The "Hands Off Our Healthcare: Keeping Families Covered" campaign is twofold and advocates that the most vulnerable members of our community receive the necessary health coverage they deserve. The first campaign phase is a Medicaid Unwinding Research Report (attached) that launched on Monday, November 6th. The second phase is our Civil Rights Medicaid Scorecard, scheduled for release next Monday, November 13th.

PHASE 1: Six-Month Look into Medicaid Unwinding Research Report

The first phase of the campaign is a research report developed from a coalition of human and civil rights organizations. President Derrick Johnson participated on the national press conference call, and this is what he highlighted related to the research report: o In December 2022, the NAACP and other leading civil rights organizations, released a report to urge Congress to take immediate action and prevent the public health crisis we are currently facing. They did nothing.

Three-quarters of the people who lost Medicaid may have been eligible. They were terminated for procedural reasons.

This crisis has already impacted more than 10 million people - a majority of whom come from Black and other vulnerable communities.

Politicians must take their hands off our healthcare to make healthcare for all a reality.

We are urging Governors to pause procedural Medicaid terminations and use an automated Medicaid enrollment renewal process moving forward so eligible people get the coverage they deserve.

During the press call, Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-HI) expressed the importance of elected officials addressing this health coverage crisis head-on to ensure that those eligible for Medicaid coverage—especially from Black and brown communities—remain covered.

PHASE 2: Civil Rights Medicaid Scorecard

Next week, we will be releasing the second part which is our Civil Rights Medicaid Scorecard. The scorecard will assess each governor's performance in providing Medicaid coverage to their state's residents. Ultimately, states and their respective governors are evaluated based on their commitment to safeguarding the health of our communities by ensuring continued health coverage for all eligible individuals. Grades are pass, fail, or incomplete.

We look forward to building on the momentum of such an important and necessary campaign and will be updating you regarding the next phase. More to come!

Thriving Together,

Idris Robinson (He/Him/His)

Director, Health and Well-Being Program

irobinson@naacpnet.org

RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms in some, but can cause pneumonia and severe disease in others. Infants and older adults are more likely to develop severe RSV and may require hospitalization.

The RSV vaccine can help protect you from more serious complications from RSV, such as needing to go to a doctor, getting hospitalized, or dying. RSV generally peaks in the fall and winter months.

Talk to your doctor or health plan. If you don’t have a doctor and/or health insurance (or are underinsured), retail pharmacies are giving the vaccine (like CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid). You can ask how much it would cost you to get the vaccine if your insurance doesn’t cover the cost, or if you don’t have insurance.

Protect your family from flu and COVID-19 too.

We recommend everyone 6 months and older get a flu vaccine this fall. Flu vaccines are normally free at pharmacies if you have insurance. For COVID-19, everyone should have at least one updated vaccine, but some people might need more than one COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your doctor about what is best for you.

Call 2-1-1 if you need: help finding a low-cost place to get a flu or COVID-19 vaccine, to schedule in-home flu and COVID-19 vaccination, or help getting treatment for COVID-19.

To find a vaccine location near you can also visit: http://ph.lacounty.gov/vaccines/#public_sites

Stay healthy,

The Healthvana Team

(Healthvana is a HIPAA-secure, online portal for patients to manage their health! We've partnered with healthcare providers (like Los Angeles County) to deliver over 50 million digital health records that can go into your Apple/Google Wallet, reminders, and other helpful information.)

El VRS es un virus respiratorio común que generalmente causa síntomas leves parecidos a los de un resfriado en algunos, pero puede causar neumonía y enfermedades graves en otros. Los bebés y los adultos mayores tienen más probabilidades de desarrollar VRS grave y pueden requerir hospitalización.

La vacuna contra el VRS puede ayudar a protegerse de complicaciones más graves causadas por el VRS, como la necesidad de ir al médico, la hospitalización o la muerte. El VRS generalmente alcanza su punto máximo en los meses de otoño e invierno.

