Blame for Black Obesity: a Culture of Disowned Bodies

I read and responded to this article on FaceBook. When I realized it was nearly 500 words I decided that is should also be a blog post:

The subject of African-Americans and their relationship to their bodies is something that I have been wondering about for some time. I am not so sociologist, however a friend said that if ever I needed a PhD topic this might be it. It is my opinion that many of the lasting problems faced by African-Americans stems from not really relating to our own bodies. We made a culture of separation from the corporeal to protect ourselves from the legal reality that others “owned” our bodies. I think it is crucial for us to reconnect within this generation.

http://thegrio.com/2012/07/23/is-the-black-church-partially-to-blame-for-obesity/

This is the “comment” I left:

This article is a little thin on reasoning, but I think that it is not entirely wrong in its assertion. The scientist among you will agree that environment and heredity work together to make a person obese and one's culture is a big part of their environment. Christian or not the black church is part of black culture.

What I would be more interested to hear is if obesity is, in fact, one if the lasting effects of slavery. I mean more than soul food. I assert that within a reality where ones' very body was not their own African American resorted to a culture that created a buffer from that harsh inhumane reality. The black church is an institution of this culture. Obesity is just a single symptom of this hold over.

The church seems to emphasize the disembodied afterlife of the soul, King appealed to our hearts, Dubois advised us to develop our minds. I know so many spiritual, living & educated blacks who would never think twice about their corporeal existence. 

In fact, the only persistent media image of a physically focused black person is in jail or sports, and the only fit women pictured are sexual objects. (That is another topic for another day.) I'm sure you want people to think of you as only a jock, criminal or prostitute. This is the often the image that African-Americans feel they have to fight against.

I am not a sociologist but I wonder if obesity is only one symptom, violence in the home towards children is another. Anyone ever heard the phase, "Give your heart to Jesus, because your behind is mine." it is a completely ridiculous thing to say, ones body is intact their own! And the justification the that what the sheriff (read: lynch mob) would do to a disobedient black child  would be far worse than a beating at the hands of a parent is out of date logic. Base again on the idea that the 'law' has rights to brown bodies. How does this effect violence in the community? For those of you who are blessed not to know this, you can't go jogging in a violent neighborhood.

Our disgust, disdain, closeted distance from all things sexual is yet another symptom of a culture that has yet to take full ownership our bodies. The result is HIV infection rates much higher than the general population. (Granted, incarceration also figures prominently) Why teach your son or daughter to negotiate for good-to-you good-for-you, safe(r) sex, with appropriate birth control, when you have trouble with even talking about the desires of your own beautiful blessed sacred body. Could this disembodiment be at least partially responsible for low breastfeeding rates? By the way, breastfeeding can be linked to healthier weight for mom and baby down the road.

We have trouble advocating for, protecting, and LOVING a thing with which we do not completely connect. The black body is not celebrated it is watched, raped, hunted, singled out, over sexualized, misunderstood, maligned and made fun of by the popular culture every day. No wonder we, work on our souls, and brains and communities rather than put on some shorts and go effen jog, for jogging sake. Moreover, we have cannot demand a stop to this until we ourselves value the blessing of vessels we have been given. To this end mindful eating, exercise, non-violent home life for everyone, sex education and a return of the black is beautiful mantra.

<Steps down from soap box>

Of course, I pride myself on having a non-violent home. I make it a daily point to celebrate my children everyday, especially their tangled curly hair, golden skin and brown eyes. I make sure they get to run, climb, jump and make the most of the bodies they have been given. I know they will not always eat organic food, heck, they may decide not to be vegetarian. I think that it is particularly important that they love, respect and nurture their bodies because history has not.  Do you think that there is more to African-American obesity than fried chicken and macaroni and cheese? Tell me about it.

 

When I woke up this morning

I realized something really quite interesting. My family lives in a city (Buffalo) with an African-American Mayor, in a state (New York) with an African-American Governor, in a country (USA) with a mixed-race/ African-American President. This is a lot of executive brownness, you know I think my city council person is Hispanic. So I should feel that we have "overcome" and racism is a thig that my son will never have to encounter.

He's just a bit over two years old, and Kindergarten is not until 2011, but I have serious reservations about sending him to public school. I'm not so worried about a thin curriculum or lack of art and gym, I feel that I can supplement those. I'm more worried that because 1 out of 2 of the African-American boys in our city don't graduate from high school and that because of this his Kindergarten teacher will have lower expectations from him. I worry that she his brown skin and assume that his curiosity, exuberance and spirited-ness are liabilities and a discipline problem. Or worse yet, knowing that he only has half a chance at achieving a basic education she'll just protect her job and teach to the state test and leave out everything else. Our school staff and administration isn't all white, in fact the superintendent is another accomplished African-American. After some of the things that the public has said about Barack Obama I'm also worried about what some of his black teacher and classmates might think about him. Kiran is multi-racial, like most Americans, but he wears it on his face and in his crazy curly hair. Will someone say he's not black enough because his father is Polish, and his mother went to college and speaks standard English. This is one of the most hurtful things that anyone can say to you, or think about you. I know because since I was in honors classes in high school, students and teachers implied that I mustn't be really *that Black*, right?

So there's always private school and if we scrimp and save we may be able to pay for some of that. The parents and teachers with no doubt be a little more familiar with multi-racial children, and maybe a little less prone to stereotypes and there will be little room for low expectations. I went to private school for most of elementary school but I clearly remember the mother of one of my classmates giving me what could simply be called a reading test when I went over for a play date. Are you kidding me? no. Can President Barack keep that from happening to Kiran? Can I?

