NEW POST ! WHAAAAT?!
Its been a while but due to your girl being a full time college student and working, The Daily T had to be put on hold! But I am back and have gotten a hold of some dope content I couldn't wait to share with you all. I recently read an outstanding paper written by a group of Howard Students by the names of Kira Kiara, Jacquelyn Grant, Brittani Gambrell, & Nyema Randall. Their paper was titled "The Whole Black Woman" bringing awareness to the health of Black woman, not only physical, but social, mental, and spiritual wise. They so eloquently brought forth issues I as a black woman was not even aware of. For instance one being that every 35 minutes a black woman has been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS or that there is 60% higher chance of black woman getting breast cancer than a whit women. The paper stated in 2010 breast cancer was the leading cause of death in African American woman! Part of the reason being that black women in low income areas ( which is a large part of our community) do not have the proper insurance or resources to getting checked for the diseases or lack the education to protect themselves from them. Another topic that stood out in my mind while reading this paper was the mental health of a black woman. With black women having to face racism, cultural alienation, violence, and sexual exploitation often times this leads to suicide. Instead of the black woman being okay with going to psychologist for help we tend to internalize our issues because seeking help is frowned upon, and often times viewed as weak. " The Whole Black Woman" does a great job at giving you some insight and shedding light to what too matters in the black community. Some may say that this isn't what is important but in fact it is. How do we expect to prosper and live fruitful lives while shortening our own lives due to many of the generational choices we continue to fall into? How do we expect to live in good health and be the CEO's we want to be if we aren't taking care of our mind, body's, and spirits? Read this exceptional, well written, and informative essay, and tell me if you didn't learn a thing from it. Its time for our community to take health serious. A healthy mind and body lives a healthy life. - T
The Whole Black Woman
by
Jacquelyn Grant
Brittani Gambrell
Nyema Randall
Kira Kiara
It is our belief that in eurocentric societies the health issues that black women face are not addressed accordingly which in turn negatively impacts the black woman’s health. We believe that when the health of black women is addressed it is usually not addressed holistically. Therefore, we began “The Whole Black Woman” campaign which acknowledges and seeks to confront the mental, physical, social, and spiritual health deficiencies of the black woman and find plausible solutions to these deficiencies.
According to the Offices on Women’s Health under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, of all minority groups, African-Americans have the most, and many times the largest, differences in health-risk when compared to other minority groups. Health conditions common in African-American women include but are not limited to: mental health problems and suicide, HIV/AIDS, Overweight and obesity etc. The barriers for black women not protecting themselves against these diseases and issues is numerous however we intended to focus on barriers related to unawareness of the issue, low income, and cultural indoctrination with the hopes of bringing enlightenment of these barriers and eventually dissolving them completely.
Throughout this essay we address the mental, physical, social, and spiritual health of black women by first introducing the specific problem, providing research to support our claim, developing solutions, and most importantly presenting practical ways to implement the solution proposed. It is with this structure and determination that we seek for “The Whole Black Woman” to be a campaign of longevity and authentic results.
The Mental
People perceive you as not completely human – you don’t have vulnerabilities, you don’t hurt, you’re just a soldier on. – Tamara Winfrey Harris
Mental health among black woman is often halfheartedly addressed and is overall not seen as a serious issue even though it. In response, “The Whole Black Woman” campaign seeks to tackle the mental health controversy of black woman along with the stereotypes among women in the black community that are not only perpetrated by those of other races and ethnicities, but often times echoed among our own. Although there are many concerns of black woman when it comes to mental health, this campaign will focus on dismantling the “strong black woman” standard that prevents black women from receiving greatly needed assistance to undertake their problems. According to Black Woman and Mental Health, the rates of mental health problems are higher than average for Black women because of psychological factors that result directly from their experience as Black Americans. These experiences include racism, cultural alienation, and violence and sexual exploitation. This campaign will not only explore the “strong black woman” stereotype and its negative effects, but will also examine other factors surrounding black women’s mental health.