Hable con su médico o plan de salud. Si no tiene médico y/o seguro médico (o tiene un seguro insuficiente), las farmacias minoristas administran la vacuna (como CVS, Walgreens y Rite Aid). Puede preguntar cuánto le costaría recibir la vacuna si su seguro no cubre el costo o si no tiene seguro.

Protege a tu familia también de la gripe y el COVID-19.

Recomendamos que todas las personas de 6 meses en adelante se vacunen contra la gripe este otoño. Las vacunas contra la gripe normalmente son gratuitas en las farmacias si tiene seguro. Para el COVID-19, todos deberían tener al menos una vacuna actualizada, pero algunas personas pueden necesitar más de una vacuna contra el COVID-19. Hable con su médico sobre qué es mejor para usted.

Llame al 2-1-1 si necesita: ayuda para encontrar un lugar de bajo costo para recibir la vacuna contra la gripe o el COVID-19, programar la vacunación contra la gripe y el COVID-19 en el hogar, o ayuda para recibir tratamiento para el COVID-19.

Para encontrar un lugar de vacunación cerca de usted también puede visitar: http://ph.lacounty.gov/vaccines/#public_sites

Manténgase sano,

El Equipo de Healthvana

(¡Healthvana es un portal en línea seguro según HIPAA para que los pacientes administren su salud! Nos hemos asociado con proveedores de atención médica (como el condado de Los Ángeles) para entregar más de 50 millones de registros médicos digitales que pueden ir a su Apple/Google Wallet, recordatorios y otra información útil.)

They were accountants, college-educated professionals, high-ranking military officers with Purple Heart medals, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers and even children. Proud citizens living the American Dream, they were also Black when they died 22 years ago on September 11.

For years they led productive lives and managed successful careers before they perished when a hijacked American Airlines Boeing 757 smashed into the headquarters building of the U.S. Department of Defense, the Pentagon, that day.

Today, 49 of the 125 victims of the terrorist attacks at the Pentagon remain a group of forgotten Americans whose names and faces are rarely shown or mentioned on the anniversary of the most horrific day in American history.

This weekend, the nation will reach another milestone as it marks the 20th Anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

There will be speeches, moments of silence and the reading of the names at the 911 Memorial site in New York where the World Trade Center once stood before terrorists flew two planes into them, killing 2,996 people.

At the Pentagon, 189 people died after one part of the massive building was struck by an airplane. In Shanksville, Pennsylvania, 44 people died when terrorists crashed United Airlines Flight 93 in a vacant field.

Many Americans may not know that hundreds of Blacks were among those who perished that day. About 267 Blacks died that late summer morning in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, PA. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 215 Blacks died in the attacks on the World Trade Center. About 49 Blacks died at the Pentagon and three died in Shanksville, PA.

September 11 has grown into a hallowed, solemn day that is laced with American patriotism and reverence of the nation’s military. But year after year, on the anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on American soil, news organizations run stories on the lives of the victims, many of whom were white, Jewish, accomplished and affluent citizens who had high-paying jobs on Wall Street and in Washington, D.C., before their lives ended.

The images of white businessmen escaping the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center injured, in suits caked with debris, has somehow given many the impression that the September 11 attacks were tragedies affecting America’s upper crust and privileged elite. In reality, the attacks were a tragedy that affected all races, including Blacks.

In death, as in life, the Black victims were also well-educated Black professionals and military officers. To some, it is another event that makes Blacks feel less American and less patriotic about a country they spent their entire lives helping to build.

In 2011, on the Tenth Anniversary of the attacks, Time Magazine published “Beyond 9/11: Portraits of Resilience,” a photo-rich commemorative edition. Of 64 pages, there were no photos of identifiable Black Americans. Asked about the omission by the online Black publication The Root, a Time Magazine spokesman declined to comment. In 2006, Jason Thomas, a former U.S. Marine who helped to rescue a pair of Port Authority police officers in the rubble, was portrayed by a white actor in the film “World Trade Center.” But that same year, Gary Commock, a Black actor, played the late First Officer Leroy Homer in “United 93,” which chronicles the September 11 crash in Shanksville, PA.

