Your Roots Matter-taken from Girlosophy 1997

LOVE EVERYTHING IN YOUR PAST. YOUR FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT.

Roots....

Where do you come from? What do you stand for?

I thought it was important to repeat this passage in writing because depending on where we are in life we can at times, whether intentional or subconsciously forget.

What and who we are as individuals take shape at our foundation (child development, growing years) but every day with our actions, our thoughts and our words we have the unique opportunity to consistently build upon that structure. The trick then becomes not to transform so high that we forget what or who we may be running from.

How can we do that?

We can accomplish this in part by self-monitoring our gut. We need to self-check often on our journey forward by asking the questions:

What am I casting aside by building "me" __________?

Who am I leaving behind on my quest to be better then my former self?

What am I willing to take with me ?

What Must be identified and eliminated? i.e. dead weight

Who can I reach with my history?

Why now?

Roots Matter : By Anetha Paul

They can make you - or break you.
Make peace with them, whatever they are,and be proud of your heritage, because it's unique.
Nothing, not even the most difficult upbringing or so-called disadvantaged background, need be a barrier to all the best things in life- Friendship, Love and Happiness.

So don't reinvent or cover up your past. Your story is as interesting as anyone else's.

Embrace your own beginnings and you'll find you can embrace the beginnings of others.

Whatever culture or tradition you come from, it is a part of your history and lineage. It is a part of you!

Love everything in your past. Your future depends on it.

TRANSGENDER SUPPORT GROUP(MN)

Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition Support Group





The MN Transgender Health Coalition is offering a Bi-monthly support group for all gender variant folks no matter where they are in their transition. The group will be held on 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month from 5:30-7:00pm at 3405 Chicago Avenue, Suite 103 in Minneapolis.
Please note: You do not have to be on hormones or transitioning to benefit from the support group. If you need information, contact 612-823-1152 or mntranshealth@yahoo.com

Topics to include hormone use, safe syringe use, HIV and Hep C, safer sex, medical referrals, weekly check-in, surgery discussions and name/gender change info.

The Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition is committed to improving health care access and the quality of health care received by trans and gender non-conforming people through education, resources, and advocacy. (taken from website)

Disparities Still Exist for Women in Minnesota-Three Reasons For Gap

Among women of color, the disparities are more extreme, with some
making 56 cents for every dollar earned by a white man

St. Paul, Minn.

Women's Foundation of Minnesota and The University of Minnesota's Center on Women and Public Policy released research today that states, Minnesota women on average are paid $11 dollars less each year than men with the same jobs.

*The gap exists in every occupation, including those dominated by women

THREE REASONS FOR GAP

Lee Roper-Batker, the president of the Women's Foundation of Minnesota, said economists site three reasons for the income gap. She said women often choose careers that pay less and employers sometimes punish women who take time off to have children. "And the third thing economists say is just unexplainable," she said. "We don't know to attribute the wage gap to so we just call that good old fashioned sexism." The report said Minnesota women are clustered in low-wage jobs.

MOST HOMELESS ARE WOMEN AND CHILDREN

Families headed by single women are most likely to live under the poverty line. On an average night, women and children make up two-thirds of the state's homeless population.

That statistic is played out every day, said Liz Kuoppala, the executive director of the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless. She works in northern Minnesota, on the Iron Range. "We talk to homeless women in rural areas who are staying up in a tent," she said. "Up in my part of the state, they climb down steep embankments to mine dumps where there's access to water."

DANGER OF ASSAULT

The research shows girls and women also live in danger of assault. It said one in every three women in Minnesota will be the victim of sexual or physical assault by middle age.

According to the Women's Foundation of Minnesota, that adds up to 250,000 women at any given time, a population that could fill the Metrodome four times. "It has become so normalized that many of our young girls believe it is inevitable," said Suzanne Koepplinger, executive director of the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center in Minneapolis.

