Black Moms and Breastfeeding: CDC Says Stats Are Rising, But We Need More Support

http://mybrownbaby.com/2013/02/black-moms-and-breastfeeding-cdc-says-stats-are-rising-but-we-need-more-support/

by Denene Millner

Oh baby! The numbers of African American mothers breastfeeding is on the rise and more black mothers are forgoing formula for the breast for longer periods—a push that is narrowing gaps in breastfeeding rates between black women and other ethnicities.

A report released yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control says the proportion of black mothers who started breastfeeding jumped from 47.7 percent in 2000 to 58.9 in 2008. Similarly, the proportion of black moms who were still breastfeeding after six months rose almost 15 percent—up to 30.1 percent in 2008 from 16.9 percent in 2000.

And though black breastfeeding rates continue to lag behind white and Hispanic moms—they reported breastfeeding their infants 75 percent and 80 percent respectively—the gap in breastfeeding rates between black women and white women narrowed from 24 percentage points in 2000 to 16 percentage points in 2008.

ADHD Diagnoses In Black Children Increases By 70 Percent—Along With the Use Of Strong Meds

http://mybrownbaby.com/2013/02/adhd-diagnoses-in-black-children-increases-by-70-percent-along-with-the-use-of-strong-meds/

by Denene Millner

African American and Hispanic children have seen a jump in their diagnosis rates for Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder—a trend that comes as more psychiatrists are prescribing antipsychotic drugs some researchers argue haven’t been proven to accurately treat ADHD.

A recent study by Kaiser Permanente found that the overall rate of ADHD diagnoses for children increased 24 percent, from 2.5 precent in 2001 to 3.1 percent in 2010. But when broken down by race and ethnicity, black children saw a 70 percent increase in ADHD diagnosis over that nine-year period, while Hispanic children saw a 60 percent increase.

Darios Gatahun, a researcher and author of the study, says diagnosis rates could have increased because parents and physicians are more aware of the disorder and have increased access to preventative health screenings and treatment. Some experts argue that this is a step in the right direction because it means more children with the neurobehavioral disorder are likely to be treated, reducing their chances for missing school, becoming injured or having difficulty learning. 

Florida State Board of Education Passes Plan for Racially-Based Academic Goals

http://rawdawgb.blogspot.com/2012/11/florida-state-board-of-education-passes.html

By Torrence Stephens

Given all of the attention that has been directed toward the educational and academic performance of African American students, including the recent Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal and the recently released report from the Schott Foundation for Public Education  that found that only 52 percent of Black male ninth-graders graduate from high school four years later compared to 78 percent of White, non-Latino male ninth-graders, it is not expected that school districts around the nation try to address this problem. The question is really how one attempt to address this issue does.

The Florida State Board of Education recently passed a plan that sets goals for students in math and reading; however it is based upon their race. The revised strategic plan passed by the board states that says that by 2018, it wants 90 percent of Asian students, 88 percent of white students, and 74percent of black students to be reading at or above grade level. For math, the goals are 92 percent of Asian kids to be proficient, whites at 86 percent, and blacks at 74 percent.

Racial, Socioeconomic Segregation Still Rampant in Schools

 

http://rawdawgb.blogspot.com/2012/09/racial-socioeconomic-segregation-still.html

By Torrance Stephens

The impact and history of racial segregation in America is well documented. It has moved in theory from the 1896, the Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court case that determined that “separate but equal” was constitutional, to the 1954 landmark Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education, in which the Supreme Court overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson and ruled that segregation was “inherently unequal.” Although segregation is no longer the law, it is still a very real part of America, in particular in education where the Brown v. Board of Education decision was supposed to obviate such practices.

A new study based on a new analysis of Department of Education data shows that whites are still largely concentrated in schools with other whites and that black and Latino students tend to be in class rooms mostly with other black and Latinos. The report was authored by Gary Orfield, co-director of the Civil Rights Project at the University of California, Los Angeles. Orefield suggest that “Extreme segregation is becoming more common” in America.

Black Parents Want GOOD Teachers, Not Necessarily Black Ones

http://mybrownbaby.com/2012/06/black-parents-want-good-teachers-not-necessarily-black-ones/

By NICK CHILES

A widely reported study out of the University of Houston, claiming that there is no added academic benefit for black students when they have black teachers, severely misses the point. As any black parent who has had a few years of experience in American schools can tell you, it’s the quality of the teacher, not the teacher’s skin color, that is the critical issue affecting student achievement. We all want GOOD teachers for our kids, not necessarily black teachers.