I'm not sure that I should try to protect him from everything, and if I do succeed in protecting him, what about all the other children in my town, my state and my country. If they have to encounter these little injustices, these big injustices how will they be affected. How can I protect them too?

The World is Opening Doors to Higher Education, what about Buffalo?

NPR and the Global University:

I have really enjoyed Joyce Kryszak ongoing articles about the University at Buffalo, and how international students and even offshore campuses have expanded our local university, I think for the best. However, last week you segment (or an ad for it) was closely followed by coverage of Buffalo Schools Superintendent James A. Williams’s convocation for this year’s public school session. He commented on the lack-luster high school graduation rates across the city and the down right deplorable odds for African-American boys in our city schools. Is it possible that a UB student is more likely to encounter someone from Singapore than a black person from University Heights neighborhood? While I am glad that UB has made the effort to distinguish itself as a diverse international institution; I am saddened that the impenetrable heart of intellectual darkness may be right across the street. I wonder what the University had done about attracting and retaining racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse students from the Western NY area and Buffalo specifically. Especially when these students may be the ones who will want to stay here, to attract employers, or become employers themselves. They could become human capital investment that Buffalo has longing for.

I did not grow up in Buffalo, but I am a UB Graduate, and UB’s graduate architecture program is one major reason that I decided to stay in Buffalo. The field of architecture is not known for its diversity, and has long been the purview of old white men. This is changing, and nearly half of my classmates were women. Because UB attracts so many international students, I had the benefit of a studio environment that included European, Canadian, and most notably Asian students. In many ways, this enriched our learning environment. However, as an African-American woman, I was nearly always the only representative of this group. In my first year, many students and sometime professors referred to me by the name of the only other African-American woman who was there, we shared no classes, and really do not look anything alike. When she graduated, at least people knew who I was; or should I say EVERYONE knew who I was, I wasn’t famous, I just stuck out. Why were there be more international architecture students than black, Hispanic, Native American, or even White students from Buffalo. This always seemed particularly hurtful to me just as I would leave south campus; I would drive through hurting neighborhoods that are in such dire need of design and of the designers who are intimate with and invested in them. I knew that many of the talented students I went to school with were going to leave not only Buffalo, but also the country when they graduated.

This is not just UB’s problem; they cannot enroll students that are not ready for higher education, nor is it just the problem of Buffalo Public schools. As we know, Buffalo is a poor city, and not yet healed from the scars and scrapes of its industrial history. The high school and college education of the not-so wealthy, and minority student is a looming community and national issue. It is be unfair to portray these students as any less hungry or knowledge than their Singaporean counterparts. Why do not UB’s globalization efforts start by reaching across Bailey Avenue? If culture, national origin, religion, even language are bridged, why not race, neighborhood, and socio-economic status? I cannot say I have an immediate solution to this complex problem, but I am interested in raising awareness, and doing what I can to contribute to its long-term solution. I think that UB has and will be a key to that solution. UB should continue to distinguish itself as a Global University, but it should also look towards the world away that is at its front door.

Black on Black Breastfeeding

So this little video inspired me. There are some videos about women breast feeding but I find that they are either women in the Third World or or First World white women. If African American women don't see themselves doing it, how can they see it as something they can do? Especially young mothers, who don't have any breastfeeding "role" models in their community. (how many times have I seen little babies with red kool-aid in their bottles). When poverty, simple food security, infant mortality, childhood obesity, and maternal mortality have such a hold on the Black community, what can I do to promote some Black on Black Breastfeeding? My friends already call me an "lactivst" but I'm inspired to make a short video of my experiences nursing my son. He's so healthy, happy and smart, and I know nursing is a big part of that. I've got to pass it on.

Politics for just a min. or "you are what you have to defend"

As it turns out we (democrats at least) are more sexist than we are racist and we (Americans) will probably turn out to be more ageist than we are racist as well. At least thats my hope but it doesn't really make me feel any better, I'm Black, also a woman, and if I'm lucky, and I don't do any thing to stupid eventually I'll be old too.

Don't get me wrong for even a minuet, I'm behind Obama wholeheartedly. And it would mean so much to my son to see someone who kinda looks like him have such a public seat of power. (There are many more, and more important seats of quiet un-elected power in this world, but that's another topic for another blog.) But I'm struck by the fact that we will not have an young white man running for President. When apparently they are the demographic that movies, tv, car, video games, magazines, cheerleaders, Wal-mart, pop music and everything else has been invented for. I'm proud of Americans for that. And disappointed that gender race and age have ANY bearing on this discussion that is supposed to be about ideas, policy, intelligence, diplomacy, integrity, dependability, vision, hope, democracy, and all that other stuff that elections are supposed to be about. Instead of weather the poor white folks will vote for a black man.

Don Cheadle on African American Lives 2 found out via genetic testing that he was in fact part native American and European American, but said it almost didn't matter to him as and African American, because in fact"you are what you have to defend." And this election is somehow bringing this fact to light. Clinton, Obama, and McCain each have their strengths and weaknesses, which largely have to nothing to gender race or age. If they are related to those descriptors it is only because these are constants in their lives and again and again they have to defend that part of who they are. Like the publication of McCain's medical records, or that Obama's former minister isn't a fan of white folks, or especially the 3 days of press coverage when Hillary Clinton cried in front of the cameras. Thats all really just fluff, it really is it has nothing to do with the price of tea in China or the price of gas on Main street. I'm not going to say that race, gender and age aren't going to be important factors in this presidential campaign. I just wish they were not, because then I could find out more about the idea the candidates have, and less about what they have to defend.

BTW Who is my grandmother supposed to vote for