In 2002, the New York Times reported that of the 343 firefighters killed that day, about a dozen were Black and a dozen were Hispanic. The story came amid a controversy over a decision to create a memorial statue that was based on three white men.

After the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center collapsed on September 11, Paula Edgar from Brooklyn lost her mother, Joan Donna Griffith, according to an article in Essence Magazine on the 15th Anniversary in 2016. She was in the South Tower, which was the first to collapse after both were hit.

“The day it happened it was very jarring because I was 3,000 miles away from home; I was living in California,” said Edgar, who had moved to California in 1997. “Being so far away and knowing that everything was happening, and my family was being impacted was really hard to deal with. I felt like I couldn’t reach out and touch them.”

“Phone lines were down and the only real connection that you had was through the television,” Edgar told Essence. “I had gotten this sixty-inch television two days before so, literally, I saw the towers fall really crisp and really clearly first thing in the morning on that Tuesday.”

Edgar said her “mother didn’t have the opportunity to live her life and fulfill the dreams that she had.”

All three September 11 memorial sites have since erected living memorials dedicated to all the victims. Their names are etched in granite and marble slabs that attract visitors year-round. None have the pictures of the victims, which could help educate future generations about the full story of the victims of September 11.

One online publication where visitors can learn the identity of the September 11 victims and their individual stories is The Pentagon Memorial Fund website. The platform has pictures and stories of every victim who died during the attack on the Pentagon.

The Crusader visibly identified 49 Black victims. At least 14 worked in the Pentagon, 17 served in the U.S. Army and eight served in the U.S. Navy. At least eight were budget analysts at the Pentagon and four were accountants there. Three were teachers in the Washington, D.C., area and three were elementary school children who were just 11 years old when the building was hit.

The website also lists all the victims in the World Trade Center attacks, but it understandably doesn’t include all the photos of the thousands of victims. But one can get a full scope of the lives of Blacks who were at the Pentagon or on American Airlines Flight 77 during the attack.

The flight was scheduled to travel from Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles International Airport on September 11, 2001.

Five hijackers boarded the flight. One of the hijackers, Hani Hanjour, was a trained pilot. About half an hour after takeoff, the hijackers took control of the aircraft. At 8:54 the westbound plane turned to the south, a deviation from its flight plan. Two minutes later, the airplane’s transponder was turned off. Radar contact was also lost.

The hijacked plane traveled undetected back toward Washington for 36 minutes. At 9:32 a.m., air traffic controllers at Dulles found an unidentified aircraft traveling east at a high rate of speed and notified officials at Reagan National Airport. At 9:37 a.m. Flight 77 slammed into the Pentagon.

The plane hit the outer wall between the first and second floors of the building. The jet fuel exploded into a fireball. A half an hour later, a section of the building above where the plane hit collapsed. By that time, most people working at the Pentagon had been evacuated. However, 125 people working in the building were killed, as were the 64 crew, passengers, and hijackers on the plane.

The Black victims of the 911 terrorist attacks are for the most part remembered as nameless and faceless statistics. But they, too, have stories, of family, career, school, of lives ripe with future plans.

One Black victim, Amelia V. Fields, was celebrating her 46th birthday that day. Her husband and high school sweetheart, William Fields, a retired Marine Corps master sergeant, slipped out of their home during breakfast to place a surprise birthday card in her car. While she headed to work at the Pentagon, where she was a civilian secretary for the Army, he baked a chocolate cake for when she would have arrived home that night.

Fields has not been heard from since the attack. Her husband remains uncertain how to register certain aspects of her fate. She had worked there for only two days, having been assigned previously to Fort Belvoir in Fairfax County, Virginia.