But there is a further point to be made here. I believe that when a black teacher is really good, which means she has the ability to get your child to see herself differently, to believe in herself, to start looking at the world in a different way, it can have an even deeper impact on a black child than with a white teacher who is equally good. It’s sort of like finding a love partner of a different race—of course a white woman can be just as good a partner to me as a black woman, but all things being equal, I don’t think a white woman will ever be able to understand me and all the cultural, historical, psychological and emotional issues that are lodged deep in my psyche, carried in my blood, the way a black woman would. I think the same is true of good teachers.

White Births In US No Longer Majority: The Coloring Of America

http://mybrownbaby.com/2012/05/white-births-in-us-no-longer-majority-the-coloring-of-america/

By Denene Millner

Our country, settled by white Europeans and riddled with the troubled racial legacy of slavery, bitter civil rights battles and an awful anti-immigration stance, has reached a new milestone for the first time in its 235-year-old history: White births in the United States are no longer in the majority.

According to US Census Bureau data, Black, Hispanic, Asian and mixed-race births accounted for 50.4% of births over a 12-month period to July 2011, marking a majority for the first time in US history. Whites still remain the majority of the population as a whole—with 63.4 percent of the population identifying as White—and Whites still maintain the largest single share of total births, at 49.6 percent. But the growth of the Hispanic population is chipping into the majority status of White births—a trend expected to continue as Hispanics, whose population sit “squarely within their peak fertility,” continues to rise, Pew Hispanic Center demographer Jeffrey  Passel told the New York Times.

The tipping point represents a “transformation from a mostly white baby boomer culture to the more globalised multi-ethnic country that we are becoming,” William Frey, a Brookings Institution demographer, told the New York Times.

Ignorant and Stupid At the Same D### Time

http://rawdawgb.blogspot.com/2012/04/ignorant-and-stupid-at-same-d-time.html

By Torrance Stephens

 I must admit, I am disappointed, afraid and frankly appalled at the extent to which sciolism is displayed in America, especially among folks that look like me. It seems that we parade our ignorance and lack of respect and appreciation for presenting ourselves in the best fashion, as if it is something to be proud of.The badge of honor through the lyrics include: “On the phone, cooking dope, at the same damn time and Selling white, selling mid, at the same damn time.” The only lyrics that are missing and would be a better reflection of the kind of mind set that would spend time creating such garbage is “ignorant and stupid at the same d*** time.” Yes I said it and this is all it can be. On the front in there are no other words to describe this type of belief system other than brainless, deficient, doltish or imbecilic and on the back end, cloddish, birdbrained, dense, misinformed and nescient.

Just A Few Random Thoughts Regarding The Trayvon Martin Tragedy

By BIG CED

This is what’s troubling about recent reports about the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman case. Let’s just say that Zimmerman is correct in that Trayvon was bashing his head into the ground. According to the 911 call Zimmerman made, he was told to NOT pursue Trayvon, yet he did, so, in theory, if he had listened to the caller, more than likely, no incident happens that night. BUT, he did pursue Trayvon. Why isn’t Trayvon afforded the same right, according to the ‘stand your ground’ law that Zimmerman chooses to use as his defense? Even IF Trayvon was whipping his ass, doesn’t Trayvon have the right to stand his ground? Zimmerman is following him, which immediately puts Trayvon in a defensive stance, common sense tells you that. But let me state that I do NOT believe Zimmerman’s version of what transpired, BUT, even IF it happened that way, he is STILL the aggressor in this situation. Of course, we will NEVER know….

White Teacher Should Not Be Suspended for Using the N-Word

http://mybrownbaby.com/2012/02/white-teacher-should-not-be-suspended-for-using-the-n-word/

By NICK CHILES

In Chicago, where a white teacher got suspended because he tried to have a classroom discussion about the n-word, it appears that all common sense has flown out the window. I know that the n-word is still the third rail of public discourse, but that doesn’t mean we should get all goofy and silly whenever that word creeps into a cross-racial conversation.

