Get Free® Statistics

Below are a few statistics to arm yourselves with empirical data when spreading the word about HIV/AIDS among African American adolescents. Spread the word!

• African American adolescents and young adults have the highest number and the highest rate of suicide of any age group of African Americans.

• Suicide was the third-leading cause of death among African American people aged 15 to 19 years, fourth among those aged 20 to 29 years, and eighth among those aged 30 to 39.

• The comparative descriptions of suicidal ideation and behavior show some important differences; for example, the rate of suicide in males is higher than that in females, but studies of suicidal thoughts and nonfatal suicidal behavior (suicide attempts) routinely show females with higher rates (U.S. Public Health Service, 2001).

• The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System is a school-based survey of health risk behaviors (including suicidal thoughts and behavior) among high school students. In 2003, African American high school students reported the following during the 12 months preceding the survey: For those who seriously considered suicide, the gender breakdown was: males 10.3%, females 14.7%; and for those who attempted suicide, it was: males 7.7%, females 9.0% (Grunbaum et al., 2004).

• African Americans make up approximately 13% of the U.S. population, but in 2005 they accounted for 49% of the estimated number of HIV/AIDS cases diagnosed. Among youth, while only 15% of teens (ages 13–19) are African American, they accounted for 73% of new AIDS cases reported in 2004. (CDC, 2005)

• The rate of AIDS diagnoses for African-American females was 24 times the rate for white females for African American males it was 8 times the rate for white males (CDC, 2005).

• The primary modes of HIV transmission among African-American adult or adolescent females are high-risk heterosexual contact (74%), followed by injection drug use (24%) (CDC, 2005).

o The primary modes of HIV transmission among African-American adult or adolescent males are male-to-male sexual contact (48%), followed by injection drug use (23%) and high-risk heterosexual contact (22%) (CDC, 2005).

Get Free® in April - Save Young Black Girls

The official beginning of the Get Free® Girls Movement is here!!! For those who missed it before, the Get Free® movement is an outcome of my discomfort with the knowledge that young black girls (ages 13-15) in the U.S. are being infected at alarming rates with HIV/AIDS.

In my quest to discover the roots of this phenomenon, I did some
research and found some startling statistics (in another blog) about the role that poor mental health, a disgruntled environment, and a different set of social norms, plays in the risky behaviors that lead to HIV/AIDS. We often criticize young black girls for behavior we do not understand, and often do not attempt to comprehend what causes/caused the behavior. Let's make a commitment to help before judging.

Pink and purple ribbons symbolize this Movement. Pink is the universal
color for girls and purple is well known as a color of royalty - it signifies the need to return our young Queens to their rightful throne of honor -- for their bodies, their minds.

During the month of April, I am offering pink and purple ribbons to all who request them (and forcing them on those who don't) in an effort to encourage each of you to PLEASE keep this movement alive. Please wear your pin upon receiving it as often as possible.

Talk about this issue with everyone you know. Find a young lady in your neighborhood and show her some Love. Volunteer at schools and community centers. Send blogs about this movement, sing about it, write about it. Encourage others to spread the word and the Love. We must act as our own social media on this issue, with the dilligence that you send those urban legend emails, send this to twice as many people.

Below is a list of short- and long-term goals for the movement, and statistical data on suicide rates and HIV/AIDS among African American adolescent girls to arm you with some initial knowledge to begin intelligent dialogue. Please spread the word about the alarming rates of HIV/AIDS among young black girls in AMERICA.

Get Free® is a grassroots revolution established to accomplish the following:

• generate awareness about the shameful HIV/AIDS rates among young Black girls;
• instigate a mindset of discomfort with the current situation among community leaders, health care professionals and OURSELVES;
• encourage open dialogue about the problem of poor mental and physical health among African American teen girls
• cause an overwhelming need to conduct open-minded and extensive research on the effects of mental health on black youth sexual risk behavior and how this correlates to the alarming increase in HIV/AIDS;
among young black girls
• work with psychological/counseling professionals to establish credible, industry accepted assessment and intervention techniques;
• work with psychological/counseling professionals to develop unbiased standards of practice for psychological assessment and treatment with an understanding of the distinct social, environmental, and cultural nuances within this group;
• encourage the medical community to continue HIV/AIDS research and aggressively work to FIND A CURE!