First, to properly analyze the mental health aspect of Black women we must consider what exactly “the strong black woman” stereotype or stigma is. According to The Stigma of Mental Health: Why Black Women Don’t Ask for Help, the “Strong black woman” stereotype creates the idea of black women being perpetually strong and uniquely indestructible. It is the perception that black women are resilient, self-contained and self-sacrificing. It might appear to be a good thing as it provides black women with what appears to be protection and confidence against stress and negativity when it actually can become barrier when it comes to Black women receiving the help they need. In fact, this stereotype suggests that despite the challenges that black women face every day, black women are superhuman, but this outlook is very dangerous in regards to mental health. It limits black women’s ability to cope healthily which exacerbates the negative mental health outcome of stress. As black women you are pushed to feel as if you should place other’s needs before your own and that asking for assistance reveals a form of weakness. You are taught to be independent from a young age, and to handle issues on your own. Black women are not only told, but forced to be strong, so when they break down or show that they have some form of mental illness, they feel as though they have failed at their responsibilities or as if they are disappointing their friends and family.
Moreover, being a strong black woman allows little space for being vulnerable, seeking support and otherwise being fully human. This stereotype is negative and obstructive because it conveys that black women have built-in capacities to deal with all manner of hardship without breaking down mentally or physically and is dangerous as well as dehumanizing to have such a narrow view of the black woman as a source of support while expecting her not to need any herself. This had led to a high rate of unreported depression among African American women. Researchers at the California Black Women's Health Project found only 7% of African American women with symptoms of a mental illness sought treatment. And, according to a 2009 National Institutes of Health manuscript, a 2008 study of African American women’s perspectives on depression found many “believed that an individual develops depression due to having a ‘weak mind, poor health, a troubled spirit, and lack of self-love.’” In one study, only 13% of African American women with panic disorder sought treatment, and in another, older African American women experiencing depression, compared to those under age 50, were less likely to be currently participating in therapy.
Additionally, mental health continues to be a taboo subject in the black community and is often seen as shameful and embarrassing. Many believe that when faced when tough life issues that one should run to the church instead of seeking professional help, prayer and fasting are seen as ways to deal with “emotional problems” and depression is viewed as a temporary case of the blues. Many black women that do seek help are chastised for not dealing with problems on their own or letting someone else know their business. Although Mental Health America defines clinical depression as Clinical “whole-body illness that affects your mood, thoughts, body and behavior,” many blacks consider it to be faithlessness. Many do not comprehend the seriousness of mental health illnesses and how if undiagnosed or disregarded this illness can lead to self harm or even suicide.
Prayer can be a helpful form of meditation and self-reflection, but the problem arises when it is used to ignore deeper problems. According to For Harriet, for those who do not profess faith in a higher power or have experienced trauma in relation to religion, it can be impractical and even traumatic. In the words of psychologist Dr. Grant Jr.: “I do see psychic value in. . . a sturdy spiritual foundation. I do, however, have a problem with our community’s practice of praying ‘demons’ out of people plagued by schizophrenia, or beating the defiance out of a boy suffering from undiagnosed bipolar disorder.” Spirituality, therefore, should be encouraged in tandem with seeking alternative solutions. Many black women report being chastised by family members and friends for feeling depressed or anxiety and if they did seek treatment, they did so in secret.
The “Whole Black Women” campaign seeks to bring mental health to the forefront of the black community, especially when it comes to black women. As previously stated, due to socioeconomic factors as well as racism among other things our black women are suffering from depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses at an all time high. This campaign will not only address as well as debunk the “strong black woman” stereotype; it will replace this stigma with the “Whole Black Women,” this being a black woman who is not only strong, but who considers herself a real woman. A black woman who allows herself to feel emotions and when life becomes too much to handle she is strong enough to seek medical help along with her prayers. This campaign seeks to provide black women with the information of clinics and psychologists where they can receive help. We will also hold a mental health seminar where black women can gather in a comfortable space to learn key concepts in dealing with their mental health including maintaining their spirituality as well as network with black psychologists from around the world.