Indian women have the highest rate of sexual assault in the state -- 42 percent of Indian women are victims. "I heard a story about an elder giving instructions to working with young girls and she said don't tell them if they're raped this is what they should do, tell them when they're raped, this is what they should do," she said.

POOR HEALTH

The study also found women and girls in Minnesota have poorer health than men and boys.
Girls are less likely to be physically active than boys. Forty-eight percent of 12th grade girls participate in sports, compared to fifty-nine percent of boys. A majority of the state's women are now considered obese or overweight and women in northeastern Minnesota have disproportionately high cancer rates.


Links:

Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center
http://www.miwrc.org/

University of Minnesota's Center of Women and Public Policy
http://www.hhh.umn.edu/centers/wpp/

Women's Foundation of Minnesota
http://www.wfmn.org/

Minnesota Coalition of the Homeless
http://www.mnhomelesscoalition.org/

Minnesota Public Radio
http://minnesota.publicradio.org

World Pulse
http://www.worldpulse.com/node/22009

Help Kiana Firouz Seek Asylum from Iran

The UK Home Office recently rejected the asylum appeal of lesbian filmmaker and actress Kiana Firouz—a move that could lead to her deportation to Iran, where she faces a minimum sentence of 100 lashes or even the death penalty for “unrepentant” homosexuality.

The UK ruling has put the life of the 27-year-old in serious danger. Firouz starred in the film Cul de Sac, which is loosely based on her life. In it, she portrays the struggle of lesbians under the Iranian regime. The movie, which premiered in London on May 20, could cause serious problems for Firouz in Iran, where homosexuality is illegal.

The UK Times Online reports that the Home Office, in defending the rejection of Firouz’s appeal, acknowledged the danger she would face as a lesbian in Iran but argued that Firouz could escape harm by being discreet about her homosexuality.

Given the public nature of Firouz’s activism, however, there is little chance that she could fly under the radar in her home country.

You can help Kiana Firouz fight this ruling by urging the Home Office to reverse its decision. Send a letter to the Home Secretary Theresa May in support of Firouz’s case for asylum, and help Kiana Firouz remain in the UK.

Links about Kiana Firouz's story and petition online

Sign the petition!
http://www.petitiononline.com/kianaf/petition.html

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article7131310.ece

Cul De Sac movie trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lbQiB3rkh4

Black Women's Health Imperatitve Tackle Depression:Find a Therapist That’s Right for You!

Tune In Today at 2 p.m. listen live!
http://asoft362.accrisoft.com/blackwmnshlth/index.php?cid=375027&src=gendocs&ref=listenlive&category=Multimedia&curlid=9

One out of five Black women suffers from depression.

Last month, Byllye and Ngina led a thought-provoking discussion on Black women and depression. This month, they are bringing you expert advice on how to find the right therapist.

With the insight, passion and wisdom that have won them a loyal following on BlogTalkRadio, Byllye and Ngina will shed light on an issue not often discussed - Black women and depression.

Terrie Williams will unveil the truth about the faces of depression - helplessness, dissatisfaction, illness, loss, addiction and anger - and offer strategies for tough times and exercises for recovery, as well as answer your questions.

Listen to Cheryl’s Advice on First Wednesday: Conversation with Byllye and Ngina Wednesday, June 2, 2 p.m.

Cheryl will provide unique insight into an issue rarely discussed among Black women - seeking professional help for the emotional and mental health challenges that many of us are facing.Cheryl will take your questions live on the radio or via e-mail. Call 646-381-4662 with your questions beginning at 2 p.m. EST or submit them prior to the show at

http://asktheexpert@blackwomenshealth.org

Stay in touch with Black Women's Health Imperative at http://blackwomenshealth.org

Cheryl Chisholm, is a licensed therapist and director of the Imperative-produced documentary, "On Becoming a Woman: Mothers and Daughters Talking Together a few links to flim provided below:

http://www.wmm.com/filmcatalog/pages/c124.shtml

http://www.movierevie.ws/movies/1030675/On-Becoming-a-Woman-Mothers-and-Daughters-Talking-Together.html

Art Work for Change:Women and Violence

This is an ongoing exhibit coming to a city or country near you. if you are in any of the areas listed below take some time and go see it!

