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What I’m Teaching My Black Children During Trump’s Second Presidency

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Election Day ought to be a national holiday. Parents should give you the option to maintain their children near polling stations. This could also be a security issue in swing states where voltage is high. And in blue states, like where my family and I live in New York, it is best to have your kids nearby once you experience a disappointment that turns your stomach, gives you a headache, and makes you wonder if black women ever they’ll do. get what we actually deserve.

Children are profound of their simplicity. The day after election results declared Donald Trump the winner of the 2024 presidential race against Vice President Kamala Harris, I used to be disenchanted but not surprised. I hoped against hope that America would select an overqualified black and Indian woman who had served in all three branches of presidency over a failed businessman turned reality star and former president. I used to be flawed.

When you're trying to teach your kids that morality matters, how do you explain Trump?
WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 06: Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris interrupts her acceptance speech on stage at Howard University on November 6, 2024 in Washington, DC. After a controversial campaign focused on key battleground states, Republican presidential candidate, former US President Donald Trump, was predicted to win a majority of electoral votes, giving him a second term as US president. Republicans also secured control of the Senate for the primary time in 4 years. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Donald Trump’s problem – and there are numerous of them – shouldn’t be a lot what he says or does individually, but what he represents collectively. It reminds us how powerful white supremacy is. His ascension to the very best office within the land once more sends the message that you just haven’t got to be nice to guide. You may be sexist, racist and self-centered and still win. This is a lesson that his followers have learned and implement of their on a regular basis lives. This, along with the rights and freedoms he hopes to eliminate, is precisely what’s so devastating about one other Trump presidency.

When you are attempting to show your kids that kindness and caring for others matter, how do you explain Trump?

I’m now a mother of two children. My youngest daughter might be 4 once I leave office. As for her, I worry in regards to the health care she may at some point need and be denied, in addition to the lads she may encounter gassed by his misogyny. However, I’m most nervous about my son. When Trump leaves office, he might be seven years old. While black men overwhelmingly supported Harris on this race, it will be remiss to not acknowledge that Trump’s ideologies appear to be permeating black men somewhat more effectively. And one among my biggest fears is that my son will develop into a part of this problematic minority. I’ve been excited about this for years. Trump’s presidency only jogs my memory that I cannot let go. I must be much more committed to the morals and values ​​I intend to impart and the way I plan to realize them.

Listen, respect and follow black women.

    It’s no coincidence that America felt comfortable with Kamala Harris serving as Joe Biden’s deputy, but modified its mind when a Black woman ran for the highest spot. While there are countless examples of Black women leading families, churches, and full movements, men of all colours consistently wish to put us within the passenger side.

    Since childhood, I purchased my son books that featured Black characters at the middle, women who dreamed, achieved and led. I would like him to get used to this idea. He surrounds himself with many black women in our black family, and I’m already teaching him to respect them, their bodily autonomy, and to be sure that he doesn’t see black women as existing solely to serve him as a boy and eventually a person. As he grows, I plan to show him to Black women in various leadership positions to show him to hearken to Black women not only because we’re the backbone of the community, but in addition because we are sometimes the wisest, most compassionate, and most capable people within the room.

    Don’t be guided by whiteness and individualism.

      The reason Trump is in office is because a whole lot of white people wanted him there. We must be clear about where the blame ought to be placed. Black people, for essentially the most part, did what we needed to do. We tried to vote for the very best interests of all the country. White people voted for white supremacy. In a rustic where whiteness has unchecked power, it is straightforward to be seduced. Many black people have tried to evolve to whiteness within the name of access and upward mobility. But it cost them. It cost them community, connection to themselves, and most frequently it cost them their souls. (In the black and biblical sense.)

      There is strength in community and unity, especially throughout the black diaspora. We are survivors, innovators, and powerful beyond measure. Whiteness could also be winning, but as a black person on this country, it isn’t value chasing that unattainable, soul-crushing status. The price is just too high. I would like to show my son the great thing about all the black community: black men, black women, black queer people, and non-binary people. I would like him to know that working to empower the least of us uplifts all of us. Taking care only of yourself is an empty pursuit.

      Read the book… and not only the headlines.