Furthermore, this campaign will partner with organizations such as the California Black Women’s Health Project and Mental Health Information to spread awareness via social media to encourage black women to seek the medical help necessary to overcome their mental illnesses.
The “Whole Black Woman” campaign will also focus on the spirituality of the black woman which is a key concept in maintaining mental health as well as the overall health in the black woman.
The Physical
The physical health of black women is not ideal. Before elaborating on the the concepts of why the physical health is not ideal for black women, one must understand the basic concept of physical health. To help understand the importance of “The Whole Black Woman” campaign physical health has been defined by Cheshire East Council as “the essential part of overall health of an individual, which includes everything from physical fitness to overall well being.”
Numerous factors have caused the physical aspect of a black woman health to not be ideal to not only a black woman but to society as a whole. Not only has the lack of awareness contributed to the “not ideal” concept but as well the lack of research that has been done on black women’s health. According to the Black Women’s Health Study until the 1990’s, most of the studies about health only included a small number of black women or none at all. That has lead to the build up of deteriorating diseases spreading over the black women community, increasing shortened lives and unnecessary deaths to occur. With the lack of research being done and the lack of knowledge to follow, women of color account for the more than 34 percent of 45 million Americans who lack health insurance, due to the reality that black women live in federally designated, underserved and under-resourced communities, with a lack of appropriate access to primary health care.
With the lack of health insurance, lack of awareness and lack of research four diseases have risen to high numbers in this community. The Whole Black Woman Campaign is designed to help spread awareness of HIV/AIDS, Breast cancer, Diabetes and obesity, including knowledge of risk factors but as well steps to help combat these diseases.
Given that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated at the end of 2012 that 1.2 million persons aged 13 and older were living with the HIV infection in the United States, including 156,300 (12.8) people that had not been diagnosed. Society has marketed this as a taboo disease that only “homosexual men” or “bisexual men” can get, but in recent news the Black Women’s Health Imperative has stated that every 35 minutes, a woman tests positive for HIV in this country. Nationally, Black women account for 66% of the new cases of HIV among women. HIV/AIDS has become the number one leading cause of death among Black women of the ages 25-34. Due to the complex mix of economic, social, cultural, biological, environment, and behavioral factors, 1 out of 30 black women will be diagnosed with HIV at some point in her life. Previous research has become lost in time due to people lumping the statistics together with Black men or often being buried altogether.
Consequently, poor health for Black women does not stop there. According to the Breastcancer.org about 1 in 8 U.S. women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among Black women and the second cause of death for Black women. CDC reported in 2010 that breast cancer was the leading cause of death for black women aged 45-64. In addition, CDC reported that the breast cancer death rate for women aged 45-64 years was 60% higher for Black woman than white woman. Since many black women lack health insurance, many are unaware of risk factors. Such factors like the menstrual period before the age of 12, never having children or having children after the age of 30. Women that failed to be physical throughout life, women who indulged in lots of alcohol, becoming obese and taking the hormones estrogen and progestin increased higher chances of developing breast cancer. As well the lack of health insurance many Black women are diagnosed in the later stages of breast cancer making it difficult to combat it.
However, diabetes is not only an American epidemic but as well as an epidemic for Black women. Currently one in 10 Americans has the disease. American Diabetes Association has stated that 3.2 million African Americans aged 20 years or older have diabetes. According to Black Women’s Health Imperative the risk of developing diabetes is greater for Black women. It affects 1 in 4 women ages 55 years and older and is listed as the fourth leading cause of death for all ages. Diabetes is more prevalent among Black women than any other ethnic group. The complications that are exceeded with this disease is so much greater for Black women. Women are not only in danger of having a heart attack death, kidney disease, amputations, diabetic Retinopathy, nerve dysfunction, atherosclerosis, blindness but as well as pregnancy complications such as a miscarriage or a baby born with a birth defect. Many people are aware of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes but many are unaware of Gestational Diabetes, which refers to patients who developed elevated blood glucose levels during pregnancy. Glucose levels usually return to normal following delivery but these women have an increased risk for developing diabetes later in life. Gestational diabetes is 80 percent more common in Black women than in white woman.
