Angela Bronner Helm
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Black Voices has compiled a list of some 20 of the most talented persons of our time, who happened to have died from AIDS. In honoring them and their legacy -- whether they dazzled you with their songs, awed you with their prowess on the court, or inspired you with their true courage -- we must continue to fight against the disease that took them from us far too soon. For World AIDS Day 2009, BV presents those stars whose light was snuffed out way too soon. The struggle continues...
Over 25 Years later, HIV and AIDS is affecting African Americans and Africans in a very profound way across the globe. In plain language, we are being infected more and dying at rates far larger than our populations the world over. The face of AIDS today is women of childbearing age, is men who have sex with men, is young adults. It's most definitely black.
How is it that we are in the "information superage" -- where people know more about your credit score and what you bring home in your paycheck than your HIV status? In the long run, which is really more important?
The recommendation yesterday that the age of mammograms or, breast cancer screenings be moved from age 50 to 40 and that breast self-exams are really not worth the squeeze that you give them, has rocked the world of medicine -- and conventional wisdom.
The United States Preventive Services Task Force, a federally appointed panel of health care experts, recently reversed a longtime stance recommending that women receive receive mammograms starting at age 40 and get them annually.
The United States Preventive Services Task Force, a federally appointed panel of health care experts, recently reversed a longtime stance recommending that women receive receive mammograms starting at age 40 and get them annually.
Since the recommendations were made public on Monday, there has already been an outcry by individuals and influential groups such as the American Cancer Society, which said in a statement, "When recommendations are based on judgments about the balance of risks and benefits, reasonable experts can look at the same data and reach different conclusions."
NBA legend and hall of famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar announced yesterday that he has leukemia, but the basketball phenom says his prognosis looks good.
Abdul-Jabbar, the man behind the sky hook, revealed that he was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in December but said he expects to manage the disease through medication and regular contact with his physicians.
"It's something that can be managed," he said to the New York Times. "You can continue to live a productive life without changing your lifestyle that much. It does not have to be a death sentence."
Because his blood and bone marrow cancer is chronic, it is not considered aggressive.
Abdul-Jabbar has been busy within the year since his diagnosis by coaching with the Los Angeles Lakers, completing a documentary about the all-black Harlem Rens teams and writing a children's book -- his seventh book -- which will be published in 2011.
Jabbar, who is the father of five grown children, remains optomistic.
"I'm going to be able to do the things that I love to do," he continues. "Deal with my children, write, coach. I can still live a meaningful life and manage this disease."
Though educational videos like Baby Einstein have recently taken a beating in the press, one Chicago "mompreneur" knows that videos can help children learn – especially if set to music.
Three years ago, Candi Carter founded 'It's Hip Hop Baby' merging her love of hip-hop with her desire to meet the needs of her developmentally challenged son, Emerson.
"In 2006, when my son was three years old I created the first DVD," recounts Carter. "I love hip-hop, I love old school hip-hop. I was just watching TV and It came to me."
'It's Hip Hop Baby' uses the beats and dances of hip-hop to introduce little ones from toddlers to kindergarten the basics – ABCs, 123s and even concepts such bedtime and brushing your teeth. And with It's Hip Hop Baby, music is the key in getting children to connect.
Continue reading Child with Special Needs Inspires Mom to Create Educational Hip Hop Video
In her quest to be both provocative and to keep it fresh, Tyra Banks is pulling out all the stops (or something) this season on her daily gab fest, 'The Tyra Show.'
In years past, Tyra has gone undercover in fat suits, dressed up as a boy, told us to kiss her fat ass (not so fat anymore) and most recently, shown us her "natural hair" sans weave.
Well tomorrow's show just might take the cake as Tyra promises to show the world its first "televised colonic" right there in her studio, right there on national TV. Colonics or colon cleansings traditionally use powerful jets of water (sometimes mixed with herbs or coffee) to cleanse the lower intestines of fecal waste and to flush toxins from the body. Many women swear by it for losing weight.
As you can see from the photo, Tyra herself is not the lucky recipient of this alt medical procedure but she's standing right there apparently giving us the blow-by-(colon)-blow.
For a video peep of Tyra's televised colonic, go to TyraTV.
Flu season is upon us and many medical professionals are advocating that children (well, anyone under 25 including college students who are in close proximity to others in their living spaces), get the H1N1 or "swine flu" vaccine.
For children, who are espcecially susecptible to swine flu and severe complcications including death, health authorities urge parents to seek immediate help if emergency warning signs develop. In children, these are:
- Fast or troubled breathing.
- Bluish skin color.
- Lack of thirst.
- Failure to wake up easily or interact.
- Irritability so that the child does not want to be held.
- Improvement of symptoms, then a return to fever and worse cough.
- Fever with a rash.
Parents should also seek medical help if flu symptoms develop in children most vulnerable to flu complications: those younger than 5 or with high-risk conditions, including asthma and other lung problems; cerebral palsy, epilepsy and other neurological diseases; heart, kidney or liver problems and diabetes.
For more information on H1N1 or the swine flu, go to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) H1N1:
Children K-12 http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/schools/
College and University Students http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/institutions/
Parents and Caregivers http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/parents/
Pregnant Women http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/pregnancy/
BV BOARDS: Will you get the swine flu shot?
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