Monday, June 27, 2011

America's flesh-eating cocaine problem

(The Week.com) Parents have long warned that drugs will fry your brain. Now doctors say cocaine might also rot your skin — literally

PHOTO: The veterinary drug can rot the flesh of the nose and ears

It's no secret that cocaine can be dangerous, but drug dealers might be making it more harmful than ever. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration recently reported that 82 percent of the cocaine it seizes has been cut with a veterinary drug that can rot away the skin on users' noses, cheeks, and ears. "It's probably quite a big problem," says dermatologist Dr. Noah Craft with the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Insitute. "We just don't know how big." Here, a brief guide:

How does levamisole end up in cocaine?
Drug dealers typically add fillers to cocaine to boost their profits. Cheaper cocaine may be upwards of 90 percent filler. Sometimes, the added powder is just baking soda or some other innocuous substance. But drug cartels in South America increasingly prefer to use levamisole, a veterinary antibiotic normally used to deworm cattle, sheep, and pigs. It's not clear why dealers don't just use baking soda all the time, although though studies in rats suggest that levamisole might tingle brain receptors in the same way cocaine does. If that's the case, adding it to the supply might be a way to enhance the effects of cocaine on the cheap.

And the user ends up paying the price?
Yes, in some cases, says Craft, who has published a case study in Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Craft linked six patients with patches of dying flesh to tainted cocaine. The wounds typically surface a day after exposure due to an immune reaction that damages blood vessels supplying the skin. Without any blood supply, the skin is starved of oxygen, turns a dark purple, and dies off. While the contamination of the cocaine supply is widespread, not all of those using cocaine experience this adverse reaction. But, anyone who uses cocaine is at risk, Craft says. "Rich or poor, black or white."

Are doctors just discovering this problem?
No, levamisole has been on the radar screen of drug-prevention officials and doctors for a while. In 2009, there were reports of a handful of cocaine users in Canada developing hepatitis C and anemia after using cocaine mixed with levamisole. The killer agent hinders a person's ability to produce white blood cells, which are essential for fighting off sometimes deadly infections. But the DEA's report on the extent of the contamination, explains why some doctors are now seeing gruesome wounds linked to recent cocaine use. "It's important for people to know it's not just in New York and L.A.," says Craft. "It's in the cocaine supply of the entire U.S."


*This isn't anything new. Meth pretty much does the same thing. As for the cocain use in the United States; if an idiot wants to use it, then they will eventually suffer the consequences for using the drug.

We all know that using drugs is bad. When people do engage in using illegal drugs then, they can't blame anyone for their damn skin rotting and falling off but themselves.

Stupidity at it's finest!

If only people would wise up and don't do drugs, then maybe we wouldn't have articles like this telling us that this does exist.*


Diva's Nation
*Join The "America's Flesh Eating Cocaine Problem" Conversation*

Friday, June 24, 2011

Census shows whites lose US majority among babies

(AP) For the first time, more than half of the children under age 2 in the U.S. are minorities, part of a sweeping race change and a growing age divide between mostly white, older Americans and fast-growing younger ethnic populations that could reshape government policies.

Preliminary census estimates also show the share of African-American households headed by women — mostly single mothers — now exceeds African-American households with married couples, reflecting the trend of declining U.S. marriages overall.

The findings, based on the latest government data, offer a preview of final 2010 census results being released this summer that provide detailed breakdowns by age, race and household relationships.

Demographers say the numbers provide the clearest confirmation yet of a changing social order, one in which racial and ethnic minorities will become the U.S. majority by midcentury.

"We're moving toward an acknowledgment that we're living in a different world than the 1950s, where married or two-parent heterosexual couples are now no longer the norm for a lot of kids, especially kids of color," said Laura Speer, coordinator of the Kids Count project for the Baltimore-based Annie E. Casey Foundation

"It's clear the younger generation is very demographically different from the elderly, something to keep in mind as politics plays out on how programs for the elderly get supported," she said. "It's critical that children are able to grow to compete internationally and keep state economies rolling."

Currently, non-Hispanic whites make up just under half of all children 3 years old, which is the youngest age group shown in the Census Bureau's October 2009 annual survey, its most recent. In 1990, more than 60 percent of children in that age group were white.

William H. Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution who analyzed the data, said figures in the 2009 survey can sometimes be inexact compared with the 2010 census, which queries the entire nation. But he said when factoring in the 2010 data released so far, minorities outnumber whites among babies under age 2.

