REMIX Originally posted on August 9th.
Last night (Aug 9, 2008 ~ 8:00pm EST) I was having a conversation with a noted world-travelled, African American physician. Politics, marriage, education, children, money...we were having the normal Black Folks type conversation. Of course at some point I interjected my theory on the difference between learned behavior and race; because I try to spread the world whenever I can.
Well, at some point we began to talk about Black folks and breast cancer and HIV/AIDs rates among young Black males. Again, I talked about the difference between learned behavior (ethnicity) and these made up variables we call Black, White, Asian, Hispanic and other. I showed her an excerpt from my new book and she almost cried. Really, her eyes began to swell with water and she had to sit down.
She said, "do you know that no one is taking a look at this...we blindly assume Black male promiscuity causes higher HIV rates...we are at a lost as to why Black women suffer from Inflammatory Breast Cancer but assumed a s*xual relationship. She begged me..." please, please, please spread the word about your theories".
She then sat silent in her chair and stared at me with a huge smiled for the rest of the evening. Before she left, she gave me a long, warm hug and whispered in my ear...you are a blessing from God.
So Dr. Claudette, this except is for you...
From Is Barack Black or White?
http://www.lulu.com/content/3132461 ***************************************************************
BLACK HAIR I
It is well known that African Americans suffer
from HIV/AID at rates higher than other known BIG
FIVE groups. Could there be a cultural relationship
between HIV/AIDs and one or more of the different
types of African Americans? We know that HIV is
spread by passing bodily fluids. Until now, we
assumed that “Blacks” were spreading the disease
through drug use or unprotected s*x. But again I ask,
could ethnicity play a role?
Go to any city or town in America that has an
African American community and you will find the
common staples that unite this diverse culture: The
Barber’s Shop of Hair Salon. On any day, flocks of
people from this culture take turns in the chair where
they are subjected to the same metal hair clippers that
cut the skin. Repeatedly, the barber will impart his or
her wisdom to the patrons, while using the same razors
that nick the flesh. As well, sharp metal and plastic
combs are commonly shared even though they rake
the scalp. Could this be another source of the spread of
HIV/AIDs? We will never know unless we begin to
look at ethnicity as an important factor in the
American discussion.
Note: it could be argued that since specific ethnic groups such as French
Americans or Chinese Americans HIV/AIDs rates have not been studied,
they may be considerably higher than African Americans.
BLACK HAIR II
Although some groups of African American
women suffer from breast cancer at a rate slightly
lower than that of White American women, the
mortality rate for African American women is worst.
Even further, African American women appear to
suffer from some of the more resistance types of
cancer than White women.
I suggest that because we haven’t defined the
African American groups in America or looked for the
relationship between learned behavior and disease, we
may be overlooking key factors.
OK African American ladies…I’m about to put
ya’ll out there. So either don’t read this portion if you
don’t want to hear this or read at your own risk!
While talking about the possible relationship
between HIV/AIDs and learned behavior, a good
friend told me about the relationship between hemp oil
in the hair and testing positive on drug tests. You see,
my friend Katrina had been warned by one of her
attorney friends to steer clear of the hemp oil products
for your hair. Although not unreasoned, that gave me a
little bit of concern.
Hemp oil provides long lasting sheen and
moisture for the hair, but it also has the same chemical
signature as marijuana, thereby giving a positive result
during drug screening. Well wait a second, if hemp oil
can make it into the blood stream…what about the
thousands of other harsh chemical that African
American females are trained to use in their hair. As
part of Katrina’s shared cultural norms, she voluntarily
has very harsh chemicals applied to her hair at least
once per month: “The Perm”.
In her guess, she’s had a “perm” applied monthly
for the last 15-years. Some African American females
have them applied even more often.
Who’s studying the relationship between “perms”
and cancers? Learned behavior may very well be
contributing to epidemics in America. But you don’t
know...what you don’t know.
***************************************************************
Sadly, there is a good deal of information already known about Black Hair I. As illustrated by the World Food Progamme’:
My name is Tobias Tembo, I am 38 years old and I live in Chongwe district in Zambia, in a village called Kuliakantapa.
I am married to a beautiful woman known as Hellen and together we have six children aged from 8 months to 17 years.
I was diagnosed HIV positive seven months ago following a series of illnesses and loss of weight. I became very weak and was unable to work and fend for my wife and children.
I am their sole breadwinner and I used to sell charcoal to make a living.
These days, I have become too ill to even make good use of my bicycle which is our “taxi” for the time being as I have to ferry my wife and baby to the hospital, two hours away every now and then.
I have no idea how I got myself infected, but the truth is that I had several girlfriends within the village as this is a normal practice of men in my area.
Maybe the virus was passed on to me by one of these women - or even at the barber shop as the same razor blade is used on hundreds of people wishing to shave their hair.
The bottom line is that I am the one who passed it on to my wife because of my actions and I regret this with all my heart. Hellen tested positive the second time she had a test, three months after I was diagnosed; but she is still healthy enough to do away with antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) for the time-being.
Our son is often ill and chances are that he too is HIV positive.
http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=140&K... What are your thoughts?
Posted By: Dr. Ahmad Glover
Thursday, August 21st 2008 at 8:30PM
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