It’s clear that the Chicago teacher, Lincoln Brown, was seizing what we call a “teachable moment” and using it as an opportunity to break down the history and etymology of this horrific word to his predominantly black sixth-grade class. Any parent should be quite familiar with the idea of the teachable moment because they come up all the time when we are with our children—if we’re willing to acknowledge them.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux: What is the State of “The Dream?”

http://www.yourblackworld.com/2012/01/17/dr-julianne-malveaux-what-is-the-state-of-the-dream/

by Dr. Julianne Malveaux

I always feel inspired and elated, but also challenged and chagrined, at some of the celebrations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday.  There are those, too many folks, who want to sanitize Dr. King and turn him into a dreamer.  Too many only quote the part of his “I have a dream” speech that talks about character content and skin color.  Too few remember that in the same speech he said, “We have come to the nation’s capital to cash a check, and the check has been marked insufficient funds.”  Dr. King was an economic populist, an anti-war activist, as well as a classically trained theologian.  Too many put emphasis on the latter, without acknowledging the former.

That’s why each year, I am excited to receive the State of the Dream report from United for a Fair Economy.  This organization does great work in talking about the wealth gap, and their annual foray into exploring the dream has looked at joblessness, homelessness, and austerity.  Last year their report shared facts on the relative pay that people of color earn in the public and the private sector and concluded that austerity programs that cut government jobs disproportionately affect people of color.

Black Artist Creates “Ole Skool Ebony Art”

BLACK ARTIST USES INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES TO CREATE “OLE SKOOL EBONY ART”

– Timothy Giles has spent time in more than 30 countries in Africa, and is using his experiences to create unique artwork in the form of originals, prints and greeting cards. –

Timothy Giles, artist, author and entrepreneur

Nationwide(BlackNews.com) — Timothy “Tim” Giles grew up in Suffolk, Virginia where he chose to illustrate many of his life experiences through his art. Tim’s mother was his role model who always provided the best love, guidance and direction that any single parent household would want. His mother stressed two things to him when growing up; education and actualizing the hope of brothers and sisters who paved the way before him. Success, she told him, was as relevant as the work that you give back to the community. The quote that she instilled in all her children was “a closed fist can neither receive nor give.”

Tim often gives accolades to his mother because she has always been a very strong African American woman and an encouraging and supportive mother. His mother saw something very special in him, specifically in his love for drawing. To encourage him, she provided him with his first paint by numbers set which sparked his passion to pursue art! With no formal training, Tim is a self-taught artist.

Julianne Malveaux: Let’s Talk about Diabetes

http://yourblackwoman.blogspot.com/2011/11/julianne-malveaux-lets-talk-about.html

by Dr. Julianne Malveaux, President – Bennett College for Women

November is diabetes awareness moth, and World Diabetes day is heldon November 14 each year. The day aims to increase awareness about diabetes and its complications, and focuses on the need for more resources to fight the causes of diabetes and help fund research about improved treatment options, or even cures. The International Diabetes Federation predicts that by 2030 there will be as many as 552 million diabetics in the world. Presently, nearly 68 percent of all Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes.

Diabetes doesn’t visit every community equally. While 7.1 percent of all white Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes, 8.4 percent of Asian Americans, 11.6 percent of Hispanics and 12.6 percent of African Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes. Among Hispanics, more than 13 percent Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans have been diagnosed with diabetes. In total, nearly 26 million Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes.

What Blacks Can Learn From Obama’s First Term

http://yourblackpolitics.wordpress.com/2011/11/10/what-blacks-can-learn-from-obamas-first-term/

by Yvette Carnell

In a meeting with over 100 community leaders at the White House on Wednesday, President Obama urged the mostly African American group to “stay unified”.  Unity implies that both Obama and black voters have been on the same page, speaking with one unified voice, up until now.  In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Until recently, President Obama had been evading African Americans and our respective surrogates in an effort to prove to the most puritanical segment of the white electorate that he’s no nigger lover, and no nigger favorer, and certainly no nigger indulger.  Now, with the 2012 campaign in full swing, he’s trying to pretend that all along, we misunderstood him. Whatever.

Anyway, I’m not going to try to convince you why you should or shouldn’t vote for Obama in 2012 because chances are, your mind is already made up. So, it’s really beside the point now isn’t it? But it is important that African Americans use Obama’s Presidency as an opportunity for learning to interpret the lexicon of power; how it builds, then permeates, and then shows its face.

