TAYLOR’S TAKE on History:
Taught, Repeated and In the Making
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JUNETEENTH
This will be the first Juneteenth when the resounding call that
Black Lives Matter
is informing and igniting action across race, cultures and generations. In 1865, June 19 was the day slaves were freed in Texas, two and half years after passage of the 13
th
Amendment to end slavery.
On June 19, 2016, President Obama released a statement that included:
“Today we commemorate the anniversary of that delayed but welcome news. Decades of collective action would follow as equality and justice for African-Americans advanced slowly, frustratingly, gradually, on our nation’s journey toward a more perfect union. On this Juneteenth, we remember that struggle as we reflect on how far we’ve come as a country. The slaves of Galveston knew their freedom was only a first step, just as the bloodied foot soldiers who crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge 100 years later knew they had to keep marching. Juneteenth is a time to recommit ourselves to the work that remains undone. We remember that even in the darkest hours, there is cause to hope for tomorrow’s light. Today, no matter our race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, we recommit ourselves to working to free modern-day slaves around the world and to honoring in our own time the efforts of those who fought so hard to steer our country truer to our highest ideals.”
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Fighting Racism Matters
At the Detroit Area Agency on Aging, we will begin Team conversations with a video on the famous experiment
Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes,
created by Jane Elliott for her 3
rd
grade students the day after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We will also read and discuss the essays in
The Fire Next Time
by James Baldwin.
As we review these reference materials, we will examine preconceptions or biases that might affect our ability to serve our community. The Detroit Area Agency on Aging is here to serve a diverse population and build a stronger Detroit. As a society, when we are all honest with one another in our families, workplaces and in every community endeavor, we will effect the change we want to see in our communities.
Trevor Noah, host of
The Daily Show
on Comedy Central, challenged our norms and values in an impassioned monologue after the murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed. He said, “Society is a contract that we sign as human beings with each other. “Whether spoken or unspoken, we agree in this group to common rules, common ideals, and common practices that are going to define us as a group. And the contract is only as strong as the people who abide by it.”
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THE COLLISION OF COVID-19 DISPARITIES AND RACIAL INJUSTICE
The history of racial inequities in health care date back to the days of segregated hospitals and COVID-19 exacerbated them. As the pandemic grew, data began to show that the impact of COVID-19 on people of color was greater than that of the general population. Existing chronic conditions were a factor, as well as such social determinants of health as where a person lives, works and the quality of health care they have access to. It is a racial wound not unknown to Wayne State researchers who contributed to the award-winning research, Dying Before Their Time, commissioned by the Detroit Area Agency on Aging (DAAA), with the latest report to be released this summer. With evidence that Detroit is a medically underserved community, DAAA hopes to tilt these scales for more equity in access to health care.
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ON ELDER ABUSE
We abhor the mistreatment of seniors. Monday, June 15, was World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and the Detroit Area Agency on Aging presented a Community Conversation with Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. Elder abuse, neglect and exploitation are considered public health issues that require coordination and partnerships across all levels of government. Prosecutor Worthy explained the role of Wayne County’s Elder Abuse Crime Unit on Zoom with host Tamara Perrin, our agency’s Elder Abuse Prevention Coordinator. To learn about the resources and trainings on elder abuse available from DAAA, contact Tamara at 313/446-4444, ext. 5259. Or visit
www.DetroitSeniorSolution.com
.
The Community Conversation on Elder Abuse was recorded and can be viewed below.
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At the Detroit Area Agency on Aging, we all want to end racism, eliminate the mistreatment of elders, and erase health disparities. In fact, we want to see an end to all of the “isms” that divide us. We want to focus on what
unites
us as we work to improve the quality of life for the age 60+ population in our region.
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Ronald S. Taylor
President & CEO
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Detroit Area Agency on Aging
Virtual Town Hall Meeting
on the
Proposed FY 2021 Annual Plan for Senior & Caregiver Services (
Video-Conference or Call Event Powered by Zoom
)
Thursday, July 16, 2020 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
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