Long-standing systemic health and social inequities have put members of racially and ethnically minoritized and marginalized communities at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. With the disproportionate impact the pandemic has on Black, Latinx and other underserved communities, Kaiser PermanenteanAMA Health System Program Partnersends a clear message that the health program stands with those fighting for equity and justice.

We have a long-standing commitmentits in our DNAthat equity is important to us, said Edward M. Ellison, MD, a physician executive leading Permanente Medical Groups in Georgia and Southern California, and co-CEO of The Permanente Federation. It always has been equity, diversity and inclusion, and we recognize that there's more that we can do, and we want to do more.

In a recent call with Dr. Ellison, we discussed what Kaiser Permanente is doing to address inequities in health care. Here is what he had to say.

AMA: What inequities are driving the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black and Latinx communities?

Dr. Ellison: Nationally it has been recognized that Black and Latinx communities have historically had increased challenges with access to health care in generalthe availability of proper nutrition, higher rates of preexisting conditions that we know predispose you to more significant outcomes with COVID-19, like heart disease, respiratory disease, diabetes, and there are other socioeconomic and environmental factors.

We also know the impact of ACEs [adverse childhood events] early in life and how that contributes to lifelong challenges with health, chronic stress, and what that can contribute to in terms of overall health.

In our country we've long had inequities in health care outcomes in Black, Latinx and underserved communities. COVID-19 has just exacerbated what we've observed in the past and highlighted the need to approach communities of color with targeted interventions to help us better serve and improve the outcomes, not just for COVID-19, but in all of the other areas.

Learn about five steps physicians can take to prioritize Black patients well-being.

AMA: What inspired Kaiser Permanentes 75-year commitment to equity and inclusion?

Dr. Ellison: I've been with the organization for 35 years and one of the things that drew meand kept me hereis I am inspired by the mission, vision and values of Kaiser Permanente. If you look at our mission, we are committed to providing high quality, affordable, accessible care for our members and the communities that we serve.

We have a history going back to the early days of Kaiser Permanente when Henry Kaiser declared that our hospitals would not be segregated. We want everyone to have equitable opportunities and recognized that with all thats going on in the country today, it was important to recommit. It was important to be public and make sure that all of our patients, our people, our communities knew where we stood. It was about how we've always had a long-standing commitment to closing gaps in health care inequities. We can always do better, but we've made a tremendous impact.

AMA: How do you help physicians and other health professionals maintain that commitment?

Dr. Ellison: One of the things that we have done is to embark on listening sessions. They have been powerful. I have appreciated the courage and the vulnerability of my Black colleagues and my Latinx colleagues who are sharing their experiences of discrimination and racism, and at times violence. There's so much for us to learn and so we want to use those learnings to help inform the actions that we take.

We participate in something called Hippocrates Circle, which includes our own physicians who have come from underserved populations and minority groups who found their own path through medicine to become physicians and overcame many obstacles. We affiliate with middle schools in underserved communities and students who self-identify as being interested in a career in medicine.

Kaiser Permanente sponsors fellowships for physicians to go into the community, identify need, and then help to address that need. There are many ways in which we try to help support our physicians and staff to stay connected to and understand how they can contribute and give back to the community.

We have something in Southern California called the Watts Counseling and Learning Center. It was founded in 1967, two years after the civil unrest in Watts and it started with just going out and meeting with mothers in the community.

We opened another facility, Baldwin Hills Crenshaw, in an underserved area in need of revitalization. We learned what they needed in the community and so when we built this facility, part of this almost nine-acre campus includes two and a half acres of green space and a two-mile walk.

They have this motto that health care is interwoven into people's daily lives, meeting people where they stand, and I think that's the philosophy that you take into making a difference in the communities. That particular facility was intentional40% of the contracts for building the building were to diverse businesses and companies owned by women, minorities, or veterans.

AMA: Are there different solutions for Latinx and Black communities, or does a broader solution work for all vulnerable communities?

Dr. Ellison: There are approaches that would be beneficial to all communities, including appropriate use of language, being culturally sensitive and responsive to different needs that different communities that we serve have, and understanding the impact of socioeconomic differences.

The cultural values for many Latinx patients and their families are gathering together, celebrating together, living in multi-generational households. But we know that is an added risk for COVID-19. We know that for the African American community, we have to work harder at building trust in the health care system because of past history.

We have to understand that there are actions we can take that are helpful, but it's not one size fits all. There are attributes beyond race that are impacted in terms of culture, socioeconomic conditions and educational background.

Learn about eight steps Kaiser Permanente is taking to suppress COVID-19.

AMA: During the COVID-19 pandemic with concerns about physical distancing, what ways have physicians continued to be involved in those communities?

Dr. Ellison: We've seen a tremendous acceleration of virtual care delivery of telemedicine both in terms of video and telephone, so understanding how you can meet the needs of the patient, even if it's virtually is really important. And those same cultural and language issues are just as important, if not more so.

Establishing a trusting relationship between the patient and the person providing care is really important and providing education to our physicians and other providers about how you can do that effectively, virtually. Then recognizing that not all of our members have access to virtual care.

Providing appropriate face-to-face care is still important but doing it in a safe way. Many of our patients want their care virtual right now for obvious reasons. And for those who need or desire face-to-face care, it's important that it's provided.

We worked hard to do outreach to our patients with communication about what's going on to reduce fear and uncertainty about the COVID virus, to get facts, to be as fact-based as possible, and to provide that in different languages so that we can make it easier for different communities to have the information that they need.

Learn more about helping patients put essential care ahead of COVID-19 fears.

AMA: Regarding staffing, how is Kaiser Permanente improving inclusiveness and diversity now and in the future?

Dr. Ellison: We're looking at how we recruit, how we develop individuals, how we provide opportunities for advancement. All of those are part of the work that we do, but I would say I'm very excited about the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine.

In just a few weeks our first class of 50 students will be arriving. We took a very holistic approach in recruitment, so that we will be welcoming a class that does bring a diverse background and lived experiences.

We train a larger number of residents so after medical school, in a wide array of specialties, we have physicians being trained within our system and they're being exposed to the same vision, values and commitment in our organization.

It's also working with the communities and providing opportunities for minority-owned businesses to succeed. When we're contracting for services, were being intentional about providing opportunities from the communities that we serve.

AMA: Do you have any tips for other organizations that want to make a commitment to equity and inclusion?

Dr. Ellison: It starts with having a passionthat this is the right thing to do. I believe that it starts with the leadership of any organization. You have to create intentionality, be explicit in declaring what you value and why you value it. Create a safe space to execute on those values and create infrastructure that supports it and remove barriers to it.

The more of us that lean in together, the more successful that we'll be. But I do think it comes from also a place of humility knowing we don't have all the answers. It means listening to your peoplethey have the answers.

Whatever impact you can make, where you are with your opportunity, start there. Its about starting where you are and then reaching out and connecting. The more of us that do that, the more successful we'll be.