Off the Beaten Path: Violence, Women and Art An International Contemporary Art Exhibition


Thirty-two contemporary artists from 25 countries address violence against women and girls globally and their basic human rights to a safe and secure life.


The beauty of this project is that it combines the highest integrity of art with important social messaging and storytelling to help create awareness, inspiration, and address systems for positive social change and action.


Exhibition curated by Randy Jayne Rosenberg



Remaining Dates:

Museo Universitario del Chopo, Mexico

September 8 – November 7, 2010

Chicago Cultural Center, USA

January 22 – April 10, 2011

Global Health Odyssey Museum,Ctr. for Disease Control, Atlanta, USA

January 25 – May 23, 2012

Program Partners:

Amnesty International, Art for Amnesty, CounterQuo.org, Emergent Media Center at Champlain College,

Family Violence Prevention Fund, Global Fund for Women, International Rescue Committee,

Population Media Center, UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),The Voices and Faces Project

You Can't Tell An Accident to Stop or Pause

You Can't Tell An Accident to Stop or Pause
By: Direct Wisdom

Alone yet free
only way to truly be
at least, that's what she was taught
re-calling lessons of :
don't be afraid to smile
keep your true joy inside
don't share your intentions, dreams, secrets
and even your laughter
learn how to hide
be seen, not heard, kill more bees w/honey, always keep your own money
don't start none won't be none but if you do, you know what to do

if you... if you... if you want to survive
if you... if you... if you want to survive

Silent yet deadly
gaze equaled personality
at least, that's what he thought
re-calling stories of:
everything but the kitchen sink, beaten into and out of sleep
building strength from childhood scars
living less, classic broken home, fridge resembles neighborhood bar
head of household yet only twelve stealing cookies, cakes, soda
afraid of momma but not of jail
learned to lie for safety and convenience
remembered the golden rule don't tell

if you... if you... if you want to survive
if you... if you... if you want to survive

They say opposites attract
polarization happens everyday
the magnetic pull of your destiny lies in wait
so there they are attached to tragedy succumb to false reality attracted to malady
but you can't tell a accident to just stop or pause

She programed to expect less but yearn for more
gratification of self never was covered, besides she learned they will love you when you let them lay inside.
so a pool of yeses, head nods are a birthright and a occasional whisper of at least he better then the last one

He has nothing begins to believe in and subscribe to it,just living for right now
self-love was not only foreign,unattainable but not tolerated besides he rather make it daily so clinic visits, buckets of I'm sorry and when I get out this time, become second nature of the tongue.

They say:
I saw it coming
why didn't she...why would he...
damn he should have...I bet she tried ….
you know y'all quick to do that..heard a unanimous you ain't never lied

everyone calms down starts to agree
recalling there own mishaps, close encounters
shaking their heads in disbelief
feeling lucky nonetheless
and who would've guess it turn this way
you heard them say: man just the other day
they cool then at it again
one stood quiet thinking
were was his so-called ...what happened to her so-called friends

then everyone forgets
shoulda woulda coulda's ain't never saved a life
today would be no different

They say opposites attract
polarization happens everyday
the magnetic pull of your destiny lies in wait
so there they are attached to tragedy succumb to false reality attracted to malady
but you can't tell a accident to just stop or pause
learned to lie for safety and convenience
keep your true joy inside
remembered the golden rule don't tell

if you... if you... if you want to survive
if you... if you... if you want to survive


* This poem touches on themes of gender, stereotypes, traditions, roles, domestic violence, self-esteem, men, women, childhood, abandonment, self-hatred, friendship, gossip, destiny, karma, hardships, containment, anger, survival, secrets, tolerance, history, relationships, silence, values, memory, displacement,unwarranted compromise and belief systems.