The preliminary figures are based on an analysis of the Current Population Survey as well as the 2009 American Community Survey, which sampled 3 million U.S. households to determine that whites made up 51 percent of babies younger than 2. After taking into account a larger-than-expected jump in the minority child population in the 2010 census, the share of white babies falls below 50 percent.

Twelve states and the District of Columbia now have white populations below 50 percent among children under age 5 — Hawaii, California, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Florida, Maryland, Georgia, New Jersey, New York and Mississippi. That's up from six states and the District of Columbia in 2000.

At current growth rates, seven more states could flip to "minority-majority" status among small children in the next decade: Illinois, North Carolina, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, South Carolina and Delaware.

By contrast, whites make up the vast majority of older Americans — 80 percent of seniors 65 and older and roughly 73 percent of people ages 45-64. Many states with high percentages of white seniors also have particularly large shares of minority children, including Arizona, Nevada, California, Texas and Florida.

In California, for instance, the median age for whites jumped from 40.3 in 2000 to 44.6 years old, even as the state's overall median age remained one of the nation's lowest at 35.2 due to minority births — a sign of the rapid race change under way, according to 2010 census data released Thursday. California's minorities now make up 58 percent of the state's population, up from 51 percent in 2000.

"The recent emergence of this cultural generation gap in states with fast growth of young Hispanics has spurred heated discussions of immigration and the use of government services," Frey said. "But the new census, which will show a minority majority of our youngest Americans, makes plain that our future labor force is absolutely dependent on our ability to integrate and educate a new diverse child population."

Kenneth Johnson, a sociology professor and senior demographer at the University of New Hampshire, noted that much of the race change is being driven by increases in younger Hispanic women having more children than do white women, who have lower birth rates and as a group are moving beyond their prime childbearing years.

Because minority births are driving the rapid changes in the population, "any institution that touches or is impacted by children will be the first to feel the impact," Johnson said, citing as an example child and maternal health care that will have to be attentive to minorities' needs.

The numbers come amid public debate over hotly contested federal and state issues, from immigration and gay marriage to the rising cost of government benefits such as Medicare and Medicaid, that are resonating in different ways by region and demographics.
 
Alabama became the latest state this month to pass a wide-ranging anti-immigration law, which in part requires schools to report students' immigration status to state authorities. That follows tough immigration measures passed in similarly Republican-leaning states such as Georgia, Arizona and South Carolina.
 
But governors in Massachusetts, New York and Illinois, which long have been home to numerous immigrants, have opted out of the federal Secure Communities program that aims to deport dangerous criminals, saying it has made illegal immigrants afraid of reporting crimes to police. California may soon opt out as well.
 
States also are divided by region in their attitudes about old-age benefits and gay marriage, which is legal in five states and the District of Columbia.
 
Among African-Americans, U.S. households headed by women — mostly single mothers but also adult women living with siblings or elderly parents — represented roughly 30 percent of all African-American households, compared with the 28 percent share of married-couple African-American households. It was the first time the number of female-headed households surpassed those of married couples among any race group, according to census records reviewed by Frey dating back to 1950.

While the number of black single mothers has been gradually declining, overall marriages among blacks are decreasing faster. That reflects a broader U.S. trend of declining marriage rates as well as increases in non-family households made up of people living alone, or with unmarried partners or other non-relatives.

Female-headed households make up a 19 percent share among Hispanics and 9 percent each for whites and Asians.

Other findings:
_Multigenerational households composed of families with grandparents, parents and children were most common among Hispanics, particularly in California, Maryland, Illinois, Nevada and Texas, all states where they represented roughly 1 in 10 Latino households.
 
_Roughly 581,000, or a half percent, of U.S. households are composed of same-sex unmarried couples, representing nearly 1 in 10 households with unmarried partners. Unmarried gay couples made up the biggest shares in states in the Northeast and West, led by the District of Columbia, Oregon, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont. The largest numbers were in California and New York, which is now considering a gay marriage law.
 
_Minorities comprise a majority of renters in 10 states, plus the District of Columbia — Hawaii, Texas, California, Georgia, Maryland, New Mexico, Mississippi, New Jersey, Louisiana and New York.
 
Tony Perkins, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Family Research Council, a conservative interest group, emphasized the economic impact of the decline of traditional families, noting that single-parent families are often the most dependent on government assistance.
 
