Racial Health

 "Too little. Too late." 

How the Bad Blood Started, New York Times podcast from October 18th, leads quickly into the narrator's reminiscing of her uncle's unhealthy status due to lack of Healthcare insurance or ability to afford treatments. It is a sad story of the government helping only after he has exhausted his financial and physical resources & is too ill to be helped, "Received a death sentence for the government to help and give him health insurance." 

Blacks/ Afro-Americans have been seen as inferior in the USA for centuries. Given leftover food, leftover soil/land, second-hand or not wanted "Emancipation came & someone would come to the plantation and announce/yell, "You are Free!" But "Freedom" for the Black and colored communities has not ever equated the same "freedom" whites have attained and maintained in this country. They were set "free" without anything or place they could call their own. "No medical facilities to speak of, let alone any facilities catered to or considerate of Blacks. Less to eat. Lack of shelters. More exposure to diseases led to high number of freed Blacks to die.

I'm not shocked that Uncle suffered awful bouts of Cancer without good treatment. As narrated in the podcast, Blacks were believed to be inferior and offering them basic care would be a "waste of time, because it was only prolonging the inevitable. What was meant to be." (14:10).

There are constant reminders or occurrences of the lack of equality in minority communities. Every struggle presented to the first enslaved off the ship have not been clearly evaporated for the 10 generations of Afro-American citizens still suffering from those effects, after Emancipation, after Civil Rights, after Equal Opportunity. Changes are plenty but not enough. Investments in Black communities have been made. Many people (Whites) care to lift those of color and show them that they are respected as "not inferior." 

"National Health program," put in place by President Truman didn't account for the Blacks or lack of facilities for Blacks.

 I live and visit families in hoods which are dominantly Black or Hispanics. There is only one white neighbor on the short block I live, and he has a Black roommate.  The health issue was pronounced during the Covid pandemic. But, according to statistics, the disease was color-blind and Healthcare systems were receptive to all. Which counters the belief that Blacks lack health insurance or that care is easily available to them. Why was not the case during the small pox or AIDs epidemics?

Distribution of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. as of June 14, 2023, by race/ethnicity

Published by 

John Elflein,

 Jun 21, 2023

 As of June 14, 2023, around 66 percent of all COVID-19 deaths in the United States have been among non-Hispanic whites, although non-Hispanic whites account for 60 percent of the total U.S. population. On the other hand, non-Hispanic Asians have accounted for just three percent of all deaths due to COVID-19 even though this group makes up almost six percent of the entire U.S. population. This statistic shows the distribution of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) deaths in the United States, by race/ethnicity.

This was a time that proved that it's easy to care for ALL the same, with the government's support despite the 

AMA's dismissive perspective against universal healthcare. It showed that "Healthcare is a human right" and that it's the

 "Duty of a free and democratic society."

Seems I'm just rambling. That's because I've been affected by the racial injustice in this country.

 I have lost relatives because they could not afford health insurance, not gotten better

after the family empties pockets for a few pills, antibiotics and ointments.

I've also known of relatives used as Guinea Pigs in Puerto Rico with the promise to reduce pregnancies

and during military service, as they were segregated to be given Heroin as they tested to prevent

PTSD.

I digress.

Sad to listen to the podcast report the injustice and inhumane stance but not at all surprised.

assignments

I'm glad to hear the podcast on the health disparities. But we'll only see it be even and equal for all

races when there are no questions about what race one is to respond to on forms we complete, checking

Black and Hispanic boxes till then.

Girls in Disney

 I believe in the Disney magic. I like the parks. I like the merch. I like the movies. I like how the normal stereotypes are bent just a bit in each film. Each story is full of (family) drama; and to get to a sweet ending, we watch characters trick and tear each other apart with mistrust, deceit, and greed. Beauty and Brawn always conquer love. Monsters always disappear. Loose interpretation of Life. Disney is always ahead of the latest technological advance in films & animation, which make the corny movies exciting, visually powerful -for the young, romantic at heart.

Dr. Bogad's slide deck on Disney Princesses and how the brand has affected pop culture, economy and media ideology asks for of analysis on how it produces pleasure and respond to what kind of world it imagine for us? Does princess culture expand imaginations or does it limit possibilities? my daughter was born at the end of 2000 & one of the things that excited me about shopping for her was that there was Disney Princess stuff to decorate her room with. Just about all of her first day of pre-school stuff was from the collection: bag, Sippy cup, rainboots.  Then as I had another daughter and Disney Princesses gained color and strength, we had to visit the Magic Kingdom to see them in person. Seeing both a Japanese Mulan & Black Jasmine, princesses in their own houses was awesome!!

