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My Mother is a Never Ending Song in My Heart of Comfort Happiness & Friendship Love You Mom!!

MATERNAL HEALTH In the United States, Black women face alarming maternal health disparities. Black moms are three to four times more likely to die in childbirth or of pregnancy-related complications than their white counterparts, and account for more than half of preventable prenatal or postpartum complications. Re-

moms of color have the highest risk of dying.

search also shows that Black women are more

According to the Centers for Disease Control

likely to be uninsured, face greater financial

and Prevention (CDC), Black moms are

barriers to health care and are less likely to

roughly three-and-a-half times more likely to

have access to quality, culturally competent

die in childbirth or of pregnancy-related com-

prenatal care.

plications than white moms, while American

Birth and reproductive justice advocates are taking active roles to combat these injustices and help improve birth outcomes for Black mothers and their babies. Here are just a few

Indian and Alaska Native women are about two-and-a-half times more likely — and we

need to understand why, and work to change that.

of the leaders who are organizing, mobilizing

Why are moms of color more at risk?

and educating in the name of Black maternal

The reasons why are complicated. The lead-

health.

ing causes of maternal deaths in the U.S. include hemorrhage, cardiovascular and coro-

Pregnancy is a milestone millions of women dream of. Each year, around 3.7 million women in the U.S. give birth, and while it’s a time of great joy for many women, it’s downright dangerous for others. Alarmingly, after decades of dropping, the maternal mortality rate in the U.S. is actually increasing — at a time when it’s going down everywhere else that's a high-income country.

But even as the national conversation about maternal health has shifted to focus on the shocking, unacceptable growth in the maternal mortality rate here in the U.S., it's important to discuss one crucial aspect: That

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nary conditions, cardiomyopathy — disease of the heart muscle — infection and embo-

lism. All of these pregnancy and postpartum complications are generally preventable. But all of them are also greatly exacerbated by three key factors: poverty, lack of access to care and the impact of institutionalized racism on quality health care — all of which disproportionately affect women of color.

Take Texas, which has the highest maternal

mortality rate in the U.S. The numbers are worrisome: The Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force, which is part of the Texas Department of State Health Services, found that between 2011 and 2012,

there were 189 maternal deaths. The task force also found that Black women had the greatest

risk of dying. Although they made up only 11 percent of births in 2012, they made up 29 percent of deaths, mostly dying from heart disease, drug overdoses and high blood pressure, according to the Texas Tribune.

Texas is also known as the “uninsured capital of the United States,” with 18 percent of Texas residents uninsured (low-income women, women of color and immigrant women are all more likely to be uninsured).

But even moms who are insured can still be at risk. In 2017, tennis superstar Serena Williams gave birth to her first child, Olympia, by emergency C-section after the baby’s heart rate plunged to dangerously low levels during contractions. The surgery went smoothly — but was followed by a six-day ordeal that could have killed Williams if not for her diligent team of doctors and nurses. Williams had a pulmonary embolism, followed by a popped C-section wound and large hematoma in her abdomen. "When I finally made it home to my family, I had to spend the first six weeks of motherhood in bed," she said in an op-ed for CNN in 2018.

Racism in maternal health care Another, potentially more insidious culprit in the disproportionately high rate of maternal mortality for moms of color: racism. Or, as Elizabeth Dawes Gay, a co-director of the Atlanta-based alliance Black Mamas Matter Alliance, put it in a Fusion piece, “It’s because of the experience of blackness.”

A 2011 Amnesty International report listed “discrimination and inappropriate treatment” from medical professionals as one of the key contributors to higher rates of death for Black moms.

Other research bears that out. For example, several studies have shown that Black patients are less likely to be treated for pain than white patients. A 2016 study from the University of Virginia found that it may explained in part because doctors still hold outdated, untrue beliefs about race, such as that Black patients feel less pain or that their skin holds fewer nerve endings than whites. None of these ideas is true, but the studies suggest that the ramifications of them are very real. It may be why Black moms-to-be tend to receive different, and worse, medical and prenatal care than white moms do, no matter their socioeconomic status, as a 2009 study from Harvard found.

“Assumptions are made about you when you walk through the door, based on how you walk, how you dress, whether you sound educated or not,” Chanel Porchia-Albert, founder and executive director of Brooklyn-based Ancient Song Doula Services told Newsweek in a 2016 article.

“That can affect the care you get.”

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Mayor Tishaura Jones was sworn-in as the first Black female mayor in the City's history on April 20th, 2021.

