U.S. astronaut training program. She became the first African-American woman in space on Sep. 12, 1992, as a member of the space shuttle

Mary E. Mahoney

Endeavor’s crew. She earned her M.D. in 1981 from Cornell University Medical College and

Mary Mahoney, a native of Boston, is

worked in private practice before becoming a

acknowledged as the first African-American

teaching research physician with the Peace

woman to complete nurse’s training. She

Corps in Sierra Leone and Liberia. She was one

graduated from the nursing school at the New

of 15 candidates chosen out of 2,000 applicants

England Hospital for Women and Children in

for admission to astronaut training in 1987..

1879. She was among the first African-American members of the American Nurses Association (ANA) and was a member of the inaugural class of the Nursing Hall of Fame, inducted in 1976.The Mary Elizabeth Mahoney Award has been bestowed by the ANA since 1952 to individuals who make significant contributions to integration within the nursing profession.

Daniel Hale Williams The Pennsylvania native was one of the first physicians in the U.S. to perform open-heart surgery in 1893. In 1891, he also founded the Provident Hospital and Training School for

yenohaM .E yraM

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Nurses, the first racially integrated nursing and intern program in the U.S.

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Life 4 All Inc. is a nonprofit located in Chicago, Illinois dedicated to Health Equity Health. Life 4 All Inc. seeks to provide primary and mental health referrals and resources, outreach, and SexUeducation, while also chipping away at health stigmas and bringing awareness to health disparities through our TakeDOWN campaigns, lab series programming, and events geared towards building and strengthening community bonds. them here.

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