The lack of a maternity ward east of the Anacostia River in Washington, DC
Earlier this year while attending a performance of “The Vagina Monologues” I was hit with a startling realization that I wasn’t aware of; that the only maternity ward east of the Anacostia River has been closed. This matters because the majority of the individuals who would be impacted by this decision are Black and/or poor people. When I heard this fact I instantly thought of the fact that for years an adult level 1 trauma center didn’t exist on the South Side of Chicago, which meant that if an individual was shot they would have to be taken to another part of the city and usually died in route. Due to years of protest and community initiatives, this was finally changed in 2015. Now, a similar issue of life and death exists in Washington, DC and policy decisions are being made. This issue calls for all of our attention.
The Use of Excessive Force by Police Officers
Justice reform is never off the table and changes are often being made that negatively impact poor people, and specifically Black and Brown people. Please, please pay attention!
“In an impassioned dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the majority had gone badly astray.
“Its decision is not just wrong on the law; it also sends an alarming signal to law enforcement officers and the public,” she wrote. “It tells officers that they can shoot first and think later, and it tells the public that palpably unreasonable conduct will go unpunished.””
“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” – James Baldwin
Let us all strive to be worth imitating.
-Ms. Malcolm Hughes
msmalcolmhughes.com 