More importantly, obesity has continued to be a challenge for all Americans but it has reached epidemic levels for Black women. Stateofobesity.org reported that African American adults are nearly 1.5 times likely to be obese compared with white adults. Approximately 56.6 of Black women are obese. Besides the fact some people willingly choose to continue to eat unhealthy many Black women do not have that choice because of economical factors. Stateofobesity.org has also reported that African American families have earned $1 for every $2 earned by white families for the past 30 years and more than 12 percent of African American families live in deep poverty. Making it harder to have access to supermarkets and fresh produce because supermarkets are not built in the areas of where most black families reside. In some communities the lack of safe environments makes it harder to engage in physical activity. Fast Food is marketed twice as much to Black children more than white children. Creating patterns throughout life that encourages Black little girls to grow to be obese Black women.
The Whole Black Woman campaign has created several steps that will lead to better physical health for Black women:
1. All public and private investments in community prevention should be directly involved local communities organizing information sessions about HIV/AIDS, Breast cancer, diabetes and obesity.
2. Support should be increased at federal, state and local levels
3. Free programs should be held to help Black women that lack health care, help register them under Obamacare (Affordable Care Act).
4. Free testing for HIV/AIDS should be done every three-six months in communities to help insure that Black women affected can get the help they need.
5. Asking your doctor questions when getting check ups.
6. Exercising More.
7. Policies should require health programs include culturally sensitive communications and language.
The Whole Black Woman Campaign will also offer a partnership with two organizations for the awareness of Black Women’s Health: The Black Women’s Health Imperative’ and National Council of Negro Women, Inc. Both organizations are Washington D.C. based helping not only spread awareness about the lack of Black women’s health but as well implementing programs and information that will set all Black women onto a path with better health.
The Spiritual
Before dissecting the spirituality of black women one must remember that the definition of spirituality varies from one individual to another. There is no single or widely agreed upon definition. However, for the purposes of this campaign we will be employing the American Journal of Public Health’s definition of spirituality. They define spirituality in two ways with one being that spirituality is an inner quality that facilities connectedness with the self, other people, and nature or the traditional definition which involves one’s acknowledgement of and relationship with a Supreme Being.
Spirituality has predated the black woman’s existence in America and signifies their connection with African ancestry. Diana Hayes in her book Forged in the Fiery Furnace: African American Spirituality describes that the origins of African American spirituality in the context of an African cosmology and worldview that became syncretized with Christian slavery. Over the centuries of bondage and oppression, even as they were being forged into this new people, there were always those who followed different gods or no gods, those who found different paths for expressing their faith in the one Christian God, and those who completely fell away from institutionalized religion. Nonetheless, they still had deeply embedded within them that Spirit that had sustained and nurtured their ancestors.
The term "spiritual" is now frequently used in contexts in which the term "religious" was formerly employed. Contemporary spirituality is also called "post-traditional spirituality" and "New Age spirituality". Hanegraaf makes a distinction between two "New Age" movements: New Age in a restricted sense, which originated primarily in mid-twentieth century England and had its roots in Theosophy and Anthroposophy, and "New Age in a general sense, which emerged in the later 1970s.
Those who speak of spirituality outside of religion often define themselves as spiritual but not religious and generally believe in the existence of different "spiritual paths," emphasizing the importance of finding one's own individual path to spirituality. According to one 2005 poll, about 24% of the United States population identifies itself as spiritual but not religious.
Modern spirituality is centered on the "deepest values and meanings by which people live." It embraces the idea of an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality. It envisions an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being.