Women Living With HIV Launch Human Rights Survey

Call for Integrating Sexual and Reproductive Health Services With HIV Services to Address Epidemic Among Women



Please take the survey and spread the word!


National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2010 comes just weeks after the United Nations announced that HIV is the leading cause of death among women globally.


In the U.S., a woman tests positive for HIV every 35 minutes, and nearly one-third of all domestic HIV infections are among women -- up from 8% in 1987. AIDS continues to be the leading cause of death among African-American women ages 25 to 34. Yet the general perception is that women are not vulnerable to contracting HIV -- and women are dying as a result.



Multiple members of the U.S. Positive Women's Network (PWN), a national membership body of women living with HIV in the United States, have personal experience with this issue. "Everyone is at risk for HIV," says Demetra Tennison, Peer Educator at Women Rising Project in Austin, TX. "But many providers don't perceive women as being at risk or are uncomfortable talking about it. I told my doctor that my husband was positive, and he didn't offer me a test. I was diagnosed late and got into care late, because of a missed opportunity on my physician's part."

Advocates specifically call for integration of sexual and reproductive health services with HIV services. "Early HIV diagnosis means less transmission and better health outcomes. Yet we see missed opportunities for HIV prevention and diagnosis throughout the medical system," says Dr. Monica Gandhi, director of HIV Consult Services at San Francisco General Hospital. "Women show up for sexual and reproductive health services multiple times a year. Every one of those appointments -- for pap smears, contraception care, and routine check-ups -- is an opportunity for HIV education, screening for HIV risk factors like domestic violence, and testing."

The PWN also notes that over half of all people living with HIV are not in regular medical care, and that co-location of sexual and reproductive health services with HIV services has enormous potential to transform women's ability to access care.

HIV-positive women across the United States have organized to urge the Obama Administration to finish health care reform, demand a gender-sensitive National HIV/AIDS Strategy, declare HIV an urgent crisis facing women and demand, the immediate appointment of an openly HIV-positive Black woman to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA). Events will occur in locations as diverse as Philadelphia, PA; Oakland, CA; San Diego, CA; Washington, NC; Washington, DC; and Boulder, CO.

Advocates also stress that an effective response to the domestic HIV epidemic must address social factors that put some communities at disproportionate risk. "We have the tools to end the HIV epidemic. What we need is political will to address structural issues including homophobia, gender inequity, and the deep racial and economic disparities that drive the rising rates of HIV among our most marginalized communities," says Waheedah Shabazz-El, a Muslim and Philadelphia-based trainer with the Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project, who was diagnosed in 2003.


In honor of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, the PWN has launched a survey to track the extent to which HIV-positive women's human rights are being realized in the United States. This survey is the first in a series, and focuses on testing and disclosure, reproductive justice for women with HIV, and the criminalization of HIV.


Please take the survey and spread the word!


Learn more about the PWN -- and join the PWN's mailing list.


This article was provided by Positive Women's Network USA.

Quick Note to you & whoever reads these things anymore - CHANGE IS A COMING....WATCH & SEE's MySpace Blog |

To the Mothers and Fathers,

Take care and love yourself !

Hats off to you, if you have a child or children w/ special needs. Look, being a mother of a child with complex special needs is a constant thrill ride with many up but some devastating lows (trust me).

You have a tough job ahead but if you are a parent or a mom-to be then you already know,how precious life really is and the reward man, the rewards are so much higher.

I want to tell you today that you are a amazing parent and I not only applaud you but I love you for doing what so many other can't or unwilling to even try.

Much Love,

Jamila

GRASSROOTS & SOCIAL NETWORKING AT WORK: UTAH's BILL GETS RETRACTED

Hello!