Tackling Infant Mortality Rates—Without Stereotyping Black Mothers

http://mybrownbaby.com/2011/10/tackling-infant-mortality-rates%e2%80%94without-stereotyping-black-mothers/

By Denene Millner

So I wake up Saturday morning to this New York Times piece, Tackling Infant Mortality Rates Among Blacks, and by story’s end, I’m heated. I mean, I’m glad the Times did the story; the more attention drawn to the fact that 13.3 black babies out of 1,000 die every year—almost double the national average and higher than Sri Lanka (!)—the more chance that someone will actually figure out why tens of thousands of African American children die before age 1. But this story had problems.

Big ones.

My beef? While the story rings the alarm on the “quiet crisis” that lacks “the public discussion or high-profile campaigns that accompany cancer, autism or postpartum depression,” as usual, it falls right into the trap of completely devaluing the complexity of the problem by stereotyping black mothers. Witness the subject the Times story highlights: A poor, uneducated, 20-year-old pregnant black woman from Pittsburgh who the reporter suggests had to be talked into actually wanting her baby, and has so little self-control or pre-natal intellect that she’s spent the last seven months gorging on chips, soda, tacos and her “mama’s cooking,” gaining 50 unhealthy pounds that could put her baby at risk. Her baby has a chance of surviving only because of Healthy Start, a nonprofit group that, despite scant federal and absolutely no local financial support, manages to give in-home pre-natal care to moms-to-be who qualify for and need their services.

{Let’s Talk About Sex} The Best Ways For Parents To Get Ready For “The Talk”

http://mybrownbaby.com/2011/10/lets-talk-about-sex-the-best-ways-for-parents-to-get-ready-for-the-talk/

By Denene Millner

My talk with my mom about menstruation went something like this:

Me: Mommy? We learned about periods in health class today. The teacher said we should get this kit. It comes with books and pads and stuff.

My mom: Okay.

Uh, huh. That was the end of the conversation. She ordered the kit for me — it came with three books about puberty and an assortment of pads and tampons — and when it arrived, she handed it to me and we never talked about periods again. I was 13 when I finally got mine; I was at my uncle’s house on a weekend visit, and spent half of Saturday and most of Sunday with wads of toilet tissue stuffed in my panties, too embarrassed to ask my uncle for help, and later, too embarrassed to tell my mother about it. My mom didn’t find out, either, until after she realized I’d used up all the pads in my kit.

She was hurt. I could tell from the look in her eyes.

What The Ha-yell! Only 3 Good Black Men For Every 100 Women

http://whatthehayell.com/?p=163

By Dr. Boyce

I recently read about a “study” that was conducted by bestblackdatingsites.org that seemed to get the attention of quite a few readers.  In this “study” (and I keep using this term loosely for obvious reasons), it was determined that there are only three qualified black men for every 100 black women.   The study uses the following criteria to determine if a black man is worthy of having a mate:

1) He is heterosexual

2) Is interested in black women

3) Has a high school diploma

4) Earns over $30,000 per year

5) Is not obese

6) Does not have kids with another woman

DC To Host Black Prostate Cancer Disparity Summit

SEVENTH ANNUAL AFRICAN AMERICAN PROSTATE CANCER DISPARITY SUMMIT TO MOBILIZE PROSTATE CANCER SURVIVORS, MEDICAL, INDUSTRY, POLITICAL AND COMMUNITY LEADERS

– Summit takes Place September 22- 23 at U.S. Capitol and Washington Convention Center –

Congressman Gregory Meeks (left) with PHEN President, Thomas Farrington

Boston, MA(BlackNews.com) — The Prostate Health Education Network, Inc. (PHEN) announced today that it will host its “Seventh Annual African American Prostate Cancer Disparity Summit” in Washington, DC from September 22- 23, 2011, at the U.S. Capitol and Washington Convention Center, respectively. The Summit is FREE and open to the public.

Obama Aide Calls Criticism from Black Leaders Bullsh*t

http://yourblackpolitics.wordpress.com/2011/08/31/obama-aide-calls-criticism-from-black-leaders-bullsht/

When members of the black community accuse the Obama White House of behaving disrespectfully toward the black community, this is what they mean:

“Is President Obama finally ready to bite back and throw down with black leaders who have ridden him nonstop for the past few months for his lack of attention to black America? Politico quoted an Obama insider as saying, “The whole thing is bull-[bleep] … We have met with [black leaders] more than any other group and we are increasing our outreach.”