Not all modern notions of spirituality embrace transcendental ideas. Secular spirituality emphasizes humanistic ideas on moral character . Similarly, Aristotle—one of first known Western thinkers to demonstrate that morality, virtue and goodness can be derived without appealing to supernatural forces—even argued that "men create Gods in their own image" . Moreover, theistic and atheistic critics alike dismiss the need for the term "secular spirituality" on the basis that i) the term "spirit" is commonly taken as denoting the existence of unseen / otherworldly forces and ii) words such as philanthropy and humanism already efficiently and succinctly describe the prosocial morality meant to be conveyed by the term secular spirituality but without risk of such confusion.
Although personal well-being, both physical and psychological, is said to be an important aspect of modern spirituality, this does not imply spirituality is essential to achieving happiness . Free-thinkers who reject notions that the numinous/non-material is important to living well can be just as happy as more spiritually-oriented individuals
Contemporary spirituality theorists assert that spirituality develops inner peace and forms a foundation for happiness. For example, Meditation and similar practices are suggested to help practitioners cultivate his or her inner life and character. Ellison and Fan assert that spirituality causes a wide array of positive health outcomes, including "morale, happiness, and life satisfaction.". However, Schuurmans-Stekhoven actively attempted to replicate this research and found more "mixed" results. Nevertheless, spirituality has played a central role in self-help and the preservation of both mental and physical health.
The common issue is not able to separate spirituality from religion if required therefore leading to the death of spirituality in total. For example, if one doesn’t attend regular services then they may slack in areas such as prayer, meditation, and fasting. In the context of the working black woman, she may not be able to attend religious services as faithfully and because of this, may believe that her spirituality is in conjunction with those services and has to suffer from the absence of them. Therefore, in order to push the spiritual health care “The Whole Black Woman Project” wants to implement “Spirit to Spirit” sessions that focuses on the uplifting of black women as it relates to spirituality. These sessions can feature mediation, writing exercises, non-religious spiritual guidance and elements of mental health care such as psychologists and mental health screenings.
“The Whole Black Woman” project recognizes that implementation is key to the success of these ideas. For this reason we would partner with organizations such as Black Joy Sunday at the Malcolm X Park and students that have organized the Healing Circle at Howard University. Though these are small steps, these are necessary steps to not only get black women involved and connected with their spiritual health but interested in their health holistically.
The Social
“When I am assertive, I’m a bitch. When a man is assertive, He’s a boss. He “bossed up” no negative connotation being associated with being ‘bossed up’, but lots of negative connotation behind being a bitch. – Onika ‘Nicki Minaj’ Maraj
This quote resonates with the societal view of today’s black women so well. Black women of today are often ridiculed for being too strong, straight to the point, and independent. But are demeaned if the are seen as weak, dependent solely on a man, and assertive. Somehow the Black women has to find the perfect medium. Be assertive, but without resembling the man. Be demure and meek but not weak. Be independent but don’t make a man feel unwanted and like you can do his job. The black women has become the template for women everywhere. Being held on display since the beginning of time.
Socially the Black women overall has been viewed as inferior. The lowest of the totem poll. She has been held on display for her sexuality. Called mammi or mammy for her willingness to care for others, and even referred to as angry for her willingness to stand up for her rights.
In 1810 when the world were seized of African people, a woman by the name of Saartjie Baartman, better known as Sarah Bartman of Cape Town, South Africa. An African women who according to southafrica.info states that Sarah was persuaded by a British doctor William Dunlop to leave South Africa and travel to England. There she was put on display as a freakshow and used as a scientific experiment because of her curvaceous body. She was exploited and objectified by her European counterparts for her buttox, full breast, and full lips. This exploitation has not stopped, but today it is more of a fascination. People are now paying to look like Sarah Baartman, specifically Caucasian women are undergoing plastic surgery to have fuller lips, bigger butts and bigger breast. There was an article by surgery.org from 2012 titled “ black women begin to embrace plastic surgery” that stated that more than seventy percent of caucasion women have some type of cosmetic surgery. But it also stated that black women are the slowest growing minority when getting cosmetic surgery. But within the last three years the number of black women getting a cosmetic procedure has increased by fiver percent according to an Essence Magazine article entitled “Is Plastic Surgery the New Black for Black Women?”.
