November 19, 2011 - Los Angeles-- I went down to "Occupy LA" to hear what they were saying about the Affordable Care Act, aka "Obamacare." I did not find that discussion, however, I did find a free health fair in progress and I stopped and chatted. It was given by United Healthcare Workers union (SEIU-UHW) and they were there in support and solidarity with the Occupy movement.
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It is unconscionable that 50 million people, almost one in four, in the United States of America, do not have health insurance. Massachusetts is the state in the union with the lowest number of uninsured -- the state with the health plan that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is patterned after. So, why is the health reform bill so maligned? Why is insuring 95% of the population a bad thing? Well, that is the multi-trillion dollar question.
Occupy Healthcare!
Health is wealth. Access to healthcare is a human right. We are not here to talk politics, we are here to save lives.
According to the American Journal of Public Health being uninsured raises the odds of dying by 40 percent. Hence, lack of health insurance causes 44,798 deaths each year. The minority population bares the brunt of this due to unemployment, underemployment and poverty. The lack of health insurance causes delay in treatment which leads to increased complications and higher mortality rate.
All roads lead back to finances, higher education -- better jobs -- secure housing -- access to healthcare -- sense of well being -- financial security.
Who are the Uninsured?
- Age: The uninsured are disproportionately between the ages of 18 and 34. However, 18-24 year-olds were the only age group to experience a significant decline in the percentage without insurance over the past year, from 29.3% in 2009 to 27.2% in 2010, which represents 500,000 fewer young adults without health insurance. The Affordable Care Act allows children to remain on their parents’ plans until age 26, and this policy took effect for insurance plan renewals beginning on September 23, 2010.
- Race/Ethnicity: In 2010, three in ten individuals of Hispanic origin (30.7%) were uninsured. Blacks were also more likely to be uninsured, with 20.8% lacking insurance, and 18.1% of Asians were uninsured, compared to 11.7% for non-Hispanic whites.
- Employment: Working full-time increases the likelihood of having insurance, though one in seven full-time workers (15.0%) was still uninsured. Uninsured rates were higher among those with a marginal attachment to the labor force. Over a quarter (28.5%) of part-time workers were uninsured, the same percentage as among those who were unemployed.
- Income: Individuals with lower incomes are more likely to be uninsured, although 37% of all uninsured Americans have household incomes above $50,000.
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Percent of the Total Population | Percent of the Uninsured | Uninsured Rate |
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| Age | Under 18 | 24.5% | 14.6% | 9.8% |
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18-24 | 9.7% | 16.2% | 27.2% |
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25-34 | 13.6% | 23.7% | 28.4% |
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35-44 | 13.0% | 17.4% | 21.8% |
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45-64 | 26.4% | 26.5% | 16.3% |
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65 and older | 12.8% | 1.6% | 2.0% |
| Race/ Ethnicity | White | 79.5% | 74.9% | 15.4% |
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White, Non-Hispanic | 64.5% | 46.3% | 11.7% |
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Black | 12.8% | 16.3% | 20.8% |
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Asian | 4.7% | 5.2% | 18.1% |
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Hispanic (any race) | 16.3% | 30.7% | 30.7% |
| Household Income |
Less than $25,000 | 19.6% | 32.4% | 26.9% |
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$25,000-49,999 | 23.1% | 30.9% | 21.8% |
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$50,000-$74,999 | 18.7% | 17.7% | 15.4% |
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$75,000 more | 38.5% | 19.0% | 8.0% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Income Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010, 2011.
ARTICLES - STATISTICS
Overview of the Uninsured in the United States 2011 Summary
CNN MONEY:Number of people without health insurance climbs
Photos from OccupyLA
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SEE MARLENE'S BLOG:
"I Came, I Saw, I Occupied LA"
Related Video
Heavy D the Jamaican rapper/actor died yesterday. It was a shock. He was only 44 years old. When I read the news on my phone, I couldn't believe it. Just yesterday I was reeling from the news that my uncle Aldwyn had died from prostate cancer, and before I could process that, I read that "Smokin' Joe" Frazier had died from liver cancer.
