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FORUM 5Steps in the march to civil rights Jaspn Leclerc Guest Columnist I Whether patriots dis guised as "Indians" or heirs of [Crispus] Attucks at a Wool worth's lunch counter or drag goddesses march ing down Fifth Avenue, the power of disruption has been the overwhelming tool of the otherwise oppressed in their respec tive marches toward equity in the American Dream. In many ways, a dream - a la Dr. King - has been the cadence along a similar set of civil steps. Doubtless, the most visible such March has been that of colors into America's otherwise whiteness. But, let's not forget that the first to protest oppression in America were the conti nent's original inhabitants. Atop the victory of white colonists over "Indians," the colonials then cried out for their own rights. Made whole in the 20th century along arguments for full equality, civil rights for people of color have become the marquee sym bol of America's failure to reach its promise of full, equal participation. Never mind that the culture of color has influenced the wider "popular" culture through humor, music and tasmon; some mignt argue that influence has become definition. Nonetheless, short of the outliers who have, against overwhelm ing social obstacles, achieved economic parity, there still exist barriers that make every achievement even more remarkable. The recent obsession with which "lives matter" has disrupted American political discourse, if not city streets and other cul tural moments. Nary a rally nor awards show - or even the once sacred NFL pregame exposition - is immune from the injection of the relativist statement regarding the life-Colors that warrant attention. We didn't arrive here, in the throes of this argu ment, accidentally. Clearly, the rhetorical tool - "what matters" - is new, but the sentiments are rooted in centuries of American his tory. The United States is, if nothing else, a series of marches toward civil rights - toward freedom. Whether punctuated by bugle calls and bayonets cm- highlight ed by occupations and sit ins, the cadence of mile stones is generally similar: Visibility: In a nation of 300 million, "F deserve to stand out. 4T' am an individual with my own strengths and weaknesses. If "F join with others like me to bring attention to certain traits that we share, and for which we may oth erwise be discriminated against, we assert our humanity against a set of institutions which may not naturally include us. For some groups, like those defined by gender or race, visibility is easily achieved, indeed it is often the basest reason for dis crimination in the first place. For others, along sexuality or ideological lines, the assertions are less passive. Think about pride parades and spiritual ral lies. Acceptance: Merely the second step on the road to full rights, the now-visi ble group is granted acceptance among the greater populous. The power gradients between the objectified group? those who've gained "acceptance"?and the granters-of-acceptance remain. It implies that there is still something unequal, but for which outright and institutional discrimination is no longer tenable. Often this is hurried along as the ancillary traits that cling to the initial source of dis crimination become condi ments to cover up the "less palatable" traits. Think about how wrapping the rhetoric of black power in "Christian" terms or mak ing gay rights about "love" have advanced those spe cific causes. Integration: Creating space within the institu tional hierarchy is the next step on the march to full rights, in many ways, this has become the standard that most societies have used as the achievement. By "desegregating," Americans stuck feathers in their collective cap by busing black children to white schools and by giv ing women the right to vote and by giving LGBT the ability to serve in the armed forces. Viewing his tory in the lens of the pres ent, the question of why these are achievements, underlies the absurdity in the historical institutional failures of basic human decency. Equality: In America, this is the yet-unfulfiHed promise of our Constitutional experiment. Overcoming the institu tional, economic, and cul tural barriers that continue to delineate a pro-torma (de-facto) segregation between neighborhoods, opportunities, and access to power is the front line of many of the greatest fights today. Beyond acceptance and integration, equality (implicitly, of opportunity) highlights the reality that the power of (black) words is still not equally accessi ble by every individual in society. Power has been concentrated within institu tions that, by their nature, tend to denude the power of the individual. The chal lenge of America's next evolution is captured in the great duality between the integrated whole's ability to do the most good on average" which we pair against the achievements of individuals who've vol untarily (or by genetics) collected into groups. Still, education stands as the grand totem to iiibquality. Until every child in America can achieve the same quality education - a full invest ment in the power of words - equality remains a chimera. Equity: Among that small swath of those Americans who, by the birthright of their gender, color, and sexuality, are equal-from-the-start (or those who've achieved equality in earlier march es), there is a fight for a more "fair" distribution of scarce resources. Thus, we see increasing arguments about how incomes are dis tributed, about wealth and taxation. Not baked into any constitutional promise, but omnipresent in the emerging cultural rhetoric, is the assertion that all Americans "deserve" something more than mere equality in opportunity. Equity addresses the equal ity of outcome. The failure of current political discourse is that discussions about equity still ignore those groups and individuals for whom equality has still not been achieved. Thus, arguments among those in power regarding the spoils of equality have distracted us from the fact that we still lack full participation by many groups and individu als. When individuals still linger in their fights for vis ibility and acceptance, scheming for the redistrib ution of resources among the already-equal is, in itself, an unfair use of resources which should be directed toward full equali ty. A fair argument can be made that with full equali ty, equity will naturally fol low. Let's not entrap our selves within literal bind ings. Black, in 2016, means rainbow. Black means Gray. Black means red, white, and blue. We are all black inside. Black lives matter. Blue lives matter, and pink lives, and rainbow lives. Thus, it's true: Black lives matter. Jason Leclerc is an internationally renowned poet ( PoetEconomist ? logs pot .c om), prolific blogger (SemioticArbitrage Jblogsp ot.com), film-maker (FLAG, 2018), and politi cal columnist (Watermark Magazine). As concerned with form as he is with quality storytelling, the author of Momentitiousness brings his socioeconomic theories to bear each day through trade. Learn more about Leclerc and his new book Black Kettle on http .