Thank to everyone that chose to post on Facebook and Twitter or via personal messages asking the question, how to help. As you can see, we all had a hand in making this change and if you didn't believe before please know that from the ground up you can do anything and when you work together,well just look what can get accomplished.

please read the email below:

Email from President, Advocates for Youth

"You Did It!
I wanted to let you know that the Utah state legislature withdrew H.B. 12, the bill that would prosecute women for illegal abortions and some miscarriages.

And it happened because of you!

Last week, through Amplify, we asked for your help in calling national attention to this dangerous piece of legislation. Your efforts focused public pressure on this bill and forced Utah politicians to back down under national scrutiny.

This story would not have received national attention without your hard work, and I wanted to thank you personally for your help.

Over the past 10 days, you proved the true power of grassroots activism and online organizing. Thousands of Amplify readers and their friends posted this story to Facebook, starting conversations all across the country. Thousands more sent it out over Twitter. The details of Utah's attack on women's rights started to build momentum on some of the most influential blogs, from DailyKos to the Huffington Post, leading to coverage in the New York Times and by ABC news.

Because of this media firestorm, Utah Governor Gary Herbert expressed reservations about some of the bill's more extreme provisions. And yesterday, the state legislature withdrew the bill!

We know that legislative attacks on reproductive health and women's rights will continue, in Utah and elsewhere in the United States. But, this week you forced politicians to answer for some of the most potentially dangerous provisions in H.B. 12 - and you won.

Together, we will continue to work to ensure that all people - everywhere - have have access to the information and services they need to protect their health an lives.

In solidarity,

James Wagoner
President
Advocates for Youth

To be a part of the conversation join BUILD to BLEND on Twitter http://twitter.com/BUILDTOBLEND

For more info try these links,

Advocates for youth http://advocatesforyouth.org/
Amplify http://amplify.org/

Disclosure Etiquette, Part 1: Do I Have to Kiss and Tell?

Deciding to share your serostatus is one of the most
difficult things a person living with HIV has to do.

First Published: 2/11/2010 from our friends @ http://blackaids.org/

This is the first in a series of articles from Black Aids Institute exploring the etiquette associated with telling other people that you have HIV/AIDS.

Over the past 20 years, I have watched people living with HIV/AIDS suffer and struggle with disclosing their status. The fear of rejection keeps many of us quiet but causes others to reveal intimate information at inappropriate times and places--such as on a first date in a cozy restaurant, with the people at the next table dipping into the conversation, as an HIV-negative friend once experienced when her dinner companion told her he was HIV-positive.

Deciding to share your serostatus is one of the most difficult things a person living with HIV has to do. Unlike on television, where reality-show participants sometimes disclose their HIV status in such a way that allows editors to script the conclusions, real-life disclosures occur in real time; the outcomes are uncertain.

We wonder: What will this person think of me? Will they reject me? Try to hurt me? Wonder what "horrible" thing I did to deserve my fate? And after sharing my most intimate business, will I lose the relationship?

When and whether we decide to tell often depends on how we believe the person will react. If we think the person will be cool about our status, we're more likely to tell, or to tell sooner. If we think we'll be rejected or get some other negative reaction, we may either consider not telling or actually not tell at all. Our approach also hinges on how vulnerable we are willing to feel and how much we are willing to risk in the relationship. That said, I do not believe that it is ever acceptable to trick or harm anyone.

Recently a colleague shared findings from a small research study suggesting that people who tell others about their HIV status may not always experience as much stigma from their loved ones as they feel within themselves. This makes me wonder whether part of what we dread is having someone reinforce feelings we've already internalized about living with HIV/AIDS. I know that after two decades of absorbing messages that I am "not good enough" and/or just not "normal," I have internalized feelings of shame, guilt and helplessness. Is this part of what makes disclosure so difficult--that I dread learning that other people will think the same negative things about me that I sometimes secretly think about myself?

I came of age as a person with HIV/AIDS in an era where I was indoctrinated that it was my responsibility to disclose early and often, whether or not it was my intention ever to have sex with the person I was telling. Intellectually I understand this approach, but emotionally it puts me in a straitjacket. What if I don't want to disclose to you? What if I want to become friends first? And if I'm not interested in sleeping with you, why do I have to tell you my personal business?