The AMA continues to compile criticalCOVID-19 health equity resourcesto shine a light on the structural issues that contribute to and could exacerbate already existing inequities. Physicians can also access the AMAsCOVID-19 FAQs about health equity in a pandemic.

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How Kaiser Permanente fights inequity in the face of COVID-19 - American Medical Association

Last week, legislators from opposite ends of the state filed a bill establishingthe Commonwealth Health, Economic, Education and Equity Recovery and Reconstruction Fund or CHEEERRS. Even before we learned of the economic and health inequities suffered by the Commonwealths Black and Latino residents exposed by COVID-19, we had ample evidence of the impact of yearsof systemic racial disparities that have been endured for far too long. This national and local reckoning presents a unique time for a reset. We begin the process with the filing of this bill.

State Representative Bud Williams (D-Springfield) and State Senator Nick Collins (D-Boston), have joined together to file this most bold piece of legislation. This bill supports close to $1 billion, identifies the source of funding, and establishes a separate independent bureau to oversee a comprehensive collection of services and programming directed to the targeted communities.

Even before the pandemic, our children, families, and businesses were struggling in what most would describe as a strong economy for everyone else. Its hard to imagine it could be worse when youre already hanging on by a thread. Yet, the pandemic has stretched the pain even further; our children are falling so far behind in school,were on pace to lose permanently much more than the projected 40% of Black and Latino business and weve represented more than 60% of the COVID-19 cases. stated Rep. Bud Williams. If there ever was a case to be made for a reset, for reparations, the time is now.

Among the highlights of the bill creates an independent bureau, support for families and children; a small business stabilization fund; support for returning citizens; a first in the nation resiliency service corps; and a process to review all the policies in the Executive Branch through a racial and social justice lens with an eye towards leveling the playing field.

After numerous conversations and listening sessions, I bear witness for those suffering due to the results of systemic racism, said Senator Nick Collins. It is impossible to miss and it is frightening to think as the dust eventually settles on the pandemic, it will likely be worse. It is clear, we must be intentional and bold in our efforts to tackle racial and economic injustice. This bill presents a real opportunity to address longstanding injustices, while providing assistance to communities who have been impacted the most by this pandemic. Stated Sen. Collins.

Weve seen corporate, spiritual and government leaders across the state posting Black Lives Matter signs on websites and issuing public statements of commitment to dismantle systemic racism, stated Horace Small, Founder and Director of the Union of Minority Neighborhoods. This bill is a huge step to making those words real.

Its no mystery to us that whether youre standing in Nubian Square in Roxbury or Mason Square in Springfield, the story is the same, our communities suffer the worse in nearly every health category, our children continue to learn in understaffed and under resourced school and our businesses are struggling stated Bishop Talbert Swan, President of the Springfield NAACP. Its unbelievable to think, as we begin to think about post pandemic life, that it could be worse. Its time to make the promise real.

There are also plans and activities happening across the state to create an external, sustained fund to complement and support the work of this bill. Were committed to a sustained effort stated Priscilla Flint Banks, Convenor of the Boston Black COVID-19 Coalition, a group of more than 70 organizations, businesses and individuals whove waged a fierce battle to ensure that resources are committed to Black and Latino neighborhoods, including contracting opportunities to for Black and Latino businesses. We spent 8 weeks to get mobile COVID-19 testing done in one neighborhood even after the state identified it as a hotspot! Black and Latino businesses got less than 2% of Bostons contracts and even less of the states contracts over the last 3 months. An extraordinary failure given that all bidding processes have been suspended since the Governor declared the health emergency in March! Weve earned a reset. The time is now. The CHEEERRS bill is a real first step!

Rep. Williams and Sen. Collins hope to move this bill on an expedited schedule.

View original post here:

Representative Bud Williams & Senator Nick Collins introduce Reparations Bill - BayStateBanner

At the intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic and the national conversation on systemic racism brought on by the killing of George Floyd and protests thereafter, awareness and acknowledgment brings credibility to an organization, Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Delta Dental of New Jersey and Delta Dental of Connecticut Claude Richardson explained during an NJBIZ webinar panel discussion on diversity in the workplace on Tuesday.

If you appear to be tone-deaf to whats going on, if you appear to be tone-deaf to the plight of others in your organization, youre going to lose credibility of your workforce that you understand what it is that theyre going through, what their needs are, and that you perhaps even have their best interests at heart, Richardson said.

Agudosi

Richardson was joined by fellow panelists Amy Flynn, human resources specialist for HR business Insperity; Hackensack Meridian Health Director Diversity and Inclusion Avonia Richardson-Miller; and Genova Burns LLC Partner Rajiv Parikh to discuss how diversity and inclusion have become centrally important in todays business world.

New Jersey Office of Diversity and Inclusion Chief Diversity Officer Hester Agudosi moderated the discussion.

D&I is at the forefront of everything and at the core of everything right now, more than ever, Richardson-Miller said, noting the disparate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color, specifically Black communities; and her and other CEOs responses to the killing of George Floyd.

Richardson-Miller

HMH Chief Executive Officer Robert Garrett put out a statement on Floyds death, unarmed at the hands of a police officer in Minneapolis, shortly after it happened. His statement was compassionate, Richardson-Miller said, and really acknowledged what was going on and [had] a level of empathy and cultural intelligence around what the team members within the organization were feeling. His statement wasnt just a statement, she said, importantly, he also made a commitment to action going forward.

Parikh noted that an organizations leadership team should have goals with their D&I work, rather than just conversations; and that the goals arent one size fits all.

Parikh

Everybody knows you have to have them and you should have them, but at the end of those conversations, what do you want to have as your goal? Do you want a more communicative workforce? Do you want less tension, he said. Theres a question [in the Q&A] about internal staff division Do you want to try to alleviate that type of staff division? I think that all of those goals can be accomplished just, you know, by creating kind of a custom methodology for your organization.

Flynn noted that, with COVID-19, it may seem hard for organizations to put a timeline to the implementation of D&I policies and programs.

I know some of our clients are overwhelmed and thinking, this is massive. How am I going to accomplish all of this? she said. Her advice? Start somewhere.

Be able to start with a couple of initiatives that we think, okay, I can start with this and then we keep growing, she said. But really being able to make that commitment.

Part of D&I is managers or employers making sure theyre amplifying diverse voices.

In the age of the perpetual Zoom meeting, Richardson noted that while someone might have something valuable and constructive to offer, being reserved and having others chime in might dissuade them from doing so. Richardson recommends managers go around the squares of any Zoom call, giving participants the opportunity to share what they wanted to but didnt get to.

Richardson

Especially if they know in your meeting thats a routine of yours on and they definitely dont miss the opportunity to contribute, he said. [It helps them] not to be tone-deaf whats going on and helping them to express kind of where do we stand as an organization? and making sure that we dont lose the voice of those that may not otherwise speak up in this type of environment is really important.