Mayor Jones is ready to harness the boundless potential of the incredible people of our great City and turn challenges into opportunities, change entrenched systems, and reform the way our City

works. A member of the Democratic Party, Jones was previously elected to the Missouri House of Representatives to represent the 63rd district in 2008, serving until 2013. She was Treasurer of St. Louis from 2013 to 2021.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea… He makes wars cease… He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted

Mayor Boston has never had a Black person or a woman serve as mayor. Kim Janey, city council president, is slated to become mayor following President-elect Joe Biden’s nomination of Boston Mayor Marty Walsh to his Cabinet this week.

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Data from the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University (CAWP) shows as of June 2020, there were 27 women serving as mayors in the 100 largest American cities. Of those, 10 are women of color. Six of them are Black (Keisha Lance Bottoms in Atlanta; Muriel Bowser in Washington, DC; London Breed in San Francisco; LaToya Cantrell in New Orleans, Louisiana; Lori Lightfoot in Chicago; and Vi Alexander Lyles in Charlotte, North Carolina).

Sharon Weston-Broome, the mayor of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was previously on the list but her city has fallen out of the population criteria.

A victory for our city and our citizens' Ali said the result was meaningful for the city as a whole.

"It's a big deal for Peoria and certainly historic," said Ali, who is currently an at-large councilwoman. "I'm really happy to be a part of it, but it's not just a victory for me; it's a victory for our city and our citizens."

Result makes history for Peoria Of the historic nature of the race, Ali previously said breaking such a glass ceiling would mean a great deal because of the impact it could have to inspire others.

PEORIA — In the closest Peoria mayoral election in recent memory, Rita Ali has become the first Black person and the first woman to be elected to lead the city, winning by a 43-vote margin.

Ali, 62, picked up just over 50% of the 16,554 voters to win the April 6 election, defeating 4th District Councilman Jim Montelongo, according to a final count released Tuesday afternoon by the Peoria County Election Commission. The results of that count are slated to be certified by Election Commission members Wednesday morning.

Montelongo has said that he plans to seek a discovery recount once that happens, given the closeness of the race. No other mayoral contest in the past 25 years has been as close, according to election records, and no other race depended upon hundreds of mail-in ballots to determine the final winner.

Ali, the vice president for workforce development at Illinois Central College, said she plans to retire from that position on June 30 to allow some transition time for the college. But she plans to hit the ground running on May 4, when she's scheduled to be sworn in as mayor.

"Out of 54 mayors and village presidents over 170 years, to break that mold and to open that door of opportunity to allow other people of color and other women to see that can be done."

Marvin Hightower, the head of the local NAACP chapter, acknowledged that history had been made.

"You know the many times I have been at City Hall, and I always, for some reason, look over at the pictures of the past mayors, and they had all white men until this year," he said.

"This is definitely a historic moment.

"And it's a transitional time for Peoria, and it's definitely an exciting time, especially given everything that we have gone through and are going through, to have new leadership at City Hall," Hightower said. "It's historic and exciting all at the same time."

Prior to that, she said, there's a meeting planned on Friday with outgoing Mayor Jim Ardis where "we'll talk about a number of things, including some transitional matters." https://www.pjstar.com

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INSIDE STORY HEADLINE

Staying hydrated plays a key role in your overall health.

When your fluid and electrolyte intakes don’t meet your needs, the risk of dehydration emerges. To prevent dehydration, it’s important to drink fluids throughout the day, especially during exercise, illness, or other periods of increased fluid loss.

Milk is a popular thirst quencher, and you may wonder whether it’s a fitting drink when you’re dehydrated.

This article reveals whether milk can be suitable during periods of mild dehydration.

Dehydration is a condition that occurs when too much fluid is lost from your body and not replenished.

Varying levels of dehydration exist, ranging from mild to severe.

Severe dehydration is rare in the general, healthy population, while mild dehydration can be more common.

The main causes of dehydration include not drinking enough fluids, diarrhea, fever, and excessive sweating or urinating.

The most common signs of dehydration include (1Trusted Source):

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dry mouth or tongue

Share on PinterestPhotography by Aya Brackett

•

thirst

Are you dehydrated?

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fatigue

•

dry skin

•

muscle weakness

•

lack of focus

Dehydration is a condition that occurs when too much fluid is lost from your body and not replenished.

Varying levels of dehydration exist, ranging from

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•

Dizziness

An accurate way to assess your hydration status is to have your doctor order labs to measure certain blood values, including sodium and potassium, which are the major electrolytes in your body involved with hydration (2Trusted Source).

That said, blood tests are typically not practical or available when looking to quickly assess your hydration status. Instead, the easiest way is to examine your urine color (3Trusted Source).

For most people, lemonadecolored urine reveals optimal hydration status, while darker, amber-colored urine indicates mild dehydration.