Another victim, Sara M. Clark, 65, and her fiancé had decided to have their wedding reception at a yacht club in Baltimore. The Sunday before Tuesday, September 11, they went shopping for wedding bands. On Tuesday morning, they kissed, embraced and said, “I love you,” to each other before she left their Columbia home for Dulles International Airport.

Dr. Yeneneh Betru, born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, immigrated to the United States in 1982 with the dream of becoming a physician. He attended high school at the Abbey School in Colorado, College at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles, Medical School at the University of Michigan, and later completed his residency at Los Angeles County–USC Medical Center. During the last three years, he worked as the Director of Medical Affairs for IPC–The Hospitalist Company in Burbank, California. He was only 35 years old.

Major Clifford Patterson is one of four high-ranking Black military officers who earned the prestigious Purple Heart medal before he perished in the Pentagon attack. Patterson, who served in the U.S. Army, left behind a wife and two young sons. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Eddie Dillard, 53, from Gary, Indi- ana, was on his way to California, where he planned to paint a house he owned in Los Angeles and visit his only child, who lives in the East Bay area. He was a retired marketing executive with Philip Morris Tobacco Company.

Asia Cottom, 11, had just started sixth grade at a new school, eager to learn and pleased to be at the campus where her father worked. She and her teacher Sara Clark were selected to take a four-day trip to California to participate in a National Geographic Society ecology conference. They never made it.

Another 11-year-old victim, Rodney Dickens, grew up in several tough Washington neighborhoods, but he had always made the honor roll. His life was cut short when he and his teacher at Ketcham Elementary School boarded American Airlines Flight 77.

Thanks to the generosity of funding provided by The Field Foundation of Illinois, Inc. in producing this article.

(Published in the Chicago Crusader Newspaper September 11, 2021)

The 9/11 attacks on the U.S on September 11, 2001 were arguably the most tragic events in the history of the country. Airliners crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. More than 2,753 people were killed in the New York attacks, 256 on the four planes, and 125 at the Pentagon. While all Americans suffered an indescribable feeling of horror and loss on that fateful day, African Americans were no less impacted by this American tragedy.

Accurately documenting and highlighting the impact of 9/11 on African Americans has been a challenging task. Complicated by the politics of race and the tendency to either ignore or obscure the African American presence in events of national importance the nation has been slow in recognizing African American victims of 9/11. Some have referred to this lack of acknowledgement as the “white washing of 9/11.” The presentation of 9/11 as largely premised around white heroics minimized the role of African Americans.

Almost from the outset, memorialization of 9/11 reflected “white washing.” This is evident in the initial statute honoring members of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) killed in the attack. It featured three white firefighters. In 2002, the New York Times reported that 12 Black firefighters were among the 343 firefighters killed in the attack. In 2011, the tenth anniversary of the attack, Time Magazine published a ten-year commemorative issue, Beyond 9/11 which included no photos of identifiable African Americans.

To address these omissions, relatives of survivors have been at the forefront of efforts to preserve the memory of Black victims of the 9/11 tragedy. In the case of the 12 African American firefighters killed on 9/11, Irene Smith, mother of Leon Smith, a firefighter at Ladder 118 in Brooklyn, New York, has been active in preserving their memory. Likewise, Ethel Henry, now 96 years old, does not miss an opportunity to honor the memory of her son William Henry. Henry was a 20 year veteran of the fire department and was based in Rescue 1 in Manhattan. The names of the 12 Black firefighters killed in the attacks include, Gerard Baptiste, Vernon Cherry, Tarel Coleman, Andre Fletcher, Keith Glascoe, Ronnie Henderson, William Henry, Karl Joseph, Keith Roy Maynard, Shawn Powell, Vernon Richard, and Leon Smith.