        The country has a literacy problem. Black and brown students across the country struggle with literacy. The Republican Party is pleased about this fact. This is the rationale they actively try suppress the modicum of accurate history taught in our public schools. They know that knowledge empowers and emboldens the marginalized. They wish to keep us at nighttime. I even have watched recordings and heard quite a few conversations during which Trump supporters being interrogated prove that they don’t actually know not only what he represents, but in addition what he says. People don’t read anything however the headlines. And it isn’t nearly older or unaware voters. College students: our greatest and brightest, they do not read. A brand new term has appeared called LiHos. Refers to individuals who have little information but high opinions.

        I do my best to instill a love of reading in each of my children in order that they’ll turn to books and reading as a source of delight and power.

        Channel your rage.

          They love calling a black woman evil. We have every right to be. We are uninterested in receiving lower than we deserve in virtually every aspect of life. I would like to show my children that as a substitute of demonizing Black women for his or her anger, realize that sometimes it’s justified. This anger was used for our liberation. It could also be sacred. In my home, we practice respiration work and emotion regulation. But there’s power in sitting with our emotions moderately than attempting to cover up the unpleasant ones. If they’re first acknowledged, they’ll result in truth.

          Trump returns to the presidency. We are uninterested in the ways of this world. But the identical thing I hope to show my children, I remind myself: hearken to the Black women who’ve never failed to offer a way of affection, support, and a soft place to go in a difficult world. Remember the community. Our power has never been limited to government.

          As we grieve, mourn and bind up our wounds, allow us to go searching and serve the individuals who might be most affected by these next 4 years… and beyond. Read to remain informed, read to flee, read as resistance. Finally, your anger could also be righteous. Don’t run away from it or try to disregard it with toxic positivity. Use this.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Health and Wellness

Car exhaust fumes can be linked to autism, a developmental disorder increasingly diagnosed in black children

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Autism, ASD, car exhaust, autism risks, autism in Black children, theGrio.com

New research has found that exposure to automotive exhaust fumes in utero or in the early stages of a child’s development may cause autism.

According to a study published Tuesday, November 12 in the journal Brain medicineexposure to nitric oxide (NO) – produced during fuel combustion – while pregnant or in the primary months of the mother’s life may pose a “significant risk” of developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the kid.

“NO is a common air pollutant, produced mainly by vehicle emissions and the combustion of fossil and industrial fuels. Exposure to NO and its NO2 derivatives while pregnant and early childhood may disrupt normal brain development,” the study authors wrote.

The authors added that “the timing of exposure is key.”

According to the researchers, exposure to these pollutants while pregnant and early development “constitutes a significant risk of ASD because these periods are essential for brain development.”

The study also found that folks with a family history or genetic history of autism spectrum disorder may be at increased risk of developing the condition, affecting the best way individuals communicate, learn, interact and behave.

It’s not nearly automotive exhaust fumes. The study examined other air pollutants, including ozone, wonderful particles and other emissions, and located that every one of those toxins combined increased the danger of developing autism.

In particular, it listed benzene as a “volatile organic compound commonly found in vehicle exhaust, industrial processes and tobacco smoke” that, when combined with NO2, can also increase the danger of ASD.

Air pollutants may promote the event of ASD because they cause inflammation. Experiencing neuroinflammation brought on by exposure to NO over an prolonged time frame may “impact” brain activity related to social and cognitive functions which might be typically impaired by ASD.

“Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy may activate the mother’s immune system, leading to inflammation and abnormalities in fetal brain development,” the authors wrote, adding: “Elevated concentrations of inflammation-related cytokines in maternal serum in utero and early infants have been associated with their lives. with poorer neurodevelopmental outcomes.”

One sec nearly 40% of Americans live without healthy airautism disproportionately affects black and Latino children in the US. This condition can be on the rise in this country.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1 in 36 children were diagnosed with ASD – a rise from 1 in 44 just two years earlier. Predominantly, the condition still affects boys more often than girls, although this too has been established girls are frequently diagnosed with ASD later in life.

Holly Robinson Peete was

For generations, white children seemed to have the disease at higher rates than other children, but in recent years this risk has modified as more black and brown families gain access to quality health care and earlier diagnoses .

As increasingly black families select to live with an autistic member of the family, several organizations have emerged to help spread awareness, advocate and supply support. These organizations include The color of autismthat gives families with culturally competent support and care; Autism in blackwhich offers educational and counseling services to Black parents raising autistic children; and Black Autism Support Societywhich goals to fill gaps in support for the black community.


