health
Black Health in White America
Many may oppose this message by not seeing the connection between individual health choices and racism in America, but the two are connected more than one wants to admit. Habits of good health among Black Americans lessen the need for dependency on white America's science of medicine and their covert racist agendas.
Beginning with Black America's dependency on and trust in one of America's many racially governed systems, we must consider the true fact that like the justice system, the educational system, or the corporate environment, the health system in America has its own system of racial stigmas and practices. We can no longer continue to be naive about this reality.
According to the CDC, statistics reveal that African-American women and their babies are at a higher risk for pregnancy and birth complications; concluding that "preterm, premature and delivery is the most frequent cause of infant mortality, accounting for more than one third of all infants deaths during the first year of life."
Now, many would shrug this finding and simply believe that maybe Black women or children are somehow defunct in the natural act of childbirth, or that something is wrong in the gene pool of Black Americans, which is what white scientist and researchers would have Blacks to believe, but this is highly unlikely seeing people all over the world have children all the time.
We must consider the hard truth that white America may not have Black America's best interest at heart, given their past and their sentiments on the value of Black life, even today. Thus, we must practice preventative maintenance on our bodies and learn all we can about the human anatomy to avoid having to depend wholly on their health services and medicines.
First and foremost, we must avoid the poisons widely available on the market and from within the black market, such as alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. These are sure health hazards and lead to ailments, sicknesses and diseases that slowly deteriorate our bodies. Second, any sorts of medications given haphazardly by doctors and drug companies claiming better mental and physical health such as anti-depressants, diet pills, mental stimulants for hyperactivity and so forth are all drugs that alter the mind and body in ways that rapidly depreciate our health.
Next, the foods we eat are critical in maintaining good health. Every Black neighborhood should have a campaign to rid the community of the many fast food restaurants that litter our corners. Fast food is killing everyone slowly, especially the Black community. Instead of taking the time to shop for fresh vegetables and fruits and preparing home-cooked meals for our families, especially our children, in our hurried lives of working and recreational activity, we find it a convenience to stop by the local fast food joint and stuff ourselves with these deadly, chemically-laden foods.
Exercise is equally important in maintaining a healthy life and avoiding the doctor. Our muscles and bones need regular activity to keep them strong and usable. If we neglect them, we will find ourselves either dependant on medication or unable to use our body to its fullest capacity. We do not always have to pay for gym memberships or expensive home equipment, but we should take walks, bike, or get sunlight as much as possible.
Our children, especially, need regular activity. According to the CDC, "the 6-11 age group went from 7-percent obesity in 1980 to 18-percent in 2012, while the 12-19 age group went from 5-percent to 21-percent during the same period. The source adds that in 2012, more than 1-third of children and adolescents in the U.S. had a weight problem."
Black children not only need regular activity, but they need mental stimulation away from video games and cell phones. We all, in fact, need these things. Parents must make a conscious decision to practice healthy lifestyles for themselves and for their children.
The Myth of Family History
Americans are told constantly that because a family member had or died with a certain disease or chronic illness that it is likely that a descendant will have the same. Though statistics will show medical family history extends to other generations, it does not necessarily have to. If we believe this, it is more likely we will accept it as fate and fall victim to certain illnesses. It is all about mind over matter.
Facts also show that if a parent or grandparent suffered from a certain disease because of a certain lifestyle, if we continue the same lifestyle as they we will succumb to the same disease. But if we decide to live a different, healthier lifestyle, the chances of contracting or inheriting the disease is lower. We cannot allow stipulated theories of heredity to determine how we live our lives and what we believe.
Finally, Black America must educate ourselves on natural antibodies, vitamins and nutrients so we can have stable mental and physical health. Black leaders should be willing to offer courses to communities of color without market prices. If we practice health, or any other system, the same as our oppressor, we will only remain stagnant and in the same shape we are in today.
© Sep. 2017
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