SUMMARY Severe dehydration is rare in the healthy population, though you may experience mild cases on occasion. The most practical method of determining your hydration status is to examine your urine color.

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INSIDE STORY HEADLINE

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Words of Wisdom The time of release is JUST as important as the revelation ... "

You can be IN the will but OUT of time...

Simply said just because you hear from God doesn't mean its time to release what you heard!"

https://www.zeelool.com/

LEE ANN JAMES Conquering Life Together I specialize in helping businesses take that next step. Whether it's creating strategy to monetize a business idea, forming a legal business entity, copyright and trademark support, on going contract review and liability management. I also offer courses on personal and leadership development training.

What to expect to pay when getting your trademark or copyright done.

Many business owners dream of trademarking their brand or logo then stop mid-process due to cost so I am going to break down the fees and how I can help you save LOTS of money.

The first thing to consider is if you should hire an attorney or do it yourself. According to UpCounsel over 50% of trademarks filed are rejected.

If your plan is brand exposure and recognition you likely don't want to spend months going back and forth with USPTO.

Most attorneys charge anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000 for the process than their hourly rate ranging from $250 to $400 after that for however long the process takes. I can get you an attorney to cover this part for a fraction of a cost. If you are interested let me know. So here are the fees.

Statement of use fee $100 – You will pay this amount per each class of goods in the original application. (In 9 years you will be charges $500 per class to renew.)

Your application fee will either by $225, $275 or $400 if your application is rejected you can make changes and re-submit for $125 each time.

Anna Stubblefield, deputy superintendent for Lawrence Public

Schools, will be the Kansas City, Kansas, school district’s next superintendent.

She will be the first Black woman to serve as KCK’s superintendent.

The school board on Friday afternoon unanimously approved hiring Stubblefield, who will take over as superintendent on July 1. She will work under a three-year contract with an annual base salary of $235,000.

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“I’m excited about leading KCKPS, and I am just grateful for this opportunity,” Stubblefield said during Friday’s meeting. “I really appreciate the board in trusting our over 22,000 students under my care with the team that’s already here in place. I look forward to reaching out to the community and working collaboratively with our students, our staff and our community members to really charter our way so that we are reaching that vision of being one of the top 10 school districts in the country.”

Paulla McCarthy a former nurse, made history as the first Black woman to own and operate a spring water bottling plant in the state of New

Fearless Fund is a Black wom-

en owned firm that invests in women of color-led businesses seeking pre-seed, seed level, or series A financing. Its mission is to bridge the gap in venture capital funding for women of color founders building scalable, growth aggressive companies.

To help further access to funding for Black women, Mastercard today announced a multimillion dollar investment in the $25 million fund.

The investment will allow Fearless Fund to further expand its portfolio of women of color founded and co-founded companies in the consumer packaged goods, food & beverage, beauty, fashion, and technology sectors.

“This multimillion dollar investment from Mastercard is further proof of their commitment to providing resources in an effort to better serve the hard-working but severely underfunded Women of Color entrepreneurs who so deserve equal capital distribution.

We have been working together with Mastercard for almost 3 years now and look forward to growing this relationship,” says Arian Simone, Co-Founder & General Partner of Fearless Fund.

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LARSSEN CUSHION COLLECTION HOLLY HILL SLING COLLECTION

PATIO FUNITURE

7 Surprising Truths I learned From A Recent Health-Scare

Those of you who read this blog regularly are aware of my propensity to over-think and my attempts to find my new "normal" in this middle-aged stage of my life. Hence, it will come as no surprise to you to hear that when my doctor called me with "bad news" a month or so ago, it ignited a new, marathon session of overthinking in relation to my life and its happenings.

Fortunately, on a scale of 1-10, in reality my health scare was a 1 in terms of seriousness when compared to sufferers of terminal illnesses - especially now, during

these difficult COVID times, when treatment is so often compromised. And my treatment, while invasive, was marginal in terms of discomfort in comparison to the procedures some have to endure daily to stay alive. But it was scary enough to provide me with an insight into the question of how best to manage whatever time I have left.

The metamorphosis of my mindset over the three weeks was also an interesting experiment in resilience

I went through a "thing" last month.

A health-scare that came out of the blue and made me look at the world through a different lens.

As you would expect, my initial reaction to the news of my diagnosis was fear, anger, and self-pity, but that quickly moved to a need to be hugged, held, and sympathised with, until finally, I found some peace and a level acceptance where I could joke about my plight and even discuss my cremation and my controversial choice of "Light My Fire" as the opening number.

