Happiness is a collective phenomenon. A new study came out showing that happiness is important to your health! This connection is all about the positive effects of people in your lives. Yet another reason why social context matters to your health. So keep grouchy people away!
For a review of the study please click here.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Inspiration
The responses from the Showtime airing of All of Us across the country have been so awesome! I have no words to express the intensity of the email messages I have been receiving from young, old, men, and women. Thank you so much for the encouragement, support, blessings, and well wishes.
Fundamentally, the HIV epidemic is about the connection between health and human rights as well as the obligation we all have to serve. As the saying goes, "start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can." For all of you who never had a connection to HIV and are now inspired to be part of the movement, jump in. Here are some suggestions:
1) Call a local AIDS service organization in your neighborhood and get involved.
2) Register at www.truthaids.org and stay connected to us by taking our free online classes.
3) Get HIV tested and encourage a friend to do the same.
4) Try using a female condom if you never have. Practice makes perfect.
5) Hold a truth circle!
And just in case you need some more inspiration... check out MLK below:
Fundamentally, the HIV epidemic is about the connection between health and human rights as well as the obligation we all have to serve. As the saying goes, "start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can." For all of you who never had a connection to HIV and are now inspired to be part of the movement, jump in. Here are some suggestions:
1) Call a local AIDS service organization in your neighborhood and get involved.
2) Register at www.truthaids.org and stay connected to us by taking our free online classes.
3) Get HIV tested and encourage a friend to do the same.
4) Try using a female condom if you never have. Practice makes perfect.
5) Hold a truth circle!
And just in case you need some more inspiration... check out MLK below:
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Thank you SisterLove Inc.
Chevelle and I spent World AIDS Day with SisterLove Inc. in Atlanta and were received with open arms. Our visit started out with a live radio interview with Dazon Dixon-Diallo on WRFG for their World AIDS Day programming and ended in an awards ceremony at the Shrine of the Black Madonna. We would especially like to thank the "hostess with the mostest" Debra Mlambo for housing us, feeding us, and catering to our every need. The night was beautiful. Thank you for creating such a tender and safe space for us to honestly share our thoughts and experiences on filming All of Us. It was also an honor to meet Dr. Biggers, an Atlanta-based physician/advocate who has devoted her career to HIV/AIDS. I have no doubt that women supporting women can change the world.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
SisterSong National Membership meeting
SisterSong National Membership meeting occurred over the weekend and I spoke on the panel about HIV as a reproductive justice issue. SisterSong is the longest standing Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective that is building a movement around reproductive justice. Daxon Dixon Diallo of Sister Love Inc. led the session and my co-panelists included Coco Jervis, Policy Director for CHAMP as well as Marsha Jones and LaCisha Crear of the Afiya Center.
The reproductive justice framework is an important integrated lense that makes it impossible to talk about empowerment of communities in isolation from their social networks. This is an important principle when considering women's health as well as the health of urban populations. Too often, discussions of risk are limited to personal responsibility messaging that completes misses the importance of the social context. Reproductive justice is an important frame for avoiding this pitfall.
My contribution on the panel was to report the outcomes of the Women of Color United meeting in Mexico City at the International AIDS Conference on behalf of Jacqui Patterson. The women in the session were energized by the dialogue concerning transnational solidarity and wanted to know how to advance the six step solidarity plan concerning the intersection of violence against women and HIV/AIDS. After the session many came up to me to try and strategize the ways in which they could support.
The reproductive justice framework is an important integrated lense that makes it impossible to talk about empowerment of communities in isolation from their social networks. This is an important principle when considering women's health as well as the health of urban populations. Too often, discussions of risk are limited to personal responsibility messaging that completes misses the importance of the social context. Reproductive justice is an important frame for avoiding this pitfall.
My contribution on the panel was to report the outcomes of the Women of Color United meeting in Mexico City at the International AIDS Conference on behalf of Jacqui Patterson. The women in the session were energized by the dialogue concerning transnational solidarity and wanted to know how to advance the six step solidarity plan concerning the intersection of violence against women and HIV/AIDS. After the session many came up to me to try and strategize the ways in which they could support.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Washington D.C. Outreach
Dr. Mehret and Chevelle took it to Washington, D.C. to spread the truth about what they learned in the South Bronx regarding HIV prevention, women, and filming All of Us.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
God Speaks: Philadelphia Voices Against Violence
TruthAIDS has teamed up with Philadelphia-based filmmaker Makia Harper to develop a community education training guide for her film God Speaks: Philadelphia Voices Against Violence. Harper is an independent writer and filmmaker that produced/directed a one hour length documentary in less than one year! Her focus on solutions against violence that are up and running in Philadelphia present interesting public health solutions. We are honored to be working with Makia. Her film instructs defeating violence will take a village and we are excited to help build upon her efforts.
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