For those individuals seeking SSI-Disability Benefits, individuals who can afford to hire an attorney to advocate and complete forms, and work within the system are two times more likely to be approved for benefits on the first “go around” that those who don’t and definitely increase the approval rating when reapplying after initial denial. However, those who are really in need of guidance, often have lower incomes (if any) and cannot afford or have the ability or access to easily obtain legal counsel. Once approved for benefits, the waiting period for health care access and services through Medicare does not…

I loved baseball as a kid and one of my earlier memories is of Hank Aaron hitting home run #715 and breaking Babe Ruth’s record. The way everyone in my immediate family huddled around the tv, it seemed like a really important moment, everyone waiting to see if this at bat would be the one. When he hit the ball out of the park, it was so exciting because he accomplished something everyone assumed was impossible. It felt like a really important moment. I found out from my dad that Hank got hate mail and death threats during his chase…

I came from very humble beginnings growing up in the hard of Boynton Beach. I experienced all the risk factors many young black men in similar communities face each day (Single parent household, juvenile delinquency, teen parent). The odds were stacked against me and I was able to maneuver through the systems and barriers and graduate high school and college. In spite of my success, graduating college and becoming a success story for the Department of Juvenile Justice, I was unable to gain employment with the agency because of my juvenile record. There were inequities in their systems which prevented…

During the pandemic, there continues to be a gap in access between “the Coast” and “the Glades”. When the began to offer COVID-19 testing at the Ballpark and Delray, it was almost 4-6 weeks later until testing was available in the Glades. Now with the vaccines, the same thing is happening again with Glades not being given “access” because we don’t have a Publix in our community.

I would like to share an example that involves children to note that inequity often begins early on. Many families in our own communities struggle everyday with virtual school, because they lack access to reliable internet connections, computer equipment, technical skills, adequate space or privacy in the home or simply having someone available to guide them through it. Other families do not have these limitations, and therefore their children are more likely to succeed. In some instances, children who are struggling may unfairly be labeled as difficult, disinterested or lazy. The playing field is simply not level. At such a…

Last spring, prior to the pandemic, I volunteered as a teaching assistant at a prison that offered some inmates the opportunity to receive an associate degree. In order to be eligible, there were requirements such as not having had an incident in the past 6 months. Despite the majority of prisoners being Black, my class only had 3 Black students of 13 students total. This represents inequity because in a prison where less than 25% of prisoners are white, white prisoners represented over 75% of this class, a class which was designed to create more opportunities for them upon release.

While at a conference, that was primarily attended by while colleagues, I was often in spaces where I was the only black person. on one occasion the conversation drifted to childhood and upbringing and even how the majority of my white colleagues raised their children. It amazes me how much they had access to. how much more of the world they were exposed to and how race wasn’t a constant conversation in their home. It makes me jealous and joyful at the same time. but that access/equity will never sit well with me

When I was in college I wanted to study abroad. I completed my application and submitted all of the necessary papers. However, my advisor did not support my interest and he actually did not provide any information for me to review. My advisor told me that was not a good fit for me and that it was too much for me to handle with my course work. I had to do my own research for opportunities such as exchange student and scholarships. I did not know the process or where to begin, it was really discouraging at 18 years old.…

Years ago I did a home visit for a middle school student who cared for her grandmother. When I arrived, she was also caring for her cousin who was 2 years old. Her cousin was missing his hands and feet. At some point, the mother arrived and shared the story of how her son lost his limbs. She shared he was sick, and she went to several er’s and was turned away and accused of abusing her son as his limbs were black and blue. Eventually her son was received at a hospital, and was eventually diagnosed treated for an…

A local nonprofit serves many minorities who are financially challenged. Those served come in sicker and with illnesses that have to be treated more intensely because of their limited access to healthcare services.

The storming of the Capitol Building is a story of the deep inequities, of racism and white supremacy. For some, this is blatant and obvious. For others, there is no comprehension of these connections. Is it based on the eye of the beholder? A group of white professionals were talking about being done with perfunctory diversity trainings and workshops. They were saying we (the US) need something stronger. Not driven by HR departments or 2-hours mandated in a school district setting. The entire framing of our systems needs to change in order to make real progress. I agree. Until people…

I have sat on a few county wide conversations, some of them are focused on equity specifically and the idea of community led processes, but by no means is truly that. What has been really frustrating is to hear people prescribe solutions to the community. For example, the Barbershop talks are becoming a best practice, and organizations/system leaders want to force their messaging onto communities through this venue, rather than working with them to co-design what the barbershop would want. Additionally, yoga is promoted as such a huge mental health benefit to our community, everyone is talking about the benefits…

In trying to combat the opioid epidemic in 2017, I was confronted by a black friend who expressed his anger at the way the healthcare system, legal system, and local governments were now rallying to this cause, which he attributed to the impact on the white community. He was right. This was and is a glaring example of inequity. I considered all the partners involved in the effort to combat the epidemic, and I realized that almost none were black or Latino. Our previous attempts to combat substance use disorders and addictions had been largely punitive and enforced along racial…

When I was in college, a friend and I were the co-organizers for a celebration to welcome our new college President. Me, my friend and the incoming President were White, and most of the coordinating committee were also White. The prior President was Black, and there was disappointment among some students that the new President was also not Black and hadn’t been overly supportive of racial and equity issues.. I thought I was relatively close to friends in the Black Student Union (BSU), as I had marched with them against Apartheid and other issues. But, on the day of the…

When the pandemic hit, many more black employees in our workforce had to continue working at our group homes whereas most white employees were able to work from home. This resulted in a much higher rate of black employees contracting the virus versus white employees. Due to their circumstances and lack of access to educational opportunities, black employees hold most of the lowest paid positions at our company, while mostly white employees hold management or senior management positions.

I am a 51 yo African American woman who is well-educated, gainfully employed, and fully insured. I live with a chronic condition, systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) which causes severe joint pain and a host of other challenges. At different times, I have gone to the ER…typically after consultation with or at the direction of my rheumatologist. I have come to loathe these experiences because I have often been questioned to the point of interrogation BEFORE my pain is addressed (if it is addressed). Sometimes it is only after lab work reports high markers of inflammation that my account is ‘confirmed.’…

As a black women with fertility concerns, my Asian OB-GYN, suggested I freeze my eggs or start planning for adoption. However, the doctor warned me not to get a black baby because they usually crack babies, and to think about adopting a Chinese baby.

My son’s father passed away due to complications from COVID….he was exposed (on his job at the water utilities department) while working in very close quarters with a contractor who had tested positive for the disease. There is no hospital in the rural county where he lives, but he was transported by ambulance to the closest facility about 30 minutes away with obvious signs of apoxia, O2 levels well below the 94% that most acknowledge as a threshold for concern. He spent about 6 hours in the ER before he was moved into a room…on a regular floor (where the…

A friend is Bahamian, her husband Black. They live on acreage and her husband was by the road repairing their gate with their teenage daughter. A police car stopped and asked him why he was in the neighborhood and made him prove that was his address. The daughter was horrified and scared to death for her father. Both parents are professionals in the community.