This post has been updated to reflect changes made to the CROWN Act as of July 2023. For Black History Month 2022, I wrote about the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act. The CROWN Act is a law that was introduced to prohibit race-based hair discrimination, which is the denial of...
Who needs an appreciating asset like homeownership? Who needs to build credit, equity, and wealth to pass on? Who needs tax benefits? Most Americans would love the chance at homeownership, but for so many people of color, the very thing that should have opened the door to wealth has only opened a door to more...
Since the beginning of the opioid epidemic, advocates in our state including Community Solutions have worked tirelessly to ensure substance use disorders (SUD) and the individuals they impact receive the attention and support they deserve to recover. This includes fighting for additional mental health and addiction services funds in the state budget, supporting diversion instead...
During graduate school, I spent much of my time studying and working both on and off campus. I also participated in meetings hosted by student organizations as I studied public health. One of the meetings that struck me the most was about “imposter syndrome,” which was introduced by a Black-led student organization. That was the...
The library, a friend’s porch, the parking lot of the local McDonald’s, these were some of the places my daughters’ friends went to, so they could login to school at the beginning of the pandemic. And they weren’t alone. In Cuyahoga County, 25 percent of residents don’t have access to the internet or a computer....
During the height of the COVID-19 lockdown last April my biggest concerns were staying home, completing a ‘90s Nickelodeon cartoon puzzle and determining if Joe Exotic’s zoo was still open. Although the future of the virus was uncertain and most days blended together, I enjoyed the opportunity to slow down, be home, take up new...
There are two public health crises affecting our country: COVID-19 and racism, both of which disproportionately impact Black Americans. The most recent events in the decades of police violence against Black communities are intensifying the effects of a third crisis: mental health. Due to the pandemic, there is an overall concern about mental health for...
A flashcard of a plate, something that I learned to call a dish, was what could have placed me in special education. I didn’t have a medically diagnosed physical or intellectual disability, just a difference in dialect. That seemingly small difference could have changed the course of my life. Special education is important for students who...