Although most of us are not doctors, we tend to form our own theories when a celebrity dies. I immediately thought that Heavy D must have had a heart attack. You see, we have known him as the "Overweight Lover." At one point he had lost 135lbs. He said at the time it was so he could get acting roles, not for his health. Huh?
Not unlike many people who lose weight, Heavy D, did not stay "Slim" D for long. At the time of his death he was 344lbs. As of today the cause of death has not been released. He was, according to a friend, suffering from pneumonia. Apparently he had walked to the store and was attempting to walk up the stairs.
If you can imagine carrying groceries (If that is the case) and an extra 150 pounds anywhere, much less up a flight of stairs while you are sick...It just makes me want to get all the Black men in America in one room and tell you how much we love and need you. Please, please go to the doctor, follow a healthy lifestyle and intervene when a friend is not taking care of themselves.
Ironically, our subtitle on Twitter is:
State of Emergency: Tackling Black Men's Health is a documentary film designed to INSPIRE African American men to participate in preventive health care.
Heavy D's last tweet: "Be INSPIRED"
Be Well and Be Inspired.
Angela
http://www.globalwellnessproject.org
Follow Us On Twitter: @blackmen_health
November 3, 2011
Imagine my delight when Michael Baisden opened his radio show and said, "Our film for the week is, "State of Emergency: Tackling Black Men's Health" This film is a MUST SEE"
He talked about our film throughout his 4 hour show and even played a clip from the film and closed thanking me for making the movie!
In case you missed it, here is my interview:
Black men in my generation are dying. Every week we hear about a man in our midst, from Pastor Billy Ingram, of Maranatha Community Church in Los Angeles, to NFL and "Police Academy" star, Bubba Smith, dying suddenly. There are genetic factors as well as environmental and lifestyle choices that are causing our men to die early. We don't know the cause of Bubba Smith's death yet, but we know his brother,Tody, also died in his sleep in July of 1999, at the age of 50. It seems as if we are taking turns mourning the loss of our fathers, brothers, husbands, cousins or male friends. They are just leaving us too soon.
I know that God has given me the assignment to make the documentary film, "State of Emergency: Tackling Black Men's Health," to encourage more Black men to get preventive healthcare. We've been in production since April. Last week we were filming at the National Medical Association (NMA) conference and the Omega Psi Phi Centennial Conclave. When I returned from DC last week I was excited to tell one of my male friends how my film had gone to a new level.
My cholesterol has been creeping up. It is still not over 200 the "Do not cross" number but I'm getting too close to that number for comfort.
Now, my "good" (HDL) is high so that pushes the total number up. But, I couldn't figure out why my "bad" (LDL) is going up. Heredity? Yes. But, what am I doing that could be contributing? I don't eat most of the culprits and rarely eat a few. Low and behold I read this article and bingo -- sugar makes your triglycerides rise. I should know this. I think I do know this. But you see, I love sugar. But, sugar does not love me. Because I exercise and eat exceptionally healthy, I am actually at my perfect weight, although I prefer being thinner, but hey, it's winter...My drug of choice is chocolate. 
You mean we have to break up? 
I could delude myself by saying that chocolate has anti-oxidants but, that is dark chocolate without the sugar...not Kit Kat bars and M&Ms.
So, today is day one of my commitment to lower my cholesterol by the first week in January when I get my next physical. Knowledge is power. Please read the article HERE.
Don Cornelius: The Mysterious Conductor of 'Soul Train' Featured
Written by angela de joseph
Don Cornelius was the engineer and conductor of Soul Train. He made us proud to be Black, showcased our talents an took us on an entertaining ride that lasted 35 years. But, Don Cornelius was a complicated man.
Soul Train was a phenomenon. Even today, more than forty years since the first show roared down the tracks, we can watch it and smile. I remember the first time I saw "Soul Train." I was the new girl and the only (dare I say) Negro, in my class when I lived briefly in Dade County, Florida. I had never lived in the South and it was a culture shock. One of the white students asked me how all the dancers on "Soul Train" went up and down at the same time. I tuned into the show that weekend and low and behold, Aretha Franklin was belting out "Rock Steady" and the Afros were going up and down in unison on the beat. I was a blown away.