How could one imagine coming out of your mother’s womb with stereotypes attachéd to you because you are born into a culture that is full of strong women who know how to handle themselves or where you’re exploited because the creator has blessed you with a curvaceous body or the color of your skin. Well this is the life struggle of the black women. Socially the black women has been ridiculed, judged, and idolized all in one. According to Essence the number of African-Americans going under the knife has increased dramatically. Also, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons in 2009 over 985,000 African Americans underwent cosmetic surgery, a gain of five percent over the previous year. The exploitation along with the ridicule of black woman has led to an increase in plastic surgery. Moreover, due to the stigma that black women need to be “thick”, fat and skinny has become prevalent in the black community.
“The Whole Black Woman” campaign seeks to diminish the notion of an ideal black women instead accepting all types of body. We have already began a hashtag campaign on social media encouraging the acceptance of all black women. In 2016 we will also be holding a self image seminar where we will be addressing image issues in the black community as well as providing toiletries, natural hair, and makeup tutorials.
This campaign will also be focusing on the “angry black woman” stereotype which is unfortunately not only perpetrated by other races and ethnicities, but by our own black men. This maybe hard for one to comprehend, how an individual can be torn down but still respected and idolized. But, to the Black women it makes perfect sense. Black women are often ridiculed for being strong willed, angry, and assertive. Often, told that they are trying to become dominate like the male, when in actuality she is just ambitious and goal-oriented. This social stereotype came about in 1930 with a radio show called Amos ‘N’ Andy with the character named Sapphire. People of today’s generation often compare this character to Pam from the popular show Martin. Pam was strong willed and spoke her mind whenever she felt was needed, at the same time Pam was a sweetheart who was always there for Martin. It is honestly very discouraging as well as heartbreaking for black women to be accused of being angry instead of the passionate beings that black women are. Recently a photo of a black women walking into 2015 with love and focus in her backpack leaving behind negative things like jealousy, temper, fake friends, and negativity. Black men on social media immediately taunted black women using this photo by re-depicting her as a woman with no hair walking up to a man’s house with words like angry, lying, abortions, and other negative words. This type of demeaning actions unfortunately happens often to black women.
There is also a desensitivity to women when it comes to how males address a black women. It is common to hear a black women being referred to as a ‘Bitch’ or ‘My Bitch’ within the Black community. Some see it as a word of endearment instead of viewing it as something derogatory. This notion has come from the common use of the word within music videos and hip hop culture. I cannot name one artist that has not used the ‘B word’ in there song. Even some of the most highly respected rappers that are known for being lyrist/ musicians and not just rappers like Tupac Shakur, Jay Z, Biggie Smalls, Nas, J Cole, Wale , Kendrick Lamar and the list goes on have referred to Black women as ‘Bitch’. Wale has a song titled Illest Bitch, which in its entirety is a satire because the song lyrics say “illest bitch alive, that my sister and I’m so proud the way she hold it down” essentially the lyrics praise the Black women for her strength and ambition. But this goes to show how the word is used as a term of endearment within the Black community instead of being seen as something defamatory to a Black woman's character.
It hasn’t been until recently that black women have come together with organizations like Black Girls Rock to combat the use of the defamatory word. On social media there has been a new trend of Black women addressing themselves as Queen. Going back to our roots and establishing a higher level of respect from our male counterparts. The hashtags Black Queen is one of twitter’s top fifty most used hashtag. This new wave of respect for the Black women can even be seen in the day to day life of Black women across the world. As black men are beginning to address Black women they come across throughout the day as queen instead of bitch.
“The Whole Black Women” campaign seeks focus on all four aspects of a black woman in an effort to encourage a healthy mind, body, spirit, and soul. With these efforts that we have implemented or plan to implement in the upcoming year, we will reach hundreds of black women with the needed information as well as the necessary tools to become this “Whole Black Woman.”
