Child abuse linked to asthma in black women
Physical and/or s****l abuse may be potential asthma causes in black women. In fact, abuse may more than double the odds of a child having asthma. Researchers have made a connection between childhood abuse suffered by African-American women and asthma, which develops later in their lives. As part of the Black Women’s Health Study [...]
Dr. Boyce: What Lil Wayne and Malcolm X Have in Common
by Dr. Boyce Watkins I love and respect the creative ability of Lil Wayne, even if I am concerned about the content of his music. The brother is going through some difficult times, and as someone who saw the early deaths of Eazy-E and Tupac Shakur, it’s hard for me to see chickens coming home [...]
What if We Had an African Pope? African Students Respond
“Mr. Rossmann, why are most saints white?” “Why has there never been a black pope?” “Was Jesus white?” “Was Jesus black?” I teach sophomore religion here at Loyola High School in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. And while the inquisitiveness of 16-year-olds is probably universal, some of their particular questions are not. I’m probably asked why [...]
Words That Make Us Ugly
Words exceed their structure, their morphology. Words often transcend their semantic and pragmatic content. They become ideas, emotions, revolutions. At times they become perpetrators of violence. Words can be taken lightly, yet their evocative power should never be underestimated. There is a constant debate regarding a class of words largely considered politically incorrect, [...]
There’s no excuse for not pardoning Jack Johnson
Now is the time for President Barack Obama to pardon the legendary heavyweight boxing champ Jack Johnson. The only thing more outrageous than the conviction of America’s first black champion was the motivation behind it. Simply put, Johnson was done in because he was a black athlete who defeated his white competitors. Johnson beating [...]
Are black male doctors becoming endangered?
When Vince Wilson, 44, was in his early 20s, he considered being a doctor, yet his own insecurities held him back. “The bottom line is, I never thought I was smart enough,” he says. Instead, he focused his interest on other fields in medicine, becoming an x-ray technician, an EMT, a certified nursing [...]
70 percent increase in ADHD among black children, study finds
Many parents lament over their children not following directions, lack of focus or inability to sit still. These actions are often seen “out of control” and “bad” behavior. However, it may be a sign of ADHD. According to a recent study by Getahun and colleagues published in JAMA Pediatrics, ADHD diagnoses are increasing among [...]
Is Inequality Shortening Your Life Span?
White, black, or brown, we’d all live longer in a more equal, less status-driven society. Imagine you got to choose whether to be born black or born white in America. Here are a few health statistics that might inform your decision: If you chose to be born white, your chances of dying [...]
10 Things Everyone Should Know by Now About Black Women
Responding in a piece for Clutch magazine to recent headlines highlighting disrespect toward black women, The Root‘s contributing editor Demetria L. Lucas offers some remedial guidelines for potential line-crossers. Humbly, I submit a basic list, my Rules of Engagement, and ask you NOT to do the following (and encourage Black women to add to [...]
Kimani Gray: Guilty Until Proved Innocent
Raising important questions about the demise of the presumption of innocence when today’s black males are involved, the Nation columnist Patricia J. Williams weighs in on the police shooting of 16-year-old Kimani Gray. The only thing anyone can agree upon is that on Saturday, March 9, 16-year-old Kimani Gray was shot seven times by two [...]
March 21, 20132 CommentsRead More