As we know, February was Black History Month. During February and really every day, we are celebrating love, contributions, and lives of black folks and black communities. 
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During this episode, I spoke with  Dr. Julia Rosebush, the Medical Director of Care2Prevent (C2P), the University of Chicago’s Pediatric and Adolescent HIV Program. C2P is the largest provider of pediatric HIV care on the South Side of Chicago, serving nearly 800 individuals each year. 
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HIV/AIDS impacts communities of color at higher rates, with stats continuing to increase, especially during COVID-19. Join us as we talk about the in's and outs of HIV and why awareness and education continues to be important

Resources:

• Care2Prevent (https://care2prevent.com)

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/phfortheculture)

I think the title of this episode gives an indication of what we will focus on and that’s the verdict of Breonna Taylor’s case. As we know the grand jury of the trial did not charge ANY of the officers with killing Breonna Taylor in her Louisville apartment, and instead, one of the officer’s was only accused of firing recklessly and was indicted on three counts of endangering neighbors. 

I don’t have to say much more than this but I truly want to use this episode to discuss history and its link to society’s treatment of black women, how that has spilled over into the healthcare space, and why change is needed not tomorrow but NOW. 

 Ultimately, Black Women and Girls Deserve Better and Beyond.

Episode Takeaways:

1. Historical trauma is the pinnacle of why treatment of black women and girls exists how it is today.
2.  The addition of the history of medical experimentation and inadequate healthcare has further increased black women’s complex relationship with the healthcare system to the point of mistrust of the medical field being at an all-time high within the community.
3. To continue the movement toward fighting for justice for black women and girls, like Breonna Taylor and others, the 3 resources listed below can be used as tools for change.

Resources:

• Black Women’s Health Imperative (https://bwhi.org)
• Therapy for Black Girls (https://therapyforblackgirls.com/about/)
• Black Mama's Matter Alliance (https://blackmamasmatter.org/resources/toolkits/)

References:

• https://www.acf.hhs.gov/trauma-toolkit/trauma-concept
• https://www.thirteen.org/wnet/slavery/experience/gender/history2.html
• https://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/what.htm
• https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/equity/projects/infantmortality/session2.2.pdf
• https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/discrimination-black-womens-health/
• https://www.apa.org/topics/health-disparities/fact-sheet-stress
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6167003/
• https://www.essence.com/feature/protect-black-women-girls/  

In this episode, I spoke with Nicole Vick! Nicole is a seasoned public health professional, spending the last fifteen years providing tools and strategies to stakeholders, community-based organizations, and residents to improve health and prevent disease in some of Los Angeles County’s most underserved communities. She also has 12 years of academic teaching experience.

In addition to all of her work as a public health professional, educator, and advocate, she is an author! In her first book “Pushing Through: Finding the Light in Every Lesson” she shares both the heartbreaking pain and the extraordinary triumphs that led her to advocacy and social justice work.

Nicole's Tips/Resources:

• Pushing Through: Finding the Light in Every Lesson by Nicole D. Vick available on Amazon https://amzn.to/2RyAQKb
• Find people that can support you/mentors, colleagues, friends etc.
• Be open to new opportunities and information
• Build community

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/phfortheculture)

This episode focuses on grief. I wanted to discuss this topic because 2020 seems like a year that we have all been impacted by this strong emotion due to everything that’s happened. From the passing of loved ones to celebrity passing’s that have shaken us all, I think discussing this complicated emotion and learning more about public health’s involvement is essential in the healing process.

Key Takeaways:

• Grief is normal and impacts children to older adults.
• The five stages of grief includes denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. 
• Each of the five stages do not happen in order nor will we get through all five.
• And finally, there are resources to help you cope-so do not feel alone. Reach out for support.
  • For Adults/Older Adults National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization https://www.nhpco.org/patients-and-caregivers/
  • For Children National Alliance for Grieving Children https://childrengrieve.org
  • General/COVID Good Grief https://good-grief.org/covid-19/

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/phfortheculture)

This episode discusses IPV or Intimate Partner Violence. It is no secret that this occurs daily, and one of the trending headlines in the pop culture world was the act of violence toward Megan Thee Stallion by artist Tory Lanez. 

Intimate Partner Violence or IPV IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. When I started this podcast, I wanted to make it very known that public health spands across so many different areas that we may not even think and this is a prime example. Intimate Partner Violence is serious and this episode breaks down what it is, risk factors and consequences, and provides resources for you or someone you may know who is experiencing IPV.

Key Takeaways:

• Men and women can be victims of IPV
•  IPV has individual, relationship, community, and society-based risk-factors and these again are contributing factors, but might not be direct causes. Not everyone who is identified as “at risk” becomes involved in violence.
• Lastly, victim blaming perpetuates the cycle of abuse and can lead to further physical, mental, emotional, and social harms.

Resources Mentioned:

CDC

• CDC IPV Page https://bit.ly/2EMmrHe

Chicago

• Centers on Halsted https://www.centeronhalsted.org
• A Safe Place https://asafeplaceforhelp.org

National

• The National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE)
  www.ndvh.org
• National Center for Victims of Crime 1-202-467-8700
  www.victimsofcrime.org

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/phfortheculture)

This episode, I was invited to speak with Public Health Culture host Leonora Okwara, MPH to discuss the following:

• How COVID-19 is affecting children and families.
• How COVID-19 is exposing and bringing to light the already deep health inequalities in our communities.
• How routine well child visits are more important than ever.
• The questions surrounding how to keep kids and families safe and functioning during this pandemic.
• The effects of mis-information and how confusing this can be for families.
• Why the re-opening of schools is such a hard decision.
• How public health is something that touches all of our lives.
• The importance of health literacy and making sure we are using language that parents and children can understand.
• Her biggest frustrations with our current system. 

Action Steps/Resources:

• Be informed on what to do to be prepared.
• Work collaboratively to come up with solutions.  We all must work together!

Check out her podcast at https://www.publichealthresearchconsulting.com

Self-Care is a topic discussed so much but we sometime lack in actually practicing it. This episode talks about self-care and also explains its relationship to public health!
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Resources
TalkSpace.com
Guided Meditation Example https://k-p.li/2E5i7Cf
Family Paths Self-Care Tips https://bit.ly/3kOUMWH

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/phfortheculture)

According to the CDC, high blood pressure (hypertension) increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, two leading causes of death for Americans. And in communities of color, these rates are increasing daily. Jasmine Solola, a medical student in Chicago, has worked toward addressing this by creating a program that helps to reduce hypertension rates by adjusting soulful dishes to reduce salt and still keep the flavor.
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Episode Resources
https://www.blurb.com/b/10182245-a-dash-of-soul-food
https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/index.htm
https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/high-blood-pressure

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/phfortheculture)

This episode discusses racism, the social implications of it, and what it actually means to be an ally to the Black Lives Matter Movement. This episode also features a conversation with public health student and Black Lives Matter ally Aishwarya Balakrishna.
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Episode Resources

• https://schweitzerfellowship.org
•  https://www.raceforward.org
• https://j4jalliance.com
• Donations to #BlackLivesMatter, The Bail Project, and the NAACP

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/phfortheculture)

On this episode I speak with Alisa Howard. Alisa Howard is a Public Health Servant Leader, Community Health Educator, Author and Editor. With extensive experience in the field, Alisa has used her skills to address community health needs.
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Episode Resources:
Alisa Howard Site https://www.alisahoward.com
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Community Health Worker Training and Education https://www.nvchwa.org/training-and-education/
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/programs/spha/chw_training/index.htm