Did Far Away Go Too Far or Not Enough?

"Marsha should have taken a different approach", at least in some circles whether large or small you can hear a overwhelming murmur that agrees or at least willing to argue the point.

Do you agree with what has been stated? What side do you find yourself on? Is your opinion solely based as a music lover? Is it the content of the video or something else entirely?




Anyone who has heard "Far Away" before release of the video (listen above) when and if polled probably had a specific visual creative direction in their head of what the song's concept would be when released.

Here's what I learned from being a vessel of creative spirit and observation.

Me
"Anything, once written and given up for an audience to share is up for interpretation"


Meaning- What lies in the head of every creative person(myself included) if asked, is a storyline that's interchangeable, accessible yet different to those who partake in it.

What is apparent and understood with our eyes and felt in our hearts unfortunately remains the same, hate and violence, especially in the minority community towards a non-heterosexual continues and we as minorities continue to suffer.

Hopefully, this visual tug at the heart can bring understanding and a necessary urgency to STOP.


Far Away- Marsha Ambrosius

Personally, I am happy that someone else (especially in the Music Entertainment world) is willing to showcase black love in it's various forms (Am I gonna get in trouble?) Who cares!

The effect good and /or bad that we can have as community members, neighbors, friends, loved ones, activists, advocates dealing with choices that we make as individuals has to be told.

Silence has never helped anyone. While you prepare to sit quiet we still are being ignored, underrepresented, hurt, beat, raped, outcast, ridiculed, forgotten and dying.

As you see, read, walk, listen or move around today I urge you to try something different, like Marsha Ambrosius did and SPEAK OUT to save a life!

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

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.

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).

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

CVS PETITION to UNLOCK CONDOMS in CONCENTRATED MINORITY AREAS

I received this in a personal email and think it's important to share, not only because I do know some people who have been affected by HIV/AIDS but because this has been an important issue for me from my days of having a candy dish/plate full of condoms in my room for my friends and family alike to take--no questions asked--to attending college and passing out Condoms on campus. Listen, Minorities will always be in a loosing battle if we are not equipped or willing to take care of ourselves and our families.

You can show you care by reading this blog, passing the info on to family, friends and colleagues. signing the petition, http://www.amplifyyourvoice.org/curecvs

CVS is one of the nation's largest pharmacy and drugstore chains. With more than 6,000 stores across the country, they are a major provider of condoms to people of all ages. However, a recent study showed that CVS stores in low-income and minority neighborhoods tend to lock up condoms. Often times these stores are in communities where the rates of HIV infection are the highest.

Advocates for Youth, in partnership with the Cure CVS Campaign, is working with college organizations to push CVS to adopt a policy that would prohibit stores from locking condoms behind glass. CVS's largest competitor, Walgreen's, already has a policy in place forbidding locked condom cases. It's time that CVS does the same!

Report taken from Amplify.org:

a report released by Change to Win highlights the fact that in many low-income and minority neighborhoods CVS stores display condoms only in locked cabinets. Those who want condoms must find a store employee and wait for them to unlock the cabinet – which might make some people turn right around and not buy the condom at all. The study looked at stores in Detroit, Los Angeles, Houston, Philadelphia, New York City and Miami between September 2007 and January 2008. In some cities, the percentage of CVS stores with locked condoms was more than three times higher in communities of color than in areas that are predominately white.The cities listed also have some of the highest numbers of AIDS cases in the country.

CVS says they lock up condoms “based on whether shoplifting is to such a degree that they’re becoming unavailable for customers to purchase.” However, competitors Rite Aid and Walgreen's both have policies against locking up condoms.

Don’t let CVS create barriers for young people who want to act responsibly and protect themselves. Join Advocates for Youth and Change to Win in demanding that CVS adopt a corporate policy against locking up condoms!

Want to help make a difference Like I just did , sign the petition:

http://www.amplifyyourvoice.org/curecvs

learn about Advocates for Youth, Click Here! http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/

WELCOME TO OUR BLOG

We here at BUILD to BLEND want to give you information about issues surrounding Sexual Assault from many positions for instance; we will report on things going on in the community, around the state of Minnesota, news from around the US and abroad. We will also give you B2B's standpoint and survivor(s) point of view.






I personally think it's more important that we try to give you steps or ideas on how you the individual, your community can be a support to someone affected by the abuse and or assault. Our ultimate goal is for you to be equipped and ultimately ready and willing to help prevent Sexual Violence.

We think it is important for us to discuss in this format, social networks, in person for many reasons but I will share my personal view by giving you a couple reason that are important to me and why I step out continuously .

• there are women everywhere and with that potential for greatness and for exploitation of some kind due to Socio-Economic factors, cultural influence, Religious factors, outdated stereotypes and roles affixed on to women and young girls.
  





• We are not alone Sexual Violence and Sexual Abuse at the hands of someone else does not just happen in Minnesota, the U.S. but it's a epidemic that affects us Worldwide.
  





• Men are everywhere as well with the same potential for greatness but just like women run the risk of being exploited or having to live up to outdated stereotypes and roles because of Socio-Economic factors, Cultural influences, Religious Doctrine, outdated stereotypes and roles affixed to young boys.
  
  




• Minorities are unfortunately consistent, with the help of those same factors listed above over time to be an under-served community affected by Sexual Violence.
  





• All survivors are not shaped in a little neat box. We are all different shades and sizes, we don't all forgive, fight, cry, forget, move, heal, create or e even dream at the same time. We don't identify the same or even have the same issues before we were hurt, so why would that change.
  





• As a African-American Woman who has been abused and sexually assaulted I am pinch-able, living proof that it does happen to Minorities. I am unafraid to speak because for a long time I felt I couldn't...imagine that.
  





• People personally tell me and others what we do and say is necessary, someone is helped, you can make a difference, you are changing attitudes, you do make people talk about it (even if behind closed doors) they are still talking...now I say OPEN THE DOOR- so that we can come in and you let all that hurt, speculation, negative attitudes, apprehensions and pain out.
  
  

There is more, if you like, I can elaborate on those concepts or ideals stated above.

If anything, what I would like you to take from this particular blog or any that I or BUILD to BLEND may post is that sometimes violence does happen and often, more then any of us would like, those things are or can potentially be of a sexual nature.



Thank You,



Jamila and Everyone else here who supports BUILD to BLEND