I had never seen so many beautiful young Black people on TV. Every week I tuned in to "The hippest trip on TV." The talent was stellar; Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, James Brown, The Jackson Five. Stevie Wonder and so many others. The real stars were the Soul Train dancers; Damita Jo Freeman, Pat Davis, Jeffrey Daniels, Jody Watley, Shabba-Do, Jermaine Stewart and of course the "Soul Train line." The "Scramble Board" was always easy, but fun. Even the commercials were not to be missed. Remember the Johnson Products' ads for Ultra Sheen, Afro Sheen and Ultra Sheen Cosmetics? My favorite was the Afro Sheen "Blow Out" kit -- tick, tick, tick...Boom! A product that took the model from a teeny weenie tight natural to a big Angela Davis 'fro in thirty seconds. "Wanu wazui...use Afro Sheen. Beautiful people, use Afro Sheen."
The series was a fashion show, hair show and dance show in one. It was a cultural experience I shared with my white classmates. They wanted to know how to get those hairstyles and how to do those dance moves, and so did I!
As fate would have it, I moved back to Los Angeles and was asked on a date by one of "Regulars" on Soul Train. All I can tell you about him now is that he was light-skinned and had a big fluffy Afro. If you can imagine that someone took me to a taping of a show where we would dance for hours and be paid with a box of Kentucky Fried chicken, and I was impressed!
This was long before digital cameras and cell phones so I don't have a clue what I wore that day. I know it was fly though. We arrived on the set of the show and I was very excited. I got to see Don Cornelius and the Soul Train dancers up close. One of the stage managers came up and asked if I could dance. My date jumped in and said, "Yes." I was told that he was "Front riser" material. So we were led to one of the platforms off the main stage where one of the elevated cameras would be filming us. I was terrified, because you see, I can't dance. I can fake it in a white high school but on national television with the best dancers ever? I mean, remember the Soul Train line? These kids did flips and splits. I had to work to stay on beat. Anyway, my date told me that all I had to do is turn when the camera was on us. He would guide me. We had to bring a change of clothes because they taped two shows in one day. And, in between we got that box of chicken and a biscuit.
I made it through the day and into the archives of Soul Train history. Fortunately, when I saw the shows I was on, I didn't cringe. Hey, I was on TV!
Years later, I was working as an on-camera fashion and beauty reporter for "AM LOS ANGELES." One night I was at Le Dome, a ritzy Sunset Strip restaurant, and low and behold Don Cornelius walks over to me and tells me that he watches me on television. Wow! I didn't get a chance to fully enjoy the moment because he demanded to know, "How did you get on there?" This was fifteen years after Soul Train broke barriers, he had never seen another Black girl on a morning show doing fashion and beauty for a general market audience. It took Don Cornelius, in his gruff way, to let me know that I was a role model and he was impressed.
I saw Don Cornelius many times over the years since our first meeting. I had dinner at his home, and sat in the audience of the first of several Soul Train Awards tapings. Each time I had a conversation with him I came away thinking he was a little mysterious. Although he had achieved fame, fortune and financial success, he always seemed like the local DJ from Chicago. I finally figured out that he never really grew into a comfortable place with Don Cornelius, the icon. He was like the Wizard of Oz, very tough and could be rude (Telling the audience to shut up) but underneath he was probably afraid someone would pull back the curtain and see that he was a mortal. You see, Don Cornelius knew he was lucky. And, maybe the day Johnson Products Company founder, George E. Johnson, agreed to sponsor his local dance show was his lucky day. But, he went on to work very hard and build a brand and legacy that we came to love.
As we celebrate what is now known as African American History month, I salute Don Cornelius for all that gave us and the rich history in every episode of Soul Train, the show he created. Don you were all that and I thank you. We will always remember, I'm Don Cornelius, and as always in parting, we wish you love, peace and soul!" R.I.P. my brother.