I had--and still have--nothing to lose and everything to gain by disclosing my HIV status; I am willing to risk much to regain my personhood and shed my lingering sense of internalized oppression. But I have to admit that had I gotten infected today, I might have approached my life much differently. An HIV diagnosis is no longer the end of the world. Many people now know that if you are diagnosed early and do what the doctor tells you, you can live a pretty normal life--and life span. You do have to learn how to protect yourself and your partners, but maybe you don't have to tell everything to everybody.

Given this new reality, I am reconsidering my options. I want the choice of
telling my friends and colleagues--or not; maybe it's none of your business. And
for once, it would be nice if my prospective partners took responsibility for
their own health and asked me if I had HIV so that I wouldn't have to carry the
burden of telling them first.

Unlike what we see on reality television, life cannot be edited or played back to change the result or make us into someone we are not. People living with HIV/AIDS should have the option of deciding when and where we will reveal our HIV status. We should never do it because we're following some rigid rule from a bygone era. But when and under what circumstances should it happen? The answer isn't always clear. Check back on the fourth Tuesday of each month as I share my thoughts about the etiquette of when and why we should tell.


Vanessa Johnson, J.D., who has volunteered and worked in the HIV/AIDS field for approximately 14 years, is executive vice president of the National Association of People With AIDS (NAPWA).

Sexual Assault,Domestic Violence & Stalking Conference This April

End Violence Against Women International(EVAW) is having a conference April 19-21, 2010 in Buckhead,Georgia.

Join fellow Men and Women in the various field of Sexual Assault from law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, victim advocates, judges, parole and probation officers, rape crisis workers, medical personnel, faith community members, educators and others(taken from site)

**scholarships and continuing education credits are available**(depending on your state and discipline)

There will be many featured speakers including four from Minnesota

Laura Williams, National Technical Assistance Project Director, Sexual Violence Justice Institute (SVJI), Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault, St. Paul, MN

Ann Turner, Aging & Disability Specialist, National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life project (NCALL), North Branch, MN

Sara G. Thome, Project Attorney, Sexual Violence Justice Institute, Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault, St. Paul, MN

Sgt. Paul Schnell, Saint Paul Police Department, St. Paul, MN


If you would like to attend or need more information about the conference please go to http://www.evawintl.org/conferencedetail.aspx?confid=8

Sexual Health Report Card - full list - Sperling's Best Places

What a Gem!

Good Afternoon,

As I continue on my search for comparing cities that I and a few of my collegues may potentially want to live in I came across this Sexual Health Report Card - full list - Sperling's Best Places
and thought not only is this a great concept but I wish I knew about this sooner.



I am anticipating the next report,not just for the details but for the ability it provides of choice making and awareness.



If we can make a conscious effort to do something better, different, helpful or proactive when we do make our moves in turn each step can help create a environment where Sexual Violence is not tolerated but more importantly Sexual Violence is talked about.


Take a look to see how you city or neighborhood ranks and upon doing so stay encouraged to get involved.

You can start today! Look locally to help move your State, City, School,Community Program move forward.

Twitter and BUILD to BLEND - Twitter and BUILD to BLEND

Facebook Twitter and BUILD to BLEND - Twitter and BUILD to BLEND: "Greetings!

We have joined Twitter! http://twitter.com/BUILDTOBLEND

If you currently have a Twitter account let us know so we can add you.

We are pleased to have another vehicle in which to keep you informed of current objectives, news, events surrounding Sexual Health and Violence.

We look forward to connecting with members and friends about our message but more importantly to reach out to you.


Please welcome us, as we welcome you.

As always be safe on your Journey!

Much Love,

BUILD to BLEND"

Say No to Violence against Women

Cervical Cancer and HPV: What Black Women Need to Know

A big Thank You! goes out to Black Women's Health for helping bring this topic to the forefront.