WE have the POWER to save our Queens and Our Future.

For more information on how to become involved in Get Free®, receive more statistical information, or to request a pink and purple lapel ribbon, send an email to ayomanagement@gmail.com or visit myspace.com/goldenhoney6


--
Sponsored by One Woman With A Dream, LLC.

TRY

On the journey towards enlightenment, sometimes we can feel unworthy, when we measure our Humanness against God's infinite wisdom and grace. But what should be remembered is that being enlightened is not being GOD, it is moving closer to our own God Source. No Human can ever be GOD, but we can strive to conduct ourselves according to the tenets we know to be true to our Spirit. The goodness and mercy is in the TRYing.

Each day we must TRY to make spiritual sacrifices (check out December's blog post), we must TRY to maintain our composure, TRY to be kind to others, TRY to be slow to anger, TRY to spread goodness and LOVE. If we wake up each day, GOD is confirming HIS faith in Us-- in our ability to TRY to do Good work (God's work) on Earth. We are made in HIS image, therefore we carry GOD's essence inside of us, deep in our SOULS. This is a powerful gift that only gains strength through sharing.

So whenever we find ourselves feeling unsure of our ability to please GOD, remember that we can always TRY.

LOVE.

Beginning the Movement for Girls

Hello Friends! The Get Free Movement Is Beginning! This movement is called "Get Free" because it attempts to free young African American girls from mental suffering which causes sexual risk behavior, which is linked to the significant increase in HIV/AIDS cases among this group. I am dedicating this post to a letter I've written to generate awareness about this problem and my hopes to help find effective solutions.

the letter...

A movement has begun, beginning with my social, professional and personal circles, to generate awareness of the shameful rates of HIV/AIDS among African American adolescents. I am outraged by the disgraceful silence in the media and in our communities about this issue. We can talk about everything under the sun; we can get on tour busses to Jena for MUCH less (I will never agree otherwise, so bring on the counter comments). Something must be done (no matter how small) to overcome the complete apathy for the lives of our young ladies. Now that HIV/AIDS is no longer considered a white, gay man's disease, have you noticed now many celebrities no longer where red ribbons? Think about it. This disease is no longer in the consciousness of the media, key influencers (celebrities are seen as trendsetters, which is why they're used in endorsements) and this waning of consciousness seems to arrive as record numbers of African American youth are being attacked by HIV/AIDS. Timing. Hmmm.

This April, please join me in wearing purple and pink ribbons locked together (PINK is for the girl babies, PURPLE is a reminder to restore these girls to the Royal Queens that they truly are).

There must be a revival of the passionate movement for more research, better treatment, and a diligent effort to find a cure with the same fervor displayed by Liz Taylor and the plethora of celebs and private organizations a few short years ago. It can happen. And it can come from our communities. The first thing we need is adequate intelligence gathering. Recently I read an article linking depression and HIV/AIDS among young Black girls. I laughed, because I had just done a research paper for my Psychology class on this very issue last semester. My paper went on to suggest that this depression led to increased suicide ideation (which is higher in Black girls than Black boys, who have higher suicide attempts). My hypothesis piggybacks Dr. Alvin Poussaint, who theorized in Lay My Burden Down(if I may paraphrase) that homicides among young black men were actually victim-precipitated homicides as these young men were deliberately placing themselves in life-threatening situations which heightened the likelihood of being shot or killed (gangs, police shootings, etc.).