As many companies continue to work partially or fully remote, keeping employees connected to one another is a challenge. Flynn suggested that employers offer their employees the chance to come together for varied discussion groups, and shared that one of the employers she works with has started a book group.

After all, the business case for focusing on diversity and inclusion is manifold: According to census data, Agudosi noted that New Jersey is on track to be majority minority in 20 years, banks that had a higher percentage of women on their boards fared better than their peers during the financial downturn of 2008, and diverse companies are more adaptive and innovative than their counterparts.

Flynn

According to Flynn, close to 70 percent of job seekers now are seeking out employers that make D&I a priority.

A webinar attendee from a mid-size conservation-based nonprofit told the panelists during Q&A that his or her organization was having trouble recruiting Black and Latinx people, and asked what could be done to attract that talent.

Richardson-Miller asked them if they were reaching out to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutes, and Black MBAs or Latino MBAs.

What are your intentional efforts in going after this talent? I think that there just has to be a very thoughtful methodical and intentional approach and making sure that your recruitment efforts are targeting agencies and organizations where that talent exists and where you can connect with that talent, she said.

Everyone matters. Diversity is organic, but inclusion is intentional, Agudosi said.

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NJBIZ panel: Diversity is organic, but inclusion is intentional - NJBIZ - NJBIZ

The COVID-19 pandemic has spawned an infodemic, a vast and complicated mix of information, misinformation, and disinformation.

In this environment, false narrativesthe virus was planned, that it originated as a bioweapon, that COVID-19 symptoms are caused by 5G wireless communications technologyhave spread like wildfire across social media and other communication platforms. Some of these bogus narratives play a role in disinformation campaigns.

The notion of disinformation often brings to mind easy-to-spot propaganda peddled by totalitarian states, but the reality is much more complex. Though disinformation does serve an agenda, it is often camouflaged in facts and advanced by innocent and often well-meaning individuals.

As a researcher who studies how communications technologies are used during crises, Ive found that this mix of information types makes it difficult for people, including those who build and run online platforms, to distinguish an organic rumor from an organized disinformation campaign. And this challenge is not getting any easier as efforts to understand and respond to COVID-19 get caught up in the political machinations of this years presidential election.

Rumors are, and have always been, common during crisis events. Crises are often accompanied by uncertainty about the event and anxiety about its impacts and how people should respond. People naturally want to resolve that uncertainty and anxiety, and often attempt to do so through collective sensemaking. Its a process of coming together to gather information and theorize about the unfolding event. Rumors are a natural byproduct.

Rumors arent necessarily bad. But the same conditions that produce rumors also make people vulnerable to disinformation, which is more insidious. Unlike rumors and misinformation, which may or may not be intentional, disinformation is false or misleading information spread for a particular objective, often a political or financial aim.

Disinformation has its roots in the practice of dezinformatsiya used by the Soviet Unions intelligence agencies to attempt to change how people understood and interpreted events in the world. Its useful to think of disinformation not as a single piece of information or even a single narrative, but as a campaign, a set of actions and narratives produced and spread to deceive for political purpose.

Lawrence Martin-Bittman, a former Soviet intelligence officer who defected from what was then Czechoslovakia and later became a professor of disinformation, described how effective disinformation campaigns are often built around a true or plausible core. They exploit existing biases, divisions, and inconsistencies in a targeted group or society. And they often employ unwitting agents to spread their content and advance their objectives.

Regardless of the perpetrator, disinformation functions on multiple levels and scales. While a single disinformation campaign may have a specific objectivefor instance, changing public opinion about a political candidate or policypervasive disinformation works at a more profound level to undermine democratic societies.

Distinguishing between unintentional misinformation and intentional disinformation is a critical challenge. Intent is often hard to infer, especially in online spaces where the original source of information can be obscured. In addition, disinformation can be spread by people who believe it to be true. And unintentional misinformation can be strategically amplified as part of a disinformation campaign. Definitions and distinctions get messy, fast.

Consider the case of the Plandemic video that blazed across social media platforms in May 2020. The video contained a range of false claims and conspiracy theories about COVID-19. Problematically, it advocated against wearing masks, claiming they would activate the virus, and laid the foundations for eventual refusal of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Though many of these false narratives had emerged elsewhere online, the Plandemic video brought them together in a single, slickly produced 26-minute video. Before being removed by the platforms for containing harmful medical misinformation, the video propagated widely on Facebook and received millions of YouTube views.

As it spread, it was actively promoted and amplified by public groups on Facebook and networked communities on Twitter associated with the anti-vaccine movement, the QAnon conspiracy theory community, and pro-Trump political activism.

But was this a case of misinformation or disinformation? The answer lies in understanding howand inferring a little about whythe video went viral.

The videos protagonist was Dr. Judy Mikovits, a discredited scientist who had previously advocated for several false theories in the medical domainfor example, claiming that vaccines cause autism. In the lead-up to the videos release, she was promoting a new book, which featured many of the narratives that appeared in the Plandemic video.

One of those narratives was an accusation against Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases. At the time, Fauci was a focus of criticism for promoting social distancing measures that some conservatives viewed as harmful to the economy. Public comments from Mikovits and her associates suggest that damaging Faucis reputation was a specific goal of their campaign.

In the weeks leading up to the release of the Plandemic video, a concerted effort to lift Mikovitss profile took shape across several social media platforms. A new Twitter account was started in her name, quickly accumulating thousands of followers. She appeared in interviews with hyperpartisan news outlets such as The Epoch Times and True Pundit. Back on Twitter, Mikovits greeted her new followers with the message: Soon, Dr Fauci, everyone will know who you really are.

More recently, Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns or operates 191 local television stations across the country, had planned to air an interview with Mikovits in which she reiterated the central claims in Plandemic. In airing this program, Sinclair would have used the cover and credibility of local news to expose new audiences to these falseand potentially dangerousnarratives. The company is reconsidering its decision after receiving criticism; however, the interview was reportedly posted for a time on the companys website and was aired by one station.

This background suggests that Mikovits and her collaborators had several objectives beyond simply sharing her misinformed theories about COVID-19. These include financial, political, and reputational motives. However, it is also possible that Mikovits is a sincere believer of the information that she was sharing, as were millions of people who shared and retweeted her content online.

In the United States, as COVID-19 blurs into the presidential election, were likely to continue to see disinformation campaigns employed for political, financial, and reputational gain. Domestic activist groups will use these techniques to produce and spread false and misleading narratives about the diseaseand about the election. Foreign agents will attempt to join the conversation, often by infiltrating existing groups and attempting to steer them toward their goals.

For example, there will likely be attempts to use the threat of COVID-19 to frighten people away from the polls. Along with those direct attacks on election integrity, there are likely to also be indirect effectson peoples perceptions of election integrityfrom both sincere activists and agents of disinformation campaigns.

