Thread by @RVAdirt

We are getting started at @theValentineRVA. I’ve been to a lot of these and they have never started with a content warning.... this one just did. If you need to mute this thread, do it. Put your mental and emotional health first. #ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

As always, we are starting with polling of demographics and opinions of the room. #ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Question to test tonight’s technology.

General consensus (68%) is that he needs to get up out of there.

Moonwalk of shame!!!!!!

8% don’t know what he should do.

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Demographics of the room:

71% Richmond city, 10% chesterfield, 14% Henrico.

62% women, 32% male, 6% gender non conforming.

67% white, 22% black, 7% Hispanic/Latinx
#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Question 1: how well are we doing at ensuring equal access to healthcare?

Poll of people’s opinion below.

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Q2: what is the gap in life expectancy of the city’s wealthiest and poorest communities

Answer is 20 years.

Westover Hills (south of the river) is 83 years old and Gilpin Gourt (north of the river) is 63 years old. Chart is below.

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Attendees are talking in groups of ~4-5 people are talking through 2 conversations to start tonight.
#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

We are starting with some backstory. Can’t talk about history of health disparities without understanding where they started. Like most things, it goes back to slavery.

In RVA there was a large population of enslaved and free black people.

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

That history with healthcare goes back to race-based beliefs in medicine.

Please read this quote from Thomas Jefferson.

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Slave owners had a vested interest in keeping their labor force health.

Care for black people came primarily came from black nurses and midwives. Until nursing became regulated, it was predominant black women. Then nursing colleges didn’t admit WOC.

#ControversyHistory

Medical malpractice of black people is a long history. James M. Simms performed Gynecological

Black people have a higher pain tolerance than white People. He didn’t use anesthesia on black patients. #ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Even after slavery ended, black people and their bodies continued to be used by the medical industry. Without consent. MCV relies on stolen black bodies for their students to learn on. Even in death, black people weren’t granted peace.

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

During the flu pandemic in Richmond when 1K+ died, Maggie Walker opened a makeshift hospital because she found out black people were segregated to the basement in the hospital. She demanded better from the governor.
#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Ultimately St. Phillips Nursing School was opened in 1957 but in the 60s MCV began admitting black nurses so the school became an east campus.
#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Next speaker is Rodney Lofton.
He highlights the absence of the Tuskegee Experiment in this narrative but the impact it had on the community.

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Lofton expands to discuss HIV/AIDS. He speaks on how the conversation evolved (Gay cancer ➡️ GRID ➡️ HTLB3 ➡️ HIV)

Points out the name changes when white women began being impacted. But.... in none of the advocacy were people of color included in the conversation.

“No one ever has to test positive again.” - Lofton

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

African Americans are 13% of US population but 50% of the reported HIV cases.

So what is wrong with the system?

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Lofton is describing a story of a man of color whose family cut him off b/c he was gay. Began engaging in commercial sex. Person described a night when they had sex w/ 10+ people and didn’t know what he did or what had been done to him.

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Eventually the man got diagnosed with HIV. He was struggling and someone told him “go off your meds. Social services opens up if you get an AIDS diagnosis.”

He did so. And suddenly was able to get affordable housing, food, medical care, a stipend.

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Why did someone have to go through hell and back and get diagnosed with AIDS to get access to support for basics of life.

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

“We’ve come a long way but have a long way to go before everyone in this city has access to affordable healthcare that is culturally appropriate and culturally sensitive and provided in a respectful manner.” - Rodney Lofton

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Next speaker is Karen Legato, executive director of Health Brigade.
#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Who is the health brigade? They work with the community for equitable quality health care.

Health- what they do
Bridgade- HOW they do it— bucket brigade (community members working side by side)

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Fan Free Clinic was first free clinic in VA founded in 1970s primary around access to contraceptives. There was a 24% tax on birth control pills and you had to be married to get them.
#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

During AIDS pandemic, FFC helped with housing, food pantry, testing, linkage to care, bury those who pass, etc. AIDS activism in 80s/90s was a white, gay, male movement at the time. Fan Free Clinic was no different.
#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Health Brigade health services include primary medical care, mental health/wellness, and health outreach/advocacy. Healthcare encompasses all of these things.
#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Health Bridage is starting to do a syringe exchange. Like, going out into the community and helping people to provide this resource by meeting people in their communities.

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

On-going challenges today:
- transgender people are being killed
- people of color are a large portion of those incarcerated

If you’re black, Latino, or poor.... healthcare is different.

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

“Where the equity comes in is getting people the care they uniquely need to help.”

What some need is someone to help them access resources.

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Karen just told a story about a woman who was ill for 6 years before she came to health Brigade to get help. It took 8 months to get her ready to see a doctor knowing the diagnosis was likely terminal. She finally got to the doctor.... and it was terminal.
#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

The woman had to address her fears, her living situation, her food situation, getting Medicaid, etc before she was able to go to the doctor. Had she gotten help 6 years earlier, she may still be alive.
#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

CALL TO ACTION! Educate yourself and support efforts.

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Audience question time!

How do you work with people are stigmatized?

Karen: scary thing being seen now is people afraid of coming out to get healthcare including people frequently changing their names.
#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Karen continued: Health Brigade usually schedules 1 day a week where their staff of volunteers is Spanish speaking. They do training on cultural humility. Focuses on making them feel safe in the space.

Challenge is finding resources to help them.

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Rodney: Diversity Richmond works to connect people with community resources.

Next week is their Black & Bold leadership awards ceremony celebrating black people who are doing work in the LGBTQIA+ community.
#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

A board member of Diversity Richmond asked to speak on specific actions people can do to get involved.

Rodney says come out and get to know us. #ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

This is the 40th anniversary of the very first pride!

Back then, people had to cover their license plates for fear of having them run and getting fired the next day.

There were no employment laws protecting them. There’s still none protecting them.

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Karen suggests small actions that humanize people.

Look the fast food worker in the eyes when they serve you.
Talk to people where you go. Talk about anything.

We need to see each other.

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Simple action: ask people how they would like you to address them.

Don’t assume.

It’s the small actions that make people feel seen.

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

How can we breakdown barriers to healthcare?

Policy makers need to stop thinking of just going to the doctor as healthcare.

You have to take off work to go to the doctor. You have to have transportation to get there. You may have housing issues.

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Don’t shame people for behavior illnesses.

Meet people where they are. #ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

“We have people who get rid of diabetes and go off insulin because we are help them get fresh food and teach them how to cook.” - Karen, Health Brigade

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

“I can’t walk it for you. I can walk it with you.” - Rodney

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

Here is the ending polling..... question was our opinion on equitable access to healthcare.

Basically people feel worse about it after the presentation. So mission accomplished.

#ControversyHistory 🧜🏻‍♀️

That’s the end of the night y’all! Stay tuned for info on the next #ControversyHistory. 🧜🏻‍♀️