I believe that young Black girls share this intense desire to die just as young male Black teens do, but manifest the behavior sexually. In order to feel good, Loved, wanted -- to belong to something -- and not end up alone, they were willing to die. And the blue-flame fuel for this sexual risk behavior is that young girls – babies really (ages 11-13) lack the cognitive development to cope or mentally survive in the volatile, unstable environments in which they often end up existing. Therefore, they are lured into improper relationships "doing grown up things with child minds." They also are more likely to experience and endure the horror of sexual and physical abuse that begins the cycle of low self esteem, anger, depression -- suicide ideation -- suicide.

In order to begin the process of healing, extensive research must be conducted to understand this young female mindset, the communities in which she lives, trends in new familial structures (single parent, no parent, live with boyfriend, foster parent, etc.) and an aggressive investigation and exposure of the serious biases in the healthcare system. Research must also include a thorough investigation of the social norms (injunctive and subjective) that guide her life and create an environment for sexual risk behavior.

We must work with medical professionals, teachers, lovers, grandparents, mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, politicians, celebrities, police, children, corporations and (fill in the blank), to detect mental illness in our children early and develop EFFECTIVE psychological intervention practices. We’ve got to give these young Queens the courage to Love in spite of their destiny and the self-efficacy to "just say YES" to a condom, when that destiny is just too much to bear. Let's face it, we've got a lot of work to do, so let's start NOW and be about the business of saving our young Black girls, who are the fastest growing group of new HIV/AIDS cases, from complete suicide/genocide.

We’ve got to rewrite the rules. The social norms of mainstream society are not consistent with the history, culture and spiritual evolution of Blacks in America. Until we find ourselves, as Brown girls and women; until we find our purpose; until we find our Love -- we will always seek ourselves outside of OURSELVES.

Join me during the month of April by wearing purple and pink ribbons (pink is for girl babies, purple is a reminder to restore these girls to the royal Queens that they truly are). Choosing to wear these ribbons is just the beginning. Wear them as a reminder to reach out to a young girl; wear them to volunteer wherever you can have a positive affect on a young girl's life; and wear them to encourage talk, talk, talk about this dire problem with everyone you can. If you want to know more about the movement, and how you can participate in this revolution (or just get a ribbon), just reply to this post or email me at ayomanagement@gmail.com. Get Free is real grassroots, but isn't that how most movements begin?

Have You Been Working Out?

photo courtesy of creativeexpressions.com

With the New Year upon us, we are reminded again of resolutions to make regarding diet, exercise -- the usual fare of small talk heard on buses, at the watercooler, on cell phones regarding how much more we intend to "work out." Gym memberships increase with the currency of intent. By spring, we can't remember where we put that membership card.

In 2008 let us move forward with the realization, that whatever we are asking of God, He will allow us to have only after preparing us for it. If we ask for patience, God will put us in situations where patience is required. So when we find ourselves tested by certain events, in reality, it is God's way of giving our Souls a "workout." Just as we condition our physical bodies -- tone muscles, maintain a good heartrate, etc., our spiritual selves require the same conditioning to stay in top shape.

When we make sacrifices, it is our spiritual workout. It is our way of telling the Universe that we are ready to receive the miracle. And the Universe will respond, it is assured.

Enlightenment is the only answer.

What Sacrifice Will You Make

As we reflect on God and our relationship to the Universe, What is our contribution? It is very easy to consider financial or some other tangible item as legitimate contributions, but what of Spirit?

Moving closer to God -- the Ultimate and Supreme Source of Energy and Light -- requires more than just offering tangible pieces. It is the offering of oneself that strengthens our character. It is strength (and balance) of character that shapes our destiny. Character-building sacrifices are the most difficult and the most miraculous. Those that have created miracles in my life are (in no particular order):

Patience
Composure
Peace
Truth
Wisdom
Knowledge
Caution

Know when to have PATIENCE when it is required and know when it is required
Maintain COMPOSURE in social exchanges
Keep PEACE in your heart and be at PEACE with others
Always strive to be TRUTHful and be on the side of TRUTH
Seek WISDOM for it is the base of power
Seek KNOWLEDGE for it is the source of power
Exercise CAUTION in your words and actions and in the words and actions of others

What sacrifice will you make?

Be Enlightened...