Efforts to shape attitudes and policies around voting are already in motion. These include work to draw attention to voter suppression and attempts to frame mail-in voting as vulnerable to fraud. Some of this rhetoric stems from sincere criticism meant to inspire action to make the electoral systems stronger. Other narratives, for example unsupported claims of voter fraud, seem to serve the primary aim of undermining trust in those systems.

History teaches that this blending of activism and active measures, of foreign and domestic actors, and of witting and unwitting agents, is nothing new. And certainly the difficulty of distinguishing between these is not made any easier in the connected era. But better understanding these intersections can help researchers, journalists, communications platform designers, policymakers, and society at large develop strategies for mitigating the impacts of disinformation during this challenging moment.

Kate Starbird is an associate professor of human-centered design and engineering at the University of Washington. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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The difference between conspiracies and disinformation - Fast Company

History can be a powerful teacher, even when it involves a Rose Bowl queen.

Back in 1957, the Tournament of Roses named Joan Williams as Miss Crown City, the predecessor to the current Rose Queen. Then officials learned that she was African American and suddenly the city curtailed official duties of the honoree, according to an obituary for Williams, who died last year at age 86.

She was not invited to ride on a parade float. In fact, that year Pasadena decided against entering a float in the parade at all.

But in 2015 58 years later the city extended an apology and offered Williams an invitation to ride in the first float of the storied parade.

For 130 years, the spectacle on the first day of every new year has captured the attention of millions of people around the world. The parade was started as a showcase of sorts of the abundance provided by California weather, and also of its benefactors, the stalwart Pasadena scions who created it. For most of its history, the Tournament of Roses, which includes a foundation and committees that consist of volunteer members, reflected the epitome of Pasadenas old guard the white and male establishment.

In recent years, the organization has moved forward in fits and starts on its way to reflecting the Pasadena of today diversifying the ranks of volunteers, committee members and staff who keep it going. Its membership has grown to include more African Americans, Latinx and Asians, according to numbers provided by the organization.

As the community has become more diverse, so have the efforts to make the membership reflect that, says Tournament of Roses CEO David Eads.

Those efforts include adding at-large committee members who are ethnically diverse, says Laura Farber, the organizations immediate past president. Farber was the organizations first Latinx president; her term ended with the most recent festivities in January. She now chairs the committee that oversees football game management, a position never before held by a woman.

The committees are the pipeline by which executives, officers and presidents are promoted. All those who have served as president have come up through the committee system after years of service. The at-large members are chosen for their diversity.

I think that was intentional, observes Farber, an immigrant from Buenos Aires. We can at least make sure we are providing an opportunity to people from a variety of viewpoints. I credit the at-large positions for diversifying the organization.

The Tournament of Roses 935 members now number more women than men and are younger 43 is the average age of the latest class, Eads says. Its members are 11% African American, 20% Latinx and 20% Asian. Pasadena residents overall are almost 10% African American, 34.4% Latinx, 16% Asian and 36.5% white.

The committees oversee all the activities and the foundation that donates $200,000 to local nonprofits annually. They are what helped promote the Tournament of Roses first Asian American president in 2014, the first African American president two years ago and Farber one year ago.

An attorney with Pasadena law firm Hahn & Hahn, Farber says she first learned of opportunities to volunteer with the Tournament of Roses from other attorneys at the firm. She had never thought about it because she had the impression she would not be welcome.

Of course I would have never envisioned people like myself getting involved, she says. Im glad that I was encouraged to do so.

Farber has served on nine committees over 26 years and believes its important for young people from all walks of life and all socio-economic backgrounds to see people of color in prominent positions. With that in mind, she made a point to visit all of Pasadenas public schools and different community groups to invite them to visit the Rose Bowl headquarters while she was president.

You need experience to lead, she says. It took time. It took an investment. We are reaping the fruits now of the work we did over many years to bring this change.

Farbers notable contributions to the organization included bringing on three Latinas as grand marshals of the parade, something that had never been done before. Actresses Rita Moreno and Gina Torres joined Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez for the festivities this past January.

Farber also opened up the parade entries to a more global audience, which brought in bands and floats from countries that had never participated before.

Farber and Eads made it their goal to broaden the organizations membership, to bring in many different groups within the community, not just ethnically diverse groups and women.

Farber says she wants people from all economic classes to feel welcome to the festivities and to Wrigley Mansion, the Tournament of Roses headquarters. She has joined committees with the local NAACP to help businesses during the current economic downturn.

Farber wants to encourage participation so that more people who represent the community at large move into executive positions. Many members of the Tournament of Roses committees come from nonprofit organizations that work to support the community and create an overlap of interests.

The foundation grants $200,000 annually to nonprofit groups offering programs in education, sports and recreation, and the visual and performing arts. It offers a scholarship for high school football players nationwide and funds local nonprofits in their fundraising efforts.

To increase participation, Eads says the organization has participated in community parades and events, such as the Black History Parade, the Latino Heritage Parade and the San Gabriel Valley Pride Festival. It has been a deliberate effort, he says.

We continue to evolve. We try to keep a balance between holding on to our values. The joy and excitement of the Tournament of Roses and our traditions are only enhanced when we have an inclusive membership, Eads says.

But while there has been progress in reflecting the community, that progress should not be taken for granted, says former Pasadena developer Jim Morris, who once protested the lack of diversity of the Rose Bowl with an actual roadblock of the coronation festivities. He and other activists persisted in efforts to bring awareness to what they saw as stagnation in getting the organization to better reflect the community.

Morris fears there are efforts to eliminate those at-large positions that helped elevate Farber, Gerald Freeny, the first African American president, and Richard Chinen, the first Asian American president.

Morris also believes the foundation can do a better job of supporting local communities of color rather than donating to organizations in economically well-off cities such as San Marino and La Caada Flintridge.

Along with the encouraging changes brought on by diversifying the membership, Morris hopes that diversity broadens and that more history of the event be known that, for instance, the land on which the Rose Bowl and the Wrigley Mansion reside was once owned by an African American.

Morris is encouraged, however, to see the recent demands for structural change in the country and believes it will benefit all people if these changes are enacted.

Theres a hope that this change is going to be meaningful, he says, adding that when more people are included in organizations such as the Tournament of Roses, everybody benefits.

Eads too looks forward to seeing the tournament continue to embrace and reflect all people of Southern California today. It makes for a better organization. We are stronger for it.

Read more here:

Creating a Tournament of Roses that celebrates the diversity of Southern California - OCRegister

HOLYOKE When Jane Frey began working as a midwife in Holyoke in 1985, the citys infant mortality rate was the highest in the state.

As part of the Holyoke Infant Mortality Task Force, Frey and others worked with the Department of Public Health, or DPH, to take steps that significantly lowered that mortality rate. However, after Holyoke Medical Center recently announced that it intends to close its Birthing Center by Oct. 1, Frey is concerned that history might repeat itself.