Well, one daughter went through her teens wearing black, waist-long, curly hair & wouldn't be caught dead in purple or pink. Now 22; she dresses as chic as she can, does things for herself. Calls "Daddy" for what she can't.

The other is 14. Prefers slipping into her father's worn jeans & wrinkled neck t-shirts & old torn Nikes than to go shopping. But rather sit and read than wash & dry her hair.

I get sleepy watching any Disney. So, the Disney allure has worn off.

Christensen says that Disney's "secret education" hypnotizes young people in Unlearning the Myths that Bind Us.

I agree that children will always be influenced by who/what they listen to or watch most because to some degree adults don't fear that their children are in danger learning from the media images or portrayals. There wouldn't be as many TVs or tablets out there if it were a true discontentment.  As the Dorfman statement in Christensen's piece, "There has also been a tendency to avoid scrutinizing these mass media products too closely, to avoid asking the sort of hard questions that can yield disquieting answers" (177). Parents want to go with the flow and look "good" for their willingness to process mainstream media with their children. They definitely don't want to be the "bad guys" and disassociate themselves or their children from what's popular. So, there's no thought into what harm what looks "cute" can cause.

Bold people would ponder just as the student, Justine that "The idea of nit being completely responsible for how I feel about things today is scary."

The idea of showing notions of stereotypes through cartoons from its precipice is really good, softens the guide of discussions on race and power. As she says that sometimes the "stereotypes are so blatant" is true, the older the cartoons, for sure; but even still today with the Disney cartoons.

We don't yet get to see ethnic people be the leading stars of cartoons or movies as we are desperate to see. However, tides are changing, Netflix international movie picks has a great starting point to wave the persuasion. Yet, as Christensen noted, "If race of the character is the only thing changing, injustices may still remain." Dale!

References

Bogad, L. (2020). Digital media literacy media as ideology reading Disney.Disney Slide Deck (loom.com)

Marshall, Elizabeth, and Özlem Sensoy. (2016). “Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us.” Rethinking Popular Culture and Media, Rethingking Schools, Milwaukee, WI.

Education's Death Valley

 "Children are natural learners," and "Great teachers facilitate learning" by being able "mentor,"'stimulate, provoke and engage...to get people to learn." (Robinson; 7:09-7:39). In the American Education System, teachers need to obsess over standardized testing, which doesn't measure students humanitarian values. As a country that spends millions more on education than most other countries. Yet, the students across the country score less on standardized skills tests than do students in other countries who do not place such high and competitive values on tests, such as Finland, but rather on "Individualized learning plans" because teachers are valued as the experts with creative talents to "nurture our youngest generations with a climate of possibility" so that there is truly "No child left behind."  Personalized learning plans, "alternative education' is a "human system in which learners thrive." 

I carry Sir Ken Robinson's notion that the "right organic systems" in which teachers are "cherished and valued" will create a "climate of possibility" and encourage "the movable" as the most relative for I do see this as truth held by most teachers hired for their certifiable credentials.🙌

Introduction to Rethinking Media

It would be irresponsible to not include the use of median in curriculum to maintain students engaged and recognize "the diverse popular cultural materials and modes through which young people read, view and consume the world" (Marshal & Sensoy, 1). Brings back Sir Robinson's point to individualize learners' plans to increase engagement and reduce dropout rates. If teachers aren't including media and digital technologies then they are not considering the students' ingenuity, and hard work youth experience with digital media" (Boyd 2014), a source for their critical thinking processes.

According to Boyd (Chapter 7) Digital natives have had this digital technology accessibility since birth. How else would they think? But their "inherent Media Literacy Has to be fostered." (Boyd 2014).  so I believe that I stand at a crossroads, excited of the new technology, fashioned to be faster tools to store our thoughts as we build/ process.

References

Boyd, D. (2014). it complicated: the social lives of networked teens. New Haven CT: Yale University Press.

It’s Me

 Summer vacation is off to a good start. I have my grandchild w/me & we’ve walked to the park a couple of times. He loves the long slide. 

I’ve already been to 5 parties in a week; 3 w/staff & 2 w/family 

I’m excited to be in this course , to practice what I got on Google apps that I haven’t touched since completing Level1 training a year ago.

First time ever blogging… maybe I can Link writing to it.

Fun