"The decline of the traditional family will have to correct itself if we are to continue as a society," Perkins said, citing a responsibility of individuals and churches. "We don't need another dose of big government, but a new Hippocratic oath of `do no harm' that doesn't interfere with family formation or seek to redefine family."


*This is just another way of telling us how we are living as a society. It's not rocket science that whites are declining. It's not rocket science to see that the latino population has taken over. We all know what's going on, even if someone of us pretend that it's not happening. So; what we are left with is an American society that has changed and keeps on changing. It's something we all have to deal with or move to another country.*


Diva's Nation
*Join The "US Census" Conversation*

Missy Elliott Has Been M.I.A. for a Very Good Reason

(Music Blog Amplifier) Between 1997 and 2005, Missy Elliott put out six studio albums, never pausing for more than two years between LPs. But it's been six years since The Cookbook, and though the innovative rapper/producer guested on a handful of tracks including Ciara's "Work" and kept up with fans via Twitter, we haven't seen that much of Miss E for a very legitimate reason: She's been battling Graves disease, an incurable autoimmune disorder caused by an overactive thyroid.

Elliott will open up about her experience with Graves and other sticky subjects in a new episode of VH1's Behind the Music next week. In the latest issue of People, she explains she was diagnosed in 2008 after a scary moment in her car: "My leg was jumping," she said. "I couldn't keep the brake down and almost crashed." Graves symptoms include muscle tremors, mood swings, bulging eyes, and hair loss, and Elliott said her nervous system became so spastic, she couldn't even hold a pen to write music -- a crushing situation for an artist as prolific and wildly creative as Missy.



After receiving radiation and taking medication with unpleasant side effects like weight gain, Elliott's condition has stabilized and she's even shed the 30 extra pounds she picked up from her treatment. She has told fans on Twitter a new single is coming soon, and reminded them she hasn't been totally inactive the past few years: "I'm always making music:) yall gotta start peeping the credits on these cds:)." She promises she's not rusty, telling People, "My ear ain't gone bad yet!"

Elliott's Behind the Music will also address the sexual abuse she endured as a child, a topic the rapper hasn't spoken about much publicly before. By sharing my story, "I felt that I would be able to help other people," she told the magazine. Timbaland, Ciara and Mary J. Blige will chat about their friend and collaborator in the special, which premieres on VH1 Wednesday, June 29th at 10 p.m. ET/PT.


*Wow my girl Missy has graves disease. Who would of thought that would be the case as to why she's been off the grid. So sad to hear that, because graves disease is very serious. If you don't seek treatment it could be the death of you. However, not my girl Missy. She was still working and creating hits, even when folks thought she fell off the grid.

I remember meeting Missy way back in the day (1996) when she was just getting started. I was visiting my family in Virginia Beach, and kept hearing this song on the radio. The song was by Gna Thompson; "The Things You Do."

Listen!



This is the Missy Elliot along with Gina Thompson when they were promoting Gina's single, that I met. This amazing talent grew into the amazing talent that she continues to be.


We hear at Diva's Nation wish Missy Elliot mush success with her health and her music.



Diva's Nation
*Join The "Missy Elliot" Conversation*

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Beefs & Brotherhood: Michael Rappaport Calls A Tribe Called Quest Dynamic “Emotionally Complex”

(Indie Wire Blog)Director Says Hip-Hop Group’s Relationship Is Complicated Both Off And On The Screen

If you’re one of the lucky few that has seen the hip-hop documentary “Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest,” perhaps at either the Sundance or Tribeca film festivals, you know the film is a knock-out: a deeply insightful journey into the history of the seminal ‘90s rap group, their contextual legacy, that ventures very personally and intimately on the personal fissures and fractures that led to their break-up; lingering emotional issues that still cling to this day.

If you’re a fan of the group and haven’t seen the documentary, which is likely the norm—it doesn’t hit theaters until July 8th in limited release—you’re probably still fairly aware of all the behind-the-scenes drama that arrived even before the movie hit film festivals. It all started in early December 2010, almost six weeks before the film would make its world premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. One of the group members, arguably its leader, Q-Tip, would tweet, “I am not in support of the a tribe called quest documentary.” This would set off a red light of alarm for fans in both the film and music communities and ignite a firestorm of controversy and beef that would extend over several months between various members of the group and the film’s director, actor-turned-filmmaker Michael Rappaport. A lot of this he-said, she-said back and forth was documented very well by MTV News. Q-Tip would voice his concerns deeper just a few days later in December, alluding to problems he had with the film, but never articulating them and Rappaport would fire back in several interviews, noting at Sundance that he was “disappointed” with the band for not showing up as a group to support the doc at the film festival.