Bullshit?

If the mere injection of the African American community into a conversation prompts you to use swear words, then not only are you unsympathetic to the needs of the African American community, you’re openly combative.

I Object! A Natural Attack on Afros?

http://www.curlynikki.com/2011/08/i-object-natural-attack-on-afros.html

by Candice Rigdon of The Frizzness

Alrighty, I am by no means an overly-sensitive, controversial curly. I wholeheartedly believe that POSITIVE energy begets POSITIVE results. But I really couldn’t hold my tongue (er, uh – pen) on this one.

My coils are weeping a bit.

Long story short my mane had it’s feelings hurt the other night whilst watching the reality show “Dance Moms.” In this particular eppy, the “instructor” Ms. Abby dressed little African-American cutie Nia (age 10, not pictured) in a leopard print jumpsuit with a curly afro, giving her an “ethnic” dance solo to “They Call Me LaQueefa.” (I’d never heard of the song, & don’t care to again. For real; my ears itched after hearing it). Nia’s mother Holly went slap off, saying over & over again she didn’t want her little girl wearing a “stereotypical, 70′s afro” & dancing to that music because it was not her black experience. Not to mention, the other girls happened to have solos potraying angels in beautiful costumes & such. Holly exclaiming to the other mommies that Ms. Abby “might as well have my baby picking cotton w/an Aunt Jemima wig on” was like rusty nails being snatched through my kinks. OUCH.

Black Harvard Law Attorney Turns Social Entrepreneur to Help Teen Girls

HARVARD LAW SCHOOL ATTORNEY TURNS SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR TO HELP TEEN GIRLS

Raye Mitchell Hosts G.U.R.L.S. Rock(TM) 2011 Leadership Summit for Girls 12 to18 – Celebrating the Global Importance of Girls of Color – Sept. 10, 2011 – Linen Life Gallery, San Leandro, CA

Change It Up! What Girls Say About Redefining Leadership (2008) – Girl Scouts of America:

* Being a leader is important to 70% of African American, 66% of Latina, and 56% of Asian American girls compared to 49% of Caucasian girls.

* Primarily, African American girls want to be the kind of leader who stands up for her beliefs and values (88%), brings people together to get things done (87%), and tries to change the world for the better (83%).

* Even though African American girls believe that being a leader will help them to help others, they also believe it will help them develop useful skills and qualities (37% vs. 26%) and to be successful in life (38% vs. 30%) more so than African American boys.

Why White People Adopt Black Children

http://mybrownbaby.com/2011/08/transracial-families-why-white-people-adopt-black-children/

By RACHEL GARLINGHOUSE

African Americans have every reason to be suspicious of white people adopting black babies. From slavery to unethical medical experimentation to Jim Crow laws and more, history demonstrates that white people haven’t always been very kind to people of color, to say the least. As an English teacher, I read many books, and I can recall the numerous titles that talked about whites using slave children as entertainment at dinner parties while the children’s black parents looked on, powerless to stop the disgusting circus, knowing that at any moment, their kids could be sold to the highest bidder, stripped forever from their biological parents.

A White Mom Wonders Whether Her Brown Babies Will Be Black Enough

http://mybrownbaby.com/2011/08/a-white-mom-wonders-whether-her-brown-babies-will-be-black-enough/

By RACHEL GARLINGHOUSE

A few months ago, I found myself in a state of panic.

I am the proud mother of two baby girls, both of whom came into our family through domestic, transracial, open adoption.    My husband and I are white, our daughters are black.

What Does It Mean to Be Black When You’re Not Black?

http://nwso.net/2011/07/10/being-black/

Black is a powerful word. More than a color, it represents an entire race of people. While some may prefer African American, Afro Cuban, Afrocentric or whatever variation that applies, when someone says “Black” (with a capital B) you generally know what they mean. That’s why I was taken aback when this man looked me in my eye and said, “I’m not Black.”

Despite having the same pigmentation as myself, he was adamant about expressing his Spanish heritage. He was Panamanian and proud. Being called “Black” was somehow an insult to everything that he was. Be that as it may, looking at him all I saw was another Black man like myself. I never paid attention to his last name, which I later discovered had Spanish roots, because for all I knew it could have just as well been Haitian. Even that was “too Black” for him.