Good Morning!

As you may or may not know January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. This is a important health topic for all women especially African-American Women. I am taking part in the pledge and today I want to encourage you to do the same.

I do know someone, a close personal friend that has been affected by cervical cancer and also like Tamika ( feat. guest on show) had a hysterectomy after undergoing a partial hysterectomy a year earlier. In my girlfriend's case her cervical cancer had returned even after treatment and therapy so a full hysterectomy had to be performed around the age of 27. It was a very scary time for her.

I was so uninformed until she started to share her story for which I am grateful for because it made me take a second look at my own health. Today on BlogTalk you will also get to hear another woman share her experience with cervical cancer. I do know that because of my Girlfriend I wanted to know more I wanted to understand why?

If you know someone but haven't been able to ask or know what to do as a caregiver in that situation tune in, read and learn the facts. This is a great time to start a sharper focus on your health and that of your partner, friend or loved ones so please pass this along.

If you are unable to tune in on BlogTalk Radio today you can still do your part links provided below by taking the Promise to Me pledge, reading up on cervical cancer and simply taking a moment to participate in the Cervical Cancer poll from Black Women's Health Imperative.


Join in Wednesday, January 20, 2010, at 3 p.m. EST on BlogTalkRadio for the "The Black Women's Health Report with Eleanor Hinton Hoytt.

Listen online at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/blackwomenshealthreport
as Eleanor Hinton Hoytt discusses cervical cancer and why Black women should be concerned about it.

Cervical Cancer is preventable!

Get the facts from our special guest, Deborah Arrindell, vice president of Health Policy of the American Social Health Association, and listen to Tamika Felder's, a cervical cancer survivor, inspiring story.

You can ask Deborah and Tamika your questions by calling 646-381-4662 when the phone lines open at 3:15 p.m. EST or submitting your questions to asktheexpert@blackwomenshealth.org

Before you tune-in, take a few moments to do the following:

1. Take the poll on cervical cancer.

2. Read Black Women's Health fact sheet on cervical cancer, share it with family members and friends and visit Promise to Me to get more facts

3. Make the commitment. Black Women's Health is a partner of the Pearl of Wisdom Campaign, they along with I would like to encourage you to take the “ Pearl Pledge” to schedule your Pap test today, request a HPV test and ask your family members and friends to do the same.


To see the pledge and other related links :

Black Women's Health-Cervical Cancer Fact Sheet:
http://www.blackwomenshealth.org/atf/cf/%7B0476F7B2-7EA9-4F30-8C97-DFF275C0CE5B%7D/CC_Factsheet_2008.pdf

Pearl of Wisdom Pledge
http://www.pearlofwisdom.us/pledge

Black Aids Institute takes on ACOG-American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist guidelines for Pap Smear,asking the ?-is it right for "Us"
http://www.blackaids.org/ShowArticle.aspx?pagename=ShowArticle&articletype=SITEFEATURE&articleid=750&pagenumber=1

Center for Disease Control:Facts on Cervical Cancer
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/cervical/

Poll on Cervical Cancer
http://www.kintera.org/AutoGen/Poll/Default.asp?ievent=258430&en=9hILLUMwF7KHIWNGLdIHKUNFKqITJZMJLjIOIVMGKrJ5H
Tamika's Story
http://www.tamikafelder.com

Promise to Me
http://www.promisetome.com

Alarming Report on Sexual Abuse in Juvenile Correction Facilities

No matter what crime a person may have committed, rape should never be part of the punishment."-Lovisa Stannow

A long-awaited report from the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics(BJS)finds that youth in juvenile corrections facilities are sexually abused at alarming rates and are victimized significantly more often than adult inmates.