The beef has since quelled. In March, Q-Tip said he encouraged fans to watch the documentary, even though he still had some issues with it and even as far as mid-January in the heart of Sundance the band released a press statement that they were supporting the doc. But it’s never been that easy or cut and dry. Just a week ago, Tribe rapper Phife Dawg told GQ magazine (not online) that if he had a chance to do it all over again, he wouldn’t have agreed to being in the film. “Nah, I wouldn’t. No way. As we speak there’s still a lot of craziness going on. A Tribe Called Quest is really a Tribe Called Difficult.” Why?

Well, as we noted in our review, the film is much more than your standard hagiographic music documentary and is, at times, “painfully honest….it’s a moving portrait of brotherhood, unity and how the strongest of friendships can be susceptible to breakdown if unacceptable levels of rising toxicity run unchecked.”

We recently had a chance to sit down with director Michael Rappaport and discuss the excellent documentary, the difficulties of bringing it to the screen and all the drama that ensued before its release. While Q-Tip and co. were opaque at the time when it came to articulating their problems with the documentary, all one needs to do is see the film to understand why. We said the film “nakedly depicts why the band collapsed in no uncertain terms” and that it “pulls no punches and is often hard to watch.” There’s a bitterness and animus among members of the group, particularly Tip and Phife and the film doesn’t shy away from it.

Rappaport told The Playlist he can understand why the band were initially upset about the documentary as it shows all of them in an incredibly emotionally vulnerable state.

“See the thing about friction, the stuff that’s happened between me and Q-Tip and in the press is that he’s not mad at me,” the director said. “I think he’s mad at the movie. Now, I think I might be the person he’s directed some of that energy to, and I’ve directed some of that back at him, but I think—listen if someone was making a documentary about me as intimate as this, I’d be freaked out too! I’d be like, ‘oh shit!’ ”

But Rappaport insists he didn’t know what he was getting into and didn’t realize the group had so many internal schizms going on.

“I didn’t intend the movie to be this way and I don’t think any of them thought the movie was going to be this way,” he said about finding the movie and its story along the way while he was shooting. “I think it’s emotionally, they’re emotionally vulnerable, that’s the thing about it. They’re not doing anything crazy. There’s not anything like defaming or embarrassing, just emotionally they’re vulnerable. More vulnerable and more exposed then they’ve ever been, and maybe more [exposed] then they thought the movie was going to be.”

While the director said he wasn’t trying to create sensationalism, he said he just had to follow the story that was unraveling in front of him. It would have been hard to ignore; there were explosive personal dramas from day one when Rappaport and his film crew arrived on the 2008 Rock The Bells tour. “I walked into a fucking storm, a shit storm,” he said of the
Phife/Tip altercation depicted in the film that took place backstage at the show.

“I had to make a decision of what I was going to do as a filmmaker and I knew that in regards to the strife that I could not back down,” he said. “I could not back down because John Cassavetes would roll over in his grave if he saw an independent filmmaker back down and I thought about that a lot. I thought, what would John Cassavetes do? Then it became like this tug of war to try to finish the movie—which I knew at some point was the movie that I intended to make and that surpassed my goals even for the film—and I just couldn’t [back down].”

Encapsulating the love/hate relationship of A Tribe Called Quest is difficult but it’s all captured remarkably well in ‘Beats Rhymes & Life.’ It’s a combustible mix of familial love, rivalry, boyhood friendships gone sour, outsized egos jockeying for position, misunderstandings grown out of proportion and to a certain degree, a refusal to just hug it out.

“It is a complex relationship,” Rappaport said, noting a colossal understatement. It’s a fascinating documentary, an engrossing story, both off and on the screen and it’s one that seems to have a life unto itself beyond the film. Even this interview is just the tip of the iceberg. “Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest” hits theaters in limited release on July 8. More from this conversation closer to release date.

Oh, and if you’re interested in Phife’s full words in GQ they conclude, “[Tribe] is like the Knicks. We can be down two points, but we act like we’re down twenty-two. We always make it hard on ourselves,” he said. “I’m a rapper, but I’m a human being. I felt disrespected. I was like, ‘You gonna come at me like that? Somebody that’s show you love from jump street?’ Enough is enough.”