I fear we are back to the beginning, Frey said Tuesday, speaking in front of the same state agency whose work with the task force led to the creation of the midwife practice at Holyoke Medical Center.

Freys comments came at a DPH hearing mandated as part of an essential service closure process that hospitals must complete before closing a unit. Holyoke Medical Center announced on May 29 that it planned to shutter its 13-bed obstetrics unit and 10-bassinet infant nursery services it had already temporarily ended in early April when it agreed to house patients from the Holyoke Soldiers Home during a massive coronavirus outbreak at that facility.

Beginning the hearing, HMC CEO Spiros Hatiras said that the medical center had previously closed birthing services in 1974 due to a low volume of births and that it only re-opened in 1993 because the hospital had lost contracts with two HMOs that insisted hospitals provide birthing services.

It was widely acknowledged that the reopening would be a risky move and would be unpopular with other providers in the area because there was no unmet need in the community for birthing services, Hatiras said.

Hatiras said that birthing volume has been below the hospitals target for nearly three decades and that a low volume does not allow providers to maintain their professional competencies. Hatiras also said the hospital has not received reports that patients, who are now being sent to Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, have had issues with accessing birthing services since the unit closed in April.

Holyoke Medical Center is only discontinuing birthing services at our facility, not all maternal services, Hatiras said. We have been and will continue to provide prenatal services, family planning services, GYN services and postpartum care.

Hatiras said the hospital has a transportation system for patients. He also said the hospital will continue to provide education, care and support for mothers and babies before and after birth, which he said are the most important factors for keeping infant mortality low.

Many speakers during the public hearing, however, expressed outrage over the decision to close the Birthing Center, the way the closure was handled and the effects they said it would have on the community.

I urge Mr. Hatiras and (head of womens services Marc) Zerbe to walk the two-mile climb from the Flats of Holyoke to the OB-GYN offices at Holyoke Medical Center, pushing a baby carriage or with other children in tow to see what it is like if you had no transportation, Frey said.

Frey added that when she recently called HMC to inquire about prenatal care, she was told there were only two OB-GYNs and one nurse midwife on staff, none of whom speak Spanish. She also said she was told obstetric care would be provided at HMC and that deliveries will be done at Mercy with providers patients have not met, she noted.

Many took issue with the way they said Birthing Center staffers were treated, which they said pointed to a systemic and intentional dismantling of midwifery and birthing services.

If the hospital had these concerns, never once did they truly share them with us, the people on the front lines, said Nina Kleinberg, a nurse midwife who worked at the practice from 1988 until 2019. Instead, they created a toxic atmosphere that made us want to leave, and thats why I dont trust their rationale.

Kleinberg was one of five former employees who spoke on the record for a Gazette investigation into the closure. The five women alleged that higher-ups engaged in bullying, intimidation and micromanagement of midwives and other staffers, pushing out many longtime employees in the process.

Despite what is being stated as low numbers, actually for our community hospital we were doing quite well and maintaining our numbers despite a plummeting birth rate in the nation as well as in the state of Massachusetts, said former HMC nurse midwife Vanessa Ross, who worked at the practice from 2006 until 2019. That administration systematically brought about the low numbers that you now see.

Ross and former nurse Lisa Pack Kirschenbaum, who worked at the Birthing Center for 26 years, challenged the assertion that a lower volume of births led staff to be less prepared for emergencies.

During his testimony, HMC Chief Medical Officer Simon Ahtaridis said that a low volume also meant the hospital only kept a small number of physicians on staff, which he said caused problems if somebody took time off for any reason.

Our patients and providers deserve better for that, and in partnering with Mercy our remaining two physicians will be able to join the Mercy team of nine physicians and provide more sustainable and stable coverage for urgencies and emergencies, Ahtaridis said.

For many speaking Tuesday, the closure of the Birthing Center represented a larger problem with health care in the region and country.

My concern is that the public health of individuals of our community, particularly in Holyoke, its always been considered due to revenue, said Ward 1 City Councilor Gladys Lebron-Martinez.

Patricia Duffy, who is running for the citys state representative seat, said city residents expressed concern that local control or other services may be lost at the hospital. Current state Rep. Aaron Vega, D-Holyoke, expressed frustration with a system that he said leaves the community hospital reliant on care packages from the federal government and last-minute bailouts by MassHealth to keep it afloat.

DPH now has 15 days to determine whether the services being closed are necessary for preserving access and health status within the hospitals service area. If deemed necessary, the hospital will have 15 days to submit a plan for assuring access.

However, that is the extent of the powers DPH has under state law. The state has no power to stop the closure or penalize the hospital for closing services, even if they are deemed essential. State Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, D-Northampton, noted that fact in her comments Tuesday.

We see consistently programs taken apart piece by piece until they are no longer deemed essential, and that seems to happen more often than not in poor communities, it happens in communities of people of color and it seems to be real easy when women are involved, she said. And that is something that DPH along with the Legislature really is going to need to take a hard look at.

The rest is here:

State hears testimony on closure of Holyoke Medical Center's birthing center - GazetteNET

It was just the worst experience of my life. And its not funny. Its nothing to joke about. It was nothing for yall to start going and making fake stories about, said Megan Thee Stallion on Instagram Live, holding back tears as she addressed her shooting injuries. I didnt put my hands on nobody. I didnt deserve to get shot.

The men in the hip-hop community have failed Megan Thee Stallion. On social media she was mocked and memed, diminishing the gravity of violence enacted upon her. It points to a larger problem: the sadistic nature of misogynoir in hip-hop, an industry stained by the blood of violence against Black women by its forefathers.

Hip-hop, a genre born from the overt abuse and brutality Black communities have suffered by law enforcement, upholds the patriarchy. Its one of the few spaces where Black men can emulate the power ideals of whiteness. It's a developed framework that justifies Chris Browns existence on Billboards chart despite his physical assault of Rihanna in February 2009; instead of being held accountable by his peers, he was welcomed into a fraternity of success and masculinity built on the dehumanization of Black women. Its often said that Black women are fighting two wars based on the intersections of race and gender. Misogyny is institutional oppression against women at large, but misogynoir is the dehumanization of Black women perpetuated through individual, societal, and cultural violence toward Black women. Until men in hip-hop show genuine support and investment for Black women in hip-hop, the latter will never be granted justice, not even in death.

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As Black women took to the streets to protest the death of Breonna Taylor, social media and blogs reduced their calls to justice for Taylors death to a superficial meme, a trend void of the richness and complexity of her life. When news broke about Megans attack, Twitter erupted with misogynistic memes from Black users centered on her ass, boobs, and knees, implying that the loss of her sexual appeal mattered more than her actual life. Her face was superimposed on Ricky Bakers (played by Morris Chestnut) when he is shot in the film Boyz N The Hood and Madame Vera Walkers (played by Della Reese) when her pinky toe is shot in Harlem Nights. The migration of memes across social media platforms reinforces the devaluation of Black women in celebrity and hip-hop culture, where their full humanity is reduced, sexualized, and rendered as one-dimensional.