The Commission's report emphasized that sexual abuse is an especially complex problem for younger inmates, explaining that "juveniles are not yet fully developed physically,cognitively, socially, and emotionally and are ill-equipped to respond to sexual advances and protect themselves." The Commission also found that many corrections facilities do a poor job preventing, identifying, and responding to the sexual abuse of those in their custody.

• Mandated by Congress, the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission(Bipartisan) led by U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton in June 2009 issued a comprehensive report on sexual violence in U.S. detention facilities.


• Approx. 93,000 youth are confined to juvenile facilities,more then half 16 or younger
  The detained youth who participated in survey reported sexual abuse at a rate of 12% or almost 1 to 8 at their current facility.


• survey did not include the youth who are locked up in adult facilities,of who according to Lovisa Stannow, Executive Director of Just Detention International are at a greater risk for abuse.
• 9,198 youth detainees participated in survey given in 195 facilities from all fifty states and the District of Columbia.


• 80 percent of the reported abuse was perpetrated by a member of the facility's staff.


• 95 percent of youth who alleged abuse by staff reported at least one female perpetrator.


• Victimized youth usually endured repeated sexual abuse,often more than ten times,
  and frequently by multiple perpetrators.


• 65 percent of youth who had previously been sexually assaulted at another facility also reported having been sexually abused in their
  current facility.


• Youth with sexual orientation other than heterosexual reported being sexually abused by another inmate at a rate more than ten times higher than that of youth who identified as heterosexual.


• By law, The Department of Justice has until June 2010 to codify final standards based on those recommendations.

Additional Links to this report and stories like it :

http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=2113
(Sexual Victimization in Juvenile Facilities Reported by Youth 2008-2009)

http://toysoldier.wordpress.com/2007/03/07/sexual-abuse-scandal-rocks-texas-juvenile-prison-system/
(blog on Sex scandal in Texas over 700 allegations)

http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/about/PubLNo108-79.txt
(Prison Rape Elimination Act)

http://www.buildingblocksforyouth.org/colorofjustice/coj.html
(trend: youth to adult facilities)

Plea Agreement Reached in Hibbing Gang Rape

Andrew Jonathan Williams








A former Hibbing Community College Football Player pictured above reaches an agreement within the court pleading guilty to a lesser charge stemming from a Gang Rape in 2006.



Mr. Williams made a plea agreement to second degree criminal sexual conduct on Monday. Under these terms he will serve 45 days in jail and have two years of probation, in addition he will not have to register as a sex offender as long as he complies w/ sanctions the judge ordered



At a previous hearing in December of 2008, a public defender argued that Williams couldn't get a fair trial in Hibbing because the community lacked racial diversity. Starr( Judge) denied the motion. This case is considered racially charged as reported in the local newspapers because the victim is a White female and the four accused are African-American Males.



The other three gentleman are: Talon Deante Jackson, Daily Whitten and Terrance Dominque Laverity. All have been charged for being involved, each have pleaded not guilty to first degree criminal sexual conduct as of today the court date has yet to be determined


Interesting Tidbits:


*Hibbing Community College Football disbanded after charges were made school cite poor academic performance from several players as reason for the school no longer having a team

*The area has had other incidents of Tension, regarding requiting of out-of-state-players and the fact that most are Minorities.

*This is not the first incident of Rape or misconduct at this college or the other community colleges in the area.

* Local residents angry enough to interfere and take matters in their own hands. one incident involved the beating of another gentleman based on the fact he was the first African-American he and friends seen after his daughter reported being raped by a "Black Man"

*Talon D. Jackson was arrested in 2008 on possession of firearm and aggravated assault at a community college in Orlando, Florida


For more on this story check here:

http://www.hibbingmn.com/articles/2010/01/06/news/doc4b42ac2f0875c390325157.txt
http://www.twincities.com/life/ci_14130572
http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/156518/


For background on this and related stories follow the links below:

http://moderntribalist.blogspot.com/2006/10/three-college-football-players-and.html
http://www.startribune.com/local/11555836.html
http://www.wesh.com/news/15344662/detail.html