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Health and Wellness

Perfect Imperfection of Wabi-Sabi Makeup – Essence

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Fairchild/Penske Media archive via Getty Images

Perfection is an addictive ideal of beauty that we have now all fallen victim to. This is clear in every thing from our drugs cabinets full of “anti-aging” skincare products to standardization Botox parties. What’s more, we even see it in horror movies (think: ) – revealing our insatiable desire to research and abandon perceived flaws.

This season, nonetheless, perfection is an outdated trend. Wabi-sabi— a Japanese worldview characterised by finding beauty in imperfection — is gaining popularity as a crucial antithesis to the fear of perfection. While aesthetic surgery is entering itsThe undetectable era” in response to the improvements of the watch, the makeup world is questioning whether beauty even exists in perfection.

“Don’t stress about imperfection. Embrace it. Relaxed, vibrant makeup feels more real and authentic” – MAC Senior National Artist Fatima Thomas says ESSENCE. “Things that are a little bit uneven, like a little blurry or a little bit uneven, can actually be quite visually pleasing.”

Below, Thomas explains the impact of Wabi-sabi beauty and her skilled techniques in achieving this look.

The rise of Wabi-sabi makeup

“A lot of people are taking a less stringent approach to makeup,” says Thomas. “When you worry less about having every line be perfect, every blend being perfect, you can actually enjoy applying and wearing makeup.” With beauty tricks like showering after punching to set the look with steam or sleeping in eyeliner for a soft grunge aesthetic, “Wabi-sabi allows for greater freedom and self-expression.”

Why now’s the proper time to adopt this mindset

“Do you really need to spend an extra 10 minutes to get your eyeliner perfect, or is it already good enough,” she asks. “After the pandemic and global inflation, people don’t want to stress about their makeup,” she continues, as TikTok’s viral “dopamine menu” trend turns beauty right into a form of therapy. “Wabi-sabi is about doing your best, and if it’s a little shaky, it’s okay.”

What does imperfect makeup appear like?

With airbrushes and editing apps distorting our view of achievable beauty: “I believe [imperfection] it is an opposition to digital filters and Photoshop,” he says. “It could be intentional or accidental, but it takes away the urge to rush and refine everything to look photoshopped.”

According to Thomas, the wabi-sabi approach relies more on philosophy than on any particular view. However, the important thing to imperfections is in nuances: “Do your makeup quickly and refrain from fixing minor imperfections.”

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Health and Wellness

Companies that help insurance companies deny pre-authorization claims –

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Medicare, Melissa D. Hall


KFF survey found that roughly 6 in 10 insured adults have experienced problems while using their insurance. Issues include denied claims, network adequacy, pre-authorization delays and denials. As the investigation shows, this is just not a surprise. A hidden industry makes money by denying doctors’ payment requests, called prior authorizations.

According to a ProPublica investigation, one in every of the important thing participants on this scheme is Evernorth’s EviCore. A ProPublica investigation found that EviCore is owned by the big insurance company Cigna. The largest U.S. insurance companies employ EviCore and supply protection to 100 million consumers.

EviCore apparently uses a synthetic intelligence-supported algorithm that insurance industry insiders call “the shield.” The algorithm system will be customized, which ultimately results in more pre-authorization claim rejections.

What’s even weirder is that EviCore reportedly has some contracts that allow it to make more cash the more it cuts health care spending by insurance companies.

EviCore is just not alone. Another big player is Carelon Medical Benefits Management, a subsidiary of Elevance Health, formerly Anthem. Although the corporate has been accused in court of unlawfully denying legitimate insurance applications, it denies all allegations.

How companies respond

EviCore claims that the approval process ensures that the procedures are protected, obligatory and price-effective.

“We are improving the quality and safety of healthcare, and – by a happy coincidence – we are significantly reducing unnecessary costs,” said an EviCore doctor in the course of the company’s series of webinars.

But based on the investigation, EviCore’s approach is way more sinister than it suggests. EviCore reportedly guarantees a 3-to-1 return on investment, which implies your insurer can pay $3 less for medical care and other costs.

For some perspective, in 2021 in Arkansas, EviCore denied prior authorization requests almost 20% of the time. Medicare Advantage plans denied prior authorization requests about 7% of the time in 2022, based on a ProPublica evaluation of knowledge.

A Cigna spokesperson said on behalf of EviCore: “Simply put, EviCore uses the latest evidence-based medicine to ensure patients get the care they need and avoid services they don’t need.”

The spokesperson added that the corporate uses algorithms in some clinical programs “only to expedite the approval of appropriate care and reduce administrative burdens on healthcare providers.”


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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