//momentitiousness jco m/black-kettle/ Invest in education: the catalyst for change James Ewers Jr. Guest Columnist It is safe to say that school has started in almost every city in America. As my Jamaican dad would say, "Jimmy me boy, your free paper has burned." In other words, your summer vacation is over and school has begun. The stores have provid ed the latest in school fash ions for some months now. However, there are a nirfn ber of school systems across the country that now have their students in uni forms. Those in favor of uniforms say that It saves parents money and it places less peer pressure on students. Every store has some type of back-to school special. Electronics top almost everyone's list of must-have items. After all, a student today can't go back to school without a tablet, a cell phone or a per sonal computer. Whatever happened to pens, pencils, paper and crayons? Teachers are also get ting back into the swing of things. They have prepared their rooms with great care making them look inviting and warm. Teachers influ ence and shape the minds of our students. That is a high calling! I believe teachers have some of the most powerful positions in the country. Every successful person can always point to a teacher who provided them with motivation and inspi ration. There is truly a cor relation between the educa tion system of a country and the strength of a coun try. All students at all levels have equal excitement and eagerness. Students from elementary school to col lege must understand and accept the serious nature of school. The competition starts early and will only get more intense. Don't let it scare you. In fact, have fun with it. Learning new material at any point in your life is always a good thing. Having a solid educa tion will help you in your future endeavors. This is what many of us know not what we think. Speaking clearly, hav ing your subjects and your verbs agree will always get you a seat at the decision making table. If you. use a cell phone as most students do, there is a text speak that you use. My strong advice to you as a future leader is not to write and text the same way. When I reflect back upon some of my "school days," there are several things that come to mind. First, I remember how big my elementary school was. It was probably so big because we were so small. I am sure that it is the same for younger students today. High school was proba bly a coming of age experi ence for me. Changing classes, having different teachers and taking part in clubs and organizations were all new to me. Walking home from high school, my friends and I would always hear the adults ask about our day in school and how much homework did we have. I will simply say we always had homework in high school. Homework was a dreaded work yet a necessary work and it paid off in the end. While many of us have children that have graduat ed from high school and gone on to post high school opportunities, we must still support public education. As we move forward, I do hope that more young peo ple choose teaching as a career. They will become change agents in the lives of students. As parents, grandpar ents and love providers, let us encourage and support our children. Let us give them the boost of hope and help that they need. Let us value education in our homes. As I reflect back now, everyone in my neighborhood in East Winston in Winston Salem, N.C., placed a high value on education. My neighborhood was diverse educationally yet rich in wisdom and common sense. Education is still the catalyst for change that it has always been. The investment that we make in it will always pay divi dends. James Br Ewers Jr., Ed J)., is formerly from Winston-Salem. He is a retired college administra tor. 9 t The importance of prenatal care Carolyn MooJ huyzen Guest Columnist Forsyth - County Department of Public Health knows there is a direct corre lation between early prenatal care and healthy babies. Babies of mothers who do not get prenatal care are three times more likely to have a low birth weight, and five times more likely to die within the first year of life than those bom to mothers who do get care. With early prenatal care, doctors can spot fetal prob lems, address any health conditions and social risk factors moms may have. With the support of a Pregnancy Care Manager, moms-to-be are advised and encouraged to keep all prenatal appointments. Pregnancy Care Managers can help pregnant women and their OB doctors [obstetricians] identify needs. During a prenatal visit, the OB team will educate mom on proper nutrition. She'll learn that pregnancy does not mean you're eating for two. Only 300 additional calories can be added safely to mom's diet during pregnancy. Mom to be will learn that she should not eat 1 a uncooked seafood like sushi and to avoid rare or under cooked beef or poultry because of the risk of "contamina tion with coliform bacteria, toxoplasmosis, and salmonel la." She may be surprised to hear deli meats could be con taminated with listeria, which can cause miscarriage. At a second trimester visit, baby's growth begins to be closely followed. This is an indicator of how baby is doing. A member of mom's OB team will use a Doppler instrument to hear baby's heartbeat. All throughout pregnancy, fetal testing is done. During the first trimester, tests includes blood tests - to check for chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, syphilis, cystic fibro sis, Rh factor, and HIV - as well as a urine culture and a Pap smear. A nuchal translucency (NT) ultrasound with a blood test is done to determine the possibility that baby will have a chromosomal abnormality. At second trimester an Alpha-fetopiotein screening (AFP) is done also called MSAFP (maternal serum AFP). Abnormal levels of AFP may be an indicator of chromosomal abnormalities. A glucose tolerance test takes place somewhere between 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy. The test measures levels of sugar (glucose) in the mom's blood. Abnormal glucose levels could be a sign of gestational diabetes which in turn could affect mom and baby's health. At every prenatal appointment someone on mom-to be's OB team will ask how she's doing physically and emotionally. Mom-to-be's Pregnancy Care Manager will be there all the way for mom explaining stages of preg nancy, teaching the signs of preterm labor and educating mom on labor and delivery - supporting information pro vided by the OB team. Every prenatal appointment is important. Early detec tion of fetal problems can be addressed and the health of mom-to-be will be priority. Early and regular prenatal healthcare equates to Healthy Mom Healthy Baby! For more information contact Forsyth County Department of Public Health Pregnancy Care Management at 336-703-3243. Carolyn Moolhuyzen is a care management team leader at the Forsyth County Department of Public Health. ?>. a.
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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