*This is very difficult as this band is family. It seems to us here at Diva's Nation that a Tribe Called Quest let fame drive them apart and ruin the root of what they started out with.

What a hot mess!

As we all know, relationships can be difficult if you let them be. Things can go crazy. However, the little school yard tiff between Q-Tip and Phife is ridiculous! Q-Tip seems to me like his ego is blown way up over yawnder some damn where. He seems like he has a chip on his shoulder.

That's not a good thing!

In the end, I think what director Michael Rappaport was showing with this film is that, groups like a tribe called quest has staying power, and can teach a new generation about the business, but most of all about relationships in and out of the rap industry.  His message in choosing this group wasn't to exploit or open a can of worms, but to show the world that a band like a "tribe called quest" brought together unity for people from all different types backgrounds and cultures; especially black people. He also was showing the gritty and ugly side of how relationships can be affected by way of fame, forturne, stardom and just plain silliness.

This film shows just that!

It's amazing to see this on the big screen, because as we know, this doesn't happen for blacks all the time. I think Q-Tip needs to "shut the hell up" and enjoy the success that he's had with "a tribe called quest" for once.

One things for sure you should never forget where you've come from, even if you've moved on.*

Congrats to "A Tribe Called Quest and Director Michael Rappaport!*

Check out "Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest", in theaters July 8!


Diva's Nation
*Join The "A Tribe Called Quest" Conversation*

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

REMEMBER WHEN...UPGRADE U!

UPGRADE U BY: Beyonce Feat Jay-Z!



All ladies need to upgrade and why not do it with the type of man you choose to have in your life!


Diva's Nation
*Join The Conversation*

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Movie Interest In The Book: "My Panty Drawer Dilemma: How I Started The Fabulous Panty Drawer Intervention."

It seems there's quite a buzz about author Sahara Hill's book.

The book that's causing all the buzz and interest is about women and their panty drawers. 

No word who is interested but, from the looks of it, many are interested in making this a movie for women.

I have to say...I loved the book.

When the follow up comes out, I'm going to be the first one getting mine. I heard through the the literary grape vine, that it may include a first lady getting a panty drawer intervention.

Interesting...


Carmen For Diva's Nation
*Join The "Panty Drawer Intervention" Conversation

Edited by: Literary Diva "aka" Literary Babie

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Essentials That All Women Should Have All Times of The Year!

Essentials are things that all women can't go without. Here is our picks for any woman; whether a stay-at-home mom, or a working gal, these are things that a women should never go without.

1. A Great Pair Of Denim Jeans
*A woman should keep 3 pairs of great fitting jeans in her closet. All should consist of 3 different styles such as: skinny, boot cut, and flare. Our brand pick is "levi" because they cater to different body types which consist of: (jeans by rise, fit, curve, style, and special sizes like, petite and plus).*

 Modern Slight Curve Skinny Jeans - Bellflower Blue - Levi's - levi.com

512™ Perfectly Slimming Boot Cut Jeans - Deep Melody - Levi's - levi.com

Modern Supreme Curve Straight Jeans - Infinite - Levi's - levi.com

2. A fabulous 3/4 sleeve button down collar shirt
*Every woman should have this shirt in 3 colors: white, black and red. You can never go wrong with a fabulous button down collar shirt. Our brand pick is: "burberry", because, it's timeless and their clothing are well made. You can never go wrong with this pick.

burberry women shirts-burberry burberry brit pale pink stretch cotton shirt

3. A fabulous pencil skirt
*Every woman should have a pencil skirt in her closet. It says professional, sexy and fabulous. You can dress it up with a nice jacket or dress it down with a pair of flats and tank. Our brand pick is "Burberry" because it's well made and will last a life time.*

pencil skirt-burberry london paneled stretchjersey pencil skirt

4. Fabulous shoes...a must
*Every woman need a great pair of stilettos and a comfortable pair of flats. Stilettos can be worn with jeans and professional attire. You can dress then up and dress them down. Our brand pick is "Christian Louboutin" because, they are classic, fabulous and down right comfortable.

christian louboutin big stack 120 leather pumps
*Every woman need a great pair of flats. Flats is a way to rest your feet from your stilettos. Our brand pick is "Michael Kors" and Cole Hann", because both brands represent comfort and real women.

cole haan air tali ballerina flat

5. Shapewear...a must
*Every woman should have a piece of shapeware in her drawer. As we know shapewear keeps the lumps and bumps under control and helps your clothes to fit fabulously. Our brand pick is, "Spanx", because it works!