One of the most compelling emcees and lyricists of her generation, Megan Thee Stallion is hip-hop's biggest star. She has accomplished world-wide success and renown for her explicit lyrics that put women in power, catering to their satisfaction and fulfillment as she raps about her player ways and skimpy clothes. Shes the Houston hottie with a model body, yet through a patriarchal lens, men in hip-hop seek to reconstruct her lyrics of empowerment as justification for objectifying her body as a holding place of male desire, rage, and violence.

Who hears a Black womans cries of fear and pain if their personhood is stripped away?

Who hears a Black womans cries of fear and pain if their personhood is stripped away? If Black women are no longer regarded as human, then their bodies are deemed deserving of disproportionate amounts of pain. If Black women are no longer granted femininity, then their bodies are subjected to transphobic attacks in an attempt to validate the violence they endure. Camron responded to Megans attack by reposting an Instagram post that said her shooter "saw that dick and started shootn..IDC what no one say. His commentary reflects a double standard in hip-hops misogynistic framework, one that awards male rappers for protecting themselves against an aggressive assailant but blames women for their hostile behavior that results in gun violence. 50 Cent, who survived being shot nine times (he references the attack on his hit Many Men (Wish Death) from his debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin), posted a meme about Megans injury, which he later apologized for and deleted after her Instagram Live session.

Megan Thee Stallion didnt deserve to get shot. Liza Rios didnt deserve to be hit by Big Pun. Dee Barnes didnt deserve to be attacked by Dr. Dre. Steph Lova didnt deserve to be harassed by DJ Funkmaster Flex. Linda Williams didnt deserve to be punched by Damon Dash. Lil Kim didnt deserve to be in a violent relationship with The Notorious B.I.G. Drew Dixon, Sil Abrams, Sherri Hines, and others didnt deserve to be sexually assaulted by Russell Simmons. (Simmons has denied the allegations.) Misogynoir is an intracommunal pandemic.

Its not the responsibility of Black women in hip-hop to address the racialized and sexual violence towards their community.

Oppressive structures are maintained by the erasure and intentional neglect of individuals who are disregarded and marginalized. In a white supremacist society, hip-hop is unique because of its existence as one of the few influential structures where cisgender heterosexual Black men can be in positions of power, but their silence toward Black women is reflective of the patriarchal systems they have upheld. Hip-hop has provided a space for Black men to build empires and legacies; Def Jam Recordings, Roc-A-Fella Records, and Bad Boy Records have affirmed Russell Simmons, Jay-Z, and Diddys places as worldwide ambassadors for hip-hop culture. Where was Jay-Z following Megans attack? She signed to Roc Nation management and collaborated with Beyonc on the Savage'' remix, but he said nothing. Where was Diddy? He featured her on his COVID-19 Dance-a-Thon, but he also said nothing. Though some men like Wale and 21 Savage showed their support, the majority of voices in hip-hop who displayed comfort and support for Megan Thee Stallion were Black women, who historically have shown up for themselves when no one else would.

Before the age of 25, Megan Thee Stallion had publicly lost her mother and grandmother. Yet during her ascension to stardom, and through her grief, she still continued to reach out and support Hotties with engagements on social media, charitable donations to her hometown of Houston, and a CashApp campaign. On her July 27 Instagram Live, her first appearance since the shooting, she continued to show that resilience, assuring us, A bitch is alive and well. Strong as fuck. Im ready to get back to regular programming with my hot girl shit.I cant keep putting my energy in a bunch of you motherfuckers.

Its not the responsibility of Black women in hip-hop to address the racialized and sexual violence towards their community. Black men in hip-hop need to participate in the disinvestment of misogyny in the culture, instead of silence. In order for Black women in hip-hop to live and thrive, the structure of misogynior must be abolished.

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Women in Hip-Hop Cannot Thrive While Misogynoir Exists - HarpersBAZAAR.com

The census happens every 10 years and is the federal government's process of data-gathering that guides all sorts of decisionssuch as how federal funds are allocated, and how congressional district lines are drawn and how much representation a region gets in Washington. And given those high stakes, President Donald Trump's efforts to exclude undocumented immigrants from the count have drawn immense backlash.

First, there was a proposal to include a new question:"Is this person acitizenof theUnited States?" Dozens of cities counties and states sued, arguing the question was contrived just for the purpose of intimidating non-citizens and discouraging them from completing the census. In June 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the plaintiffs' favor, and the question was dropped.

Fast-forward to July 21, 2020, with the census in full swing.Trump issued a memo that would alter the definition of "whole persons" used in census-based calculations, excluding undocumented immigrants.

Cue another round of lawsuits, again filed by a large coalitionnine cities and six countiesagainstPresident Trump, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, and Census Director Steven Dillingham.

On July 28, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors voted to join that lawsuit.

As we continue to work hard to get an accurate count in the 2020 Census, we want to send a clear message to our communities: if you live here, you count, Chris Lopez, chair of the Board of Supervisors, said in a statement. Intentional and unconstitutional efforts to deter legal participation in the census will not go unchallenged. Our fair representation and equal access to funds depends on the census, we encourage every person living in Monterey County to stand up, log on, and get counted.

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Monterey County joins in suing Trump administration over exclusion of undocumented immigrants in census. - Monterey County Weekly

Q&A

No More Secrets, a Mount Airy-based nonprofit, is doing the work to combat Philadelphia's period poverty.

Founder Lynette Medley (right) and her No More Secrets team are working to end period poverty in Philly at a grassroots level. | Photos courtesy No More Secrets.

I realize Im getting my period when I go to the bathroom with cramps and find that quite suddenly, Im bleeding heavily. I grab two Midol, a tampon that Ill have to change soon, and, depending on the pain level, a heating pad, and get on with my day. Some days, the pain is debilitating, and my body feels weak and woozy. Some days, I can tolerate it well. Regardless, I never have to worry about blood leaking everywhere. I can afford the tampons I prefer, the size that works for me, and pads for extra lining when I need it.

For much of Philadelphia, the reality is different.

Women all over Philadelphia wake up with their periods their uteruses contracting, often painfully, to help expel their lining and no supplies to help them manage the pain or the blood flow. Theyll miss work or school, or try to manage the bleeding in other ways, like by using kitchen towels or old rags. Theyll ruin clothes and underwear because of this. Theyll ration pads and tampons to get through. And theyll do it again next month.

This is period poverty: the inability to afford products for dealing with menstruation. Its an issue most often associated with developing countries (a UPenn sophomore won an Oscar last year for her work depicting the issue in New Delhi), but its actually common throughout the United States.