My senses were heightened But the real surprise - and I know it's a cliche - was the way my potential, early death sentence made me look at life differently. I suppose I expected to be racked by despair, for everything to suddenly feel bleak, when instead I started to view the world with rose-tinted glasses. My senses were heightened. The fear of time running out made me focus and appreciate the colour in my life, the simple pleasures, and the relationships I am often guilty of taking for granted.

The news propelled me to cram in as much living as I could before the end.

There have been many times over the past few years when menopause has turned me into a cranky old bitch (my husband's words), made me irrationally angry and resentful about unimportant stuff, and my scare provided me with the perfect reminder of what I have rather than what I don't have.

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I can only describe the experience as a brief glimpse into how I would grieve for my own life as my mind wandered from a state of total numbness to self-pitying sessions that focused on my regrets and dashed hopes, an obsession with my bucket-list and greater appreciation of minimalism - a lifestyle I have been drawn to in middle age - to, finally, some level of acceptance.

It's impossible to list everything I took away from the ordeal, but below are 7 of the more surprising truths I discovered:

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“BLACK MOTHER’S QUOTES”

Trust, me I’ve Googled ‘black mom quotes’ and seen them all. But, when I was growing up my mother had a million and one sayings, parables and quotes that she would say during the day-to-day journey of rearing and raising my sisters and I that were positive. Now that I’m older I find myself remembering them and using her mom quotes in raising and rearing my own children. In an ode to Black moms everywhere, here are my list of positive Black mom quotes I’ve heard a million times. Here’s my list of quotes most Black moms live by.

“She's a Phenomenal Black Woman, Wife, and Mother... She is YOU.” Do I look like booboo the fool?”

Stop all that crying before I give you something to cry about.”

“I hope you know that school work like you know them songs.”

“You smellin’ yourself.”

“When we get in this store, don’t touch nothin’.”

“Fix your face.”

If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.

Birds of a feather, flock together.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness!

If your friends jump off a bridge, are you going to jump too?

If you lay down with dogs, you wake up with flees.

You will become a permanent fixture on the wall .

You might get by but you won't get away .

You mark my word if it don't happen.

Knock you in the middle of next week

LOVE THIS: WHAT PART OF NO DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND? A hard head makes a soft behind.”

“First of all, check your tone.”

“Stop all that crying before I give you something to cry about.”

“You got McDonald’s money?”

“Don’t you get in trouble following behind them white kids.

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BLACK MOM’S RECEIPES Ingredients One Sweet Potato ,Diced Avocado, Corn, Zucchini, Spinach , Brussel sprouts.

Salad Dressing 1 tablespoon Tahina, 1/4 cup water, juice from half lemon, salt & pepper to taste Turn oven on to 400 degrees

Sweet Potato Spinach Salad

Scrub and clean sweet potato skin. Massage olive oil into skin Place on baking sheet with halved brussel sprouts. Season food to your taste. Drizzle with olive oil.

Place baking sheet in oven for 45 minutes. While food is baking, cook zucchini and corn on stove top.

Place spinach in bowl, top with cooked food- dice sweet potato once you remove it from the oven.

Top with avocado and salad dressing., To make salad dressing, Mix ingredients together. Season to your desire.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Spinach Salad & Veggie Egg & Red Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Veggie Egg & Red Quinoa Breakfast Bowl Cook Time: 20 min Prep Time: 15 min Total: 35 min. Serves 4Ingredients:– half cup cooked quinoa- 5 eggs- handful spinach- 1/2 diced red pepper- 1/2 diced green pepper – 1 diced tomato- 1 diced zucchini- 1/2 diced purple onion- 1 cup milk- dash sea salt & pepper (add more seasoning if you prefer)- Avocado, pitted and sliced- 2 tablespoons Olive Oilcheese (optional) To cook Quinoa: To cook your quinoa, add 1 cup of milk to pot and bring to a low boil. Add in 1/2 cup of quinoa and bring to a low simmer.

Cover pot with a lid, leaving part of the pot uncovered for ventilation. Cook until a little over half of the milk is absorbedabout 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Once your quinoa is done, just sit to the side. Chop your veggies and add to a medium heat skillet based with olive oil.

Cook your veggies until soft- about 5 minutes. Add in spinach and tomatoes last and cook an additional 30 seconds.

Pour in your quinoa into your skillet. Whisk your eggs and seasonings, adding a little milk and cheese if you prefer. Pour your egg mixture into your skillet and cook on low medium an additional 10 minutes. Side your meal with a sliced avocado! Enjoy!

Share your experience with your own homemade Veggie Egg and Red Quinoa Breakfast Bowl below!

With love,-Shanicia

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SHE IS MY FOREVER

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