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Black victims of all ages died on the planes that hit the Twin Towers. Paula Edgar lost her mother Joan Donna Griffith on that fateful day. Joan Donna Griffith was an Assistant Vice President and Office Manager at Fiduciary Trust. She worked on the 97th floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Griffith was a survivor of the 1993 World Trade Bombing. She perished when the South Towers collapsed. Two children, Asia Cottom and Rodney Dickens, also perished on the planes that hit the Twin Towers. Cottom had just started sixth grade at a new school. She was selected to take a four-day trip to California to take part in a National Geographic Society ecology conference. Rodney Dickens, an honor roll student, who grew up in tough neighborhoods, died aboard American Airlines Flight 77.

At the Pentagon,49 of the 125 victims were Black. Manor Clifford Patterson, recipient of the Purple Heart, perished in the attack. He left behind a wife and two young sons.

Amelia Fields was a civilian secretary for the army. She worked at the Pentagon for only two days before her death.

Twenty years after 9/11, the stories of the victims must be told. This narration is especially true for the Black victims. Their stories should not be whitewashed and their lives matter. They were living, breathing human beings whose lives were cut short in a senseless tragedy. If we have learned nothing from the current twin pandemics of COVID-19 and police brutality against Black citizens, we should value human life and ensure that everyone’s story, regardless of race, class, gender and sexuality is told and acknowledged.

On the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, it’s important to take a moment to reflect on the lives lost on one of the most tragic days in U.S. history.

In the New York City Fire Department, which is overwhelmingly white, 12 Black firefighters lost their lives while responding to World Trade Center attacks, and now their mothers are fighting to keep their sons’ memories alive.

From the Huffington Post:

It was Leon Smith's dream to become a firefighter, Smith said. Growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y., the family lived right across the street from a firehouse. She said she always knew just where to find her boy. "He knew his calling even then," she said.

Leon was the driver for Ladder Company 118 in Brooklyn, on September 11, 2001, and one of 343 New York City firefighters to die while responding to the World Trade Center attacks.

“In Leon's company there were eight firefighters that got killed," Smith said. "They found the remains of six of them. They have never found my son. I have a tombstone on an empty grave. One of these days I'll have them, and I'll bury him. I'll never give up."

When the towers crumbled, Smith became part of a tragic sorority of mothers whose boys grew up to be firefighters who died as heroes. But she is also part of another circle of women, a much smaller group whose story of loss on 9/11 mirrors that of the entire FDNY family, but one often forgotten or buried in the heaps of pain.

Two victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City’s World Trade Center have been identified.

According to local station News 12, Dorothy Morgan of Hempstead, N.Y., and a man not currently being named were identified via DNA recovered between 2001 and 2006.

Morgan, a 47-year-old grandmother, becomes the 1,646th victim of 9/11 to be identified. More than 2,900 were killed in the attack and many of their bodies were never recovered. Morgan’s identification comes just days short of the 20th anniversary of the attacks.

The March on Washington 1968: Reflecting on Change and Unfinished Business

On this significant anniversary of the March on Washington in 1968, we stand at a crossroads of history, reflecting on the progress made and the challenges that persist in the United States. The March on Washington, a watershed moment in the civil rights movement, marked a turning point in American history, demanding racial equality and justice. As we examine what has changed and what remains unchanged, we must also critically assess the changes needed currently and in the future for a more just and inclusive society.

The March on Washington: A Pivotal Moment

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, held on August 28, 1963, was a historic event that brought together over 250,000 people to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It was a manifestation of the collective yearning for civil rights, economic justice, and an end to racial segregation. The march culminated in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I Have a Dream" speech, a passionate call for an America where individuals would be judged by their character rather than the color of their skin.

The march exerted significant pressure on the U.S. government and played a pivotal role in shaping the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. These legislations marked essential milestones in the fight against racial discrimination, opening doors to previously excluded opportunities for African Americans and other marginalized groups.

Progress Made: A Glimpse into Change

Since the March on Washington, the United States has undergone substantial transformations. Legal barriers to equality have been dismantled, leading to greater access to education, employment, and political participation for African Americans. Moreover, the nation's consciousness has been raised, and society has made strides in acknowledging the wrongs of its past.