One local organization is trying to change that reality here in Philly. No More Secrets, a sexuality awareness and counseling organization, was founded in 2012 by Mount Airy-based sexual health counselor Lynette Medley, 51, who delivers daily care packages with her daughter, Nya McGlone, 28.

Medleys nonprofit delivers almost 200 three-month supplies of menstrual products in the Greater Philadelphia area each week, undaunted by thunderstorms, 95 degree weather and COVID-19. A normal day for the No More Secrets crew means upwards of 50 deliveries of menstrual products in the city and suburbs.

And what theyre doing is sorely needed. A 2019 study of American cities found that two-thirds of low-income women didnt have the resources to buy menstrual products at some point within the past year. In Philadelphia, almost a quarter of our citizens live in poverty, with Black Philadelphians being about twice as likely to live in poverty as white Philadelphians. And, for some reason, period products which are a human necessity for health, sanitation, and attending work or school arent covered by Medicaid or SNAP. Theyre also not uniformly available in our public schools. In addition to the years of work by No More Secrets, newer organizations like the teenage-run Menstrual Equity Project have been seeking to fill the gaps in Philly schools recently, but this problem mostly continues, as it has for years, without a government solution in sight.

In July, No More Secrets launched its latest social action campaign, #BlackGirlsBleed, to help raise awareness of and end period poverty, address systemic racism in the menstrual health space, and decrease stigma about menstruation in Black communities.

I chatted with No More Secrets founder Lynette Medley to find out more about #BlackGirlsBleed and period poverty in Philadelphia and what we can do about it.

Lynette Medley delivering supplies in the Philly area. | Photograph courtesy of Lynette Medley

Philadelphia magazine: How did you decide to launch your latest social media campaign?Medley: With #BlackGirlsBleed, we are really intentional about entering a space that is not really welcoming to Black bodies and Black organizations. We are really trying to push the envelope and get donations that are actually going to do good. We are trying to ask people to be inclusive of our efforts. Its funny, because we are small very small and we have been doing a lot, because it is our passion.

How did you first become aware of the extent of period poverty in Philadelphia?Im a therapist and sexual awareness counselor. I got into this space because of a situation with a client who was referred to me for acting out sexually. This 13-year-old young lady was sent to me for help.

I asked her, What is going on that you are acting this way? She said, Its just that I will do whatever I can to get a pad or tampon for me and my siblings! My mouth dropped. I was shocked.

I said, What are you talking about?! She said she would do whatever she could everything from stealing to selling her body. I said, You are kidding me!

I said we could fix it. We could call somebody. I told her, Im sure there are resources out there let me call these people. She told me, There are no resources.

Of course, I said we could fix it. We could call somebody. I told her, Im sure there are resources out there let me call these people. She told me, There are no resources. I said, Well, lets call together.

We start calling. I start calling my friends and the city and the health department and the schools. They said they could give her one pad or tampon, but not multi-day supplies. I told her, Dont worry, I am sure there is a bank somewhere. There was no bank. There were no resources. I said Well, doesnt public assistance cover it? She said no. I started calling the government, the state, and to my surprise, nothing covered it. I was shocked. And that is how I got into this space.

So there were no government resources, and you had to take matters into your own hands?Yes. I started collecting and distributing menstrual product donations immediately. I started with saying we were gathering toiletries for teens to raise money. I was aware that there is a stigma, and I didnt want to ask directly for funds for tampons. I didnt know how the community was going to donate, you understand? I wanted to keep it soft so it wouldnt shock them.

We started small, giving out small care packages, and worked our way up to having a menstrual supplies bank that we manage. Everything is still organic. We still have dont have a corporate sponsor; we dont have brands that are funding us. Everything has been from donations and marketing what we do ourselves. When we created the menstrual supplies bank, the people that need these supplies told me that they dont have money to travel to even pick up these supplies they need them delivered. Thats how we started the delivery service.

There is a stigma, and I didnt want to ask directly for funds for tampons. I didnt know how the community was going to donate, you understand? I wanted to keep it soft so it wouldnt shock them.

That is fascinating. I think many people dont understand that this problem isnt only happening in developing countries its a Philadelphia issue.Thats very true. I get frustrated sometimes, but at the end of the day, I think there is really a lack of education and awareness about it. I feel like we arent talking about it enough. I dont think women talk about it enough in general. I started this #BlackGirlsBleed campaign because I really think there is a deficit in communities of color. The purpose was to amplify the voices of Black women, and also to reach out to different brands and suppliers and say, I see your pages, but I dont see people that look like us talking about our experiences. I really just want to decrease the stigma in the communities of color specifically.

For example, not everybody dealing with this is living in total poverty. Many women who ask for donations are hourly wage earners struggling to meet their families needs. Usually when people find me to get products, I find out that their attitudes towards their periods are generational. Theyll say, My mom did it, and my grandmother did it. We all stayed home, couldnt go to school, and we just used this or that. People are still using pieces of rag and pieces of comforter and socks and thinking that its okay. I have had parents and they work, and they are just trying to buy food, and they are trying to pay for utilities, and they and their children use paper towels because there isnt another option for them. Its so much deeper than people imagine, because we really arent talking about it. People dont have a space to talk about it.

What is period poverty, by your definition?Menstrual equity and period poverty are two different things. A lot of large organizations say they address period poverty. If you are giving someone a lunch bag with three tampons and two pads, that is not period poverty; that is menstrual equity. Its, I am giving you this for a moment until you can get other things.

Period poverty is, I dont have any pads; I cant get access to pads or tampons; me and my family need monthly supplies. Period poverty is when you are rationing pads between your sisters every month. That is a whole different conversation. But all these organizations are saying period poverty. So you give me two tampons in the little brown bag , and they are talking about solving period poverty! That is for what, one day? A half-day of my cycle?

What can change at a policy level? In the majority of the United States, these items are still taxed. I dont really get into that conversation about the Pink Tax, because the populations we serve whether its taxed or non-taxed, they still cant pay for it. A dollar or two is not going make a difference for them. These people have stood in lines all summer in the heat trying to get food. Some people would call me and say they need period supplies so they can go get food, because they are bleeding and they dont have toilet paper or paper towels. They cant go get supplies because they are bleeding.

I have had meetings with city officials and with the Department of Human Services and the Department of Public Health. I have gotten rebuttals like, This is not an issue in the community. How can you prove it? Where is the research? There does need to be more research so we have the evidence to show. I think this needs to be on the risk assessment for the Department of Human Services as risky behaviors, like housing insecurity and food insecurity.

Tell me more about the #BlackGirlsBleed Campaign this past month.#BlackGirlsBleed is a movement that we started in July of 2020 addressing the systemic racism in the practices of the menstrual space. The menstrual space is really a white space. There are not many people of color in these commercials and at these companies. We realized because of that, menstrual brands and menstrual movements have not historically uplifted Black communities or Black organizations. They dont like to give us resources even though we are on the ground doing the work. I want to highlight the disparities. I want to highlight that Black girls bleed and share their stories. We realized that women in our communities dont see people like them talking about their menstrual cycles, talking about their periods. Its not just menstrual equity its self-esteem-building, and changing the conversation and helping to empower young women to love themselves.