SPANX In-Power Line Footless Pantyhose

6. A comfortable pair of thong panties
*Every woman should have thong panties in her drawer. It keeps the panty line in check and allows you to move free in your clothes.  Our brand pick is "Spanx", because they are comfortable and fit like a dream!

Hanky Panky Original Rise Organic Supima Cotton Thong

7. A comfortable bra...a must
*Every woman should have a great bra that last a long time. Buying a bra can be a headache if you don't know how to shop. Seek outside help from a department store "bra whisperer" or ask a friend to help you take your measurements. Remember, a bra just like your panties can make or break your outfit. Our brand pick is, "Spanx", because they have bras that range in a variety of sizes for every woman of every size.

T-Shirt Bra

Minimizer Bras

Full Figure Bra

8. Common sense for what works for you in fashion.
*Every woman should use her common sense when it comes to fashion for her body type. Buying what works for you instead of what's on trend is more important. Take the time to get to know what body type you have, so that you can buy clothes that fit.

Make sure you take measurements, being the size you are right now and of course again, if you lose weight.

Remember, to take control of your body and dress it the way you want. Use the the essentials we just posted as a guide to buy what you need. In doing that, you can add tons of accessories to dress it up or down.



Diva's Nation
*Join The Fashion" Conversation*

Juneteenth fest emphasizes black heritage, health

(San Francisco Chronicle) San Francisco's Juneteenth Festival, which will be held through today in the historically African American Fillmore district, is considered the oldest and largest Juneteenth celebration outside Texas.

Although President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it wasn't until June 19, 1865, when Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger announced in Galveston, Texas, that the Civil War was over, that blacks in the state actually knew slavery was abolished and that they were free.

California is one of 39 states and the District of Columbia that recognize Juneteenth - a blend of the words June and 19th - as either a state holiday or a state holiday observance. Texas, the first state to celebrate Juneteenth, was also the first to make it an official state holiday in 1980. It is typically celebrated on the third Saturday of June.

This 61st annual San Francisco celebration included a parade with vintage cars, cowboys and various community groups, along with a street fair with arts, music, dance and food.

But health is the theme of this year's celebration. African Americans are more than twice as likely as whites to experience hypertension and typically have higher rates of such health problems as heart attacks, cancer and stroke.

One of the busiest booths at the festival featured confidential health screenings and free testing for blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose levels and sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs.

"African American young women have disproportionately high rates of STDs, so that's why we're offering women 25 and under free chlamydia and gonorrhea testings," said Jacqueline McCright, services manager of the San Francisco Department of Public Health's STD prevention and control section.

So far, only one woman had taken advantage of the screenings, but McCright expected to test at least 50 through the weekend.

People were lining up at the table run by the Bay Area Black Nurses Association for on-the-spot cholesterol and glucose testing through finger pricks, as well as blood pressure screenings.

Registered nurse Gina Johnson said diabetes and heart problems are common in the black community. "A lot of times they can't afford services, don't have access or don't know how important it is," said Johnson, who grew up in the Fillmore district and was just hired to work at San Francisco General Hospital.

Matilda Foster, a retired kindergarten teacher, had a mammogram the day earlier and keeps on top of her health, but still wanted to check her levels.

"It's important to know because a lot of times African Americans don't know about health terminology and that there's help available, even if they don't have health insurance," Foster said.

Jackie Watt, 58, endured the quick finger prick and got a clean bill of health - with the exception of a slightly high glucose result she said may be attributable to the two soft drinks and a hard candy she had earlier in the day.

Watt said she regularly comes to San Francisco's Juneteenth festival, but the health fair isn't the draw. "I like to see all the different
arts and crafts and all the talent," she said.
*Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is a holiday in the United States honoring African American heritage by commemorating the announcement of the abolition of slavery in the U.S. State of Texas in 1865. Celebrated on June 19, the term is a portmanteau of June and nineteenth, and is recognized as a state holiday in 37 states of the United States.*

Diva's Nation
Join The "Juneteenth" Conversation*

Saturday, June 18, 2011

REMEMBER WHEN...DIGABLE PLANETS!

COOL LIKE DAT BY:  Digable Planets





Diva's Nation
*Join The "Digable Planets; Cool Like Dat" Conversation*