Notably, the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States in 2008 marked a monumental moment in American history. It signified a shift toward greater inclusivity, showing that barriers based on race could be overcome at the highest levels of leadership. This achievement offered hope that progress was being made, and that the nation was moving closer to realizing the dream of a just society.

Persistent Challenges: The Unchanged Landscape

However, despite these advances, it would be naïve to think that the march's goals have been fully realized. Many challenges from 1968 still linger in contemporary America. Racial disparities in areas such as education, income, healthcare, and criminal justice persist, illustrating that systemic inequalities endure. While overt racism may have become less socially acceptable, subtle forms of bias and discrimination continue to shape the experiences of marginalized communities.

The rise of social movements like Black Lives Matter in recent years has brought renewed attention to these issues. Incidents of police violence against Black individuals, often leading to tragic deaths, have sparked nationwide protests, demonstrating that the fight for racial justice is far from over. These events have underscored the urgent need to address the structural inequalities that underpin these injustices.

Current Changes Needed: A Call to Action

As we commemorate the March on Washington, it is clear that the work of eradicating racism and achieving equality is far from complete. Meaningful change requires concerted effort from individuals, communities, and institutions. There are several areas where immediate action is necessary:

1. Criminal Justice Reform: The criminal justice system remains a focal point of inequality. Comprehensive reform is required to address racial profiling, excessive use of force, and discriminatory sentencing. This includes reevaluating policing methods, advocating for police accountability, and investing in community-based solutions.

2. Education Equity: Educational disparities continue to perpetuate inequality. Addressing the school-to-prison pipeline, ensuring equitable funding for schools, and providing resources for underprivileged students are crucial steps in creating an inclusive education system.

3. Economic Empowerment: Economic disparities persist along racial lines. Policies that promote fair wages, affordable housing, and access to capital for minority-owned businesses can help bridge the wealth gap.

4. Voting Rights Protection: Recent efforts to restrict voting access disproportionately affect minority communities. Protecting and expanding voting rights is essential to ensure that all citizens have an equal voice in the democratic process.

Future Changes: Aspiring Towards Equality

Looking ahead, envisioning the changes needed for a better future demands a broader perspective. Achieving true equality requires a shift in societal attitudes, institutional practices, and policy frameworks. Some areas to consider for long-term change include:

1. Comprehensive Systemic Change: Addressing systemic racism requires dismantling discriminatory structures embedded within institutions. This involves reevaluating policies, procedures, and practices that perpetuate inequality.

2. Intersectionality: Recognizing the interconnectedness of various forms of discrimination is crucial. Gender, sexual orientation, and other aspects of identity intersect with race to create unique experiences of oppression that must be addressed comprehensively.

3. Education and Empathy: Promoting education about the history of racial injustice and fostering empathy is essential for changing attitudes. This can facilitate difficult conversations and encourage individuals to actively challenge their biases.

4. Economic Redistribution: Addressing economic disparities requires not only equal opportunity but also equitable distribution of resources. Policies that focus on wealth redistribution can create a more just society.

5. Political Engagement: Increased representation of marginalized communities in political leadership is vital. This ensures that policies are crafted with the needs and perspectives of all citizens in mind.

Conclusion

As we commemorate the March on Washington in 1968, we stand at a pivotal juncture in history. Progress has been made, yet challenges remain. The legacy of the march calls on us to take stock of the strides achieved and the work yet to be done. To achieve a more just and equitable society, we must collectively commit to addressing the deeply ingrained inequalities that persist, fostering empathy and understanding, and advocating for comprehensive changes that touch every facet of American life. The future holds the promise of a more inclusive nation, but it is up to us to translate that promise into reality.

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Change is never easy or fast. Change is a slow process that happens when people decide that the status quo is not acceptable. If your desire is to be part of the solution and not the problem, you can become a change agent for our society.

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their impact to our society is always greater then they will ever know."