Their experiences are different than they might see in ads. Ill ask girls, What do you see in the commercials? They talk about people who are surfing and swimming and high-diving, but they say, That is not my experience.

We need to get to reality and be able to get to talk about these issues and not feel shame. It is really just a way of highlighting their voices and amplifying how they feel in our community. We want to get rid of the generational stigma within communities of color. I want women to start seeing more people talking about it. Women in our communities often suffer in silence.

Not everybody dealing with this is living in poverty. Many women who ask for donations are hourly wage earners struggling to meet their families needs.

Photograph courtesy of Lynette Medley.

Do you partner with schools or other local organizations?We do all the deliveries. We delivered to the School District of Philadelphia when it was open. When we delivered to them, they were called RED boxes resources for education and distribution. We would give a huge bin filled with pads, tampons, wipes, whatever the school requested. The school system only supplies feminine products to a very small number of our hundreds of schools. And, they only distributed size-one pads. Nurses who got these supplies told us, We need heavier; we need thicker; we need this size; we need variety.

Thats true. A thin size-one pad would be useless for me and many women I know.Yes. Its not like anyone is asking for a certain brand. I am trying to fit the needs of the people that I am serving. If you are giving size-one pads to a child in poverty who already has an irregular or heavy period, and they are having clots and they are in class, they cant use it. They will tell me, I am still not going to go to school, because I will be there bleeding over this size-one pad on the one uniform I have, and my mom doesnt have regular running water, so I dont know when it will be washed.

I have women who have been in the EARN program. They tell me, I get fired every time because I dont have pads. I only have one outfit to wear to work, and two pairs of underwear, and the boss will ask, Why do you keep going to the bathroom? Its because I have one dollar-store pad and I leak through it every five minutes. These are conversations we just dont have. People are really suffering, and it is actually keeping some people in poverty.

I dont feel as though it is a handout, because I feel that its a disgrace and discriminatory in nature to not address menstrual rights in our communities. I feel it is a human rights issue. Im just giving them what they need to live their lives.

Is there any ever hesitation or shame from people about receiving these boxes of pads and tampons from you?We used to be like thieves in the night and go out to deliver at night, in the dark. Then one day, one of the recipients in our community, Amirra Jenkins, asked me, Why are you not thinking business? Why are you not posting this on IG so people know what you are doing? We took a picture, and soon we started seeing all these girls posting it on social media. So now, people all want to take a picture with us. They want to change this perception.

It was so surprising to me, but the girls feel proud that this is a movement. Its a movement for these girls and women to say, This makes no sense that this happening, and to take a stand. I dont feel as though it is a handout at all, because it is a disgrace and discriminatory in nature to not address menstrual rights in our communities. I feel it is a human rights issue. Im just giving them what they need to live their lives.

To donate to No More Secrets, visit their website here. You can also follow them on Instagram here.

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Not Everyone in Philly Has Access to Pads and Tampons. Thats a Problem. - Philadelphia magazine

Testudo overlooks McKeldin Mall at the University of Maryland in College Park. (The Daily Record / Tim Curtis)

The University System of Maryland announced Thursday that students, faculty and staff returning to all of its campuses must be tested for COVID-19 within 14 days prior to arrival. Students and employees must also submit official confirmation of a negative result to university officials.

USMs 11 universities, which are typically home to over 170,000 students, will also implement additional infection prevention and control protocols and work with individuals if complications arise as they attempt to get tested, according to a statement released Thursday.

Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 prior to arriving at a USM campus will not be allowed to return until a required period of isolation has been met, the system said. Those who test positive after arriving on campus will consult with university officials regarding medical follow-up and isolation requirements.

The announcement comes amid an intense national debate over reopening the nations schools from kindergarten up to universities.

USM policies were developed in response to increases in COVID-19s spread. Institutions engaged in involved and intentional discussions among themselves and worked closely with the Maryland Department of Health and its local jurisdictions, said Joann Boughman,senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at USM.

USM also took guidance from its professors with expertise in medicine and public health. Officials said adhering to testing, symptom monitoring and disease mitigation protocols are essential, for both safety and the ability to resume and sustain in-person instruction this fall.

Marylands cases, which started decreasing in late May and began increasing again at the beginning of July, have not been accelerating as rapidly as much of the nations. Right now, Marylands seven-day-averages total out to 873 cases and 10 deaths daily, according to data from the New York Times.

Prince Georges County has the highest rates of infection and death per capita in the state. One out of 40 residents has reportedly been infected with COVID-19. One out of 1,200 has died.

USMs largest campus, the University of Maryland, College Park, is in Prince Georges County. The university last year enrolled over 40,000 students, and it plans to welcome some of them back on Aug. 31. Population on campuses will be quite limited, a fraction of what would occur under more traditional circumstances like fall 2019, said Mike Lurie, media relations and web manager at USM.

Boughman said the system hopes students will be able to access nearby testing sites, which are often provided at no cost or covered by health care providers. Some USM campuses, like College Park, will set up testing sites on their grounds.

While were waiting for the test results, we want students to be not fully interacting and out there. In general, we want them to hunker down if you will, Boughman said. Were not asking them to quarantine in their room and not come out of their rooms, but we want them to in fact be prudent in what theyre doing until we get negative tests back. Once we get the negative tests back, we remain expecting students to do their symptom monitoring on a daily basis and follow the other public health actions.

Individual system universities will provide guidance to students and employees who have been tested for COVID-19 but are still awaiting their test results at the start of the fall semester. The schools alsowill share alternative testing arrangements with anyone who is unable to access a COVID-19 test before arriving.

Each campus will manage records of negative tests differently, said Boughman. Students living in on-campus residences must have this documentation when they move in, and they will be referred for testing if they do not. Universities will also use their campus health officials, registrars offices and general student management systems to stay organized and enforce this requirement.

All students and employees returning to a USM institution must also begin daily symptom monitoring and reporting 14 days before their arrival on campus. Individual universities will provide further evaluation and guidance to anyone reporting COVID-19-associated symptoms.

USMs statement provided a list of five requirements that employees, students and visitors at every USM institution must adhere to:

Individual universities will share with their campus communities the consequences of noncompliance with these rules.Noncompliance could lead to disciplinary measures through a universitys student conduct process, said Boughman. Still, she expects there will be flexibility for honest mistakes.

Everybody is going to be reasonable about this. There are times when people walk out of their dorm or a day they may forget a mask or something, Boughman said. It is the intentional noncompliance that we are most concerned about.

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University System of Maryland to require COVID-19 testing this fall - Maryland Daily Record