Stressor Black on Black Racism

As a child you look at everyone the same and you learn to like or dislike a person because of the way they treat you and not by the color of their skin. I recall the first time as a child that I was called the N word. My mother and I was at a local store shopping and this little white child said mommy mommy look at that N. Our parents just looked at one another and we quietly went our merry ways. My parents never taught us to dislike someone because of their color. What I learned about racism as a child came from television and peers. I copied by not reacting negative to the comment or starting a fight with the other child. Today I tell my neices and nephews not to give power to the N word even though it is common in the African American community to call each other the N word.

Black on Black racism is a topic that has intrigued me the most as I become older here in America. I am considered a dark skinned person in the African American community and it has baffled my all my life how some blacks who skin color is lighter than mine think that they are better than me. What is ironic about it is that people would say that I acted white. In elementary school thru high school most of my classes were 80% white. Most of my experiences in school were with my white classmates. At home my friends and even today my family and friends say that I talk white. I have learned that my skin color were different but not my character and attitude toward other people and I think this is my cognitive way of dealing with racism both in the black community and the world.

Nutrition/Malnutrition

I have chosen to speak on nutrition/malnutrition. This was very interesting to me because you can eat foods but if you are not eating the right foods then you are malnourished. My grandfather farmed on the weekends and we had fruits and vegetables throughout the year so we always had a well balanced diet. Carbohydrates and proteins were always in our diet. Junk foods were present but our parents taught us to eat junk foods with moderation and not to over indulge. 

Did you know malnutrition cripple child development in South Africa?  One in four children faces hunger in South Africa. Severe stunting has increased in the number of children over the years, yet South Africa is self-sufficient in food production. There are two main causes for hunger in South Africa which are access to affordable balance food and education. High price inflation  and high unemployment prevent access to food and quality food. Stunting and malnutrition starts in the womb.

Mother's have little money so they buy starches, potatoes, rice or corn. The author Mille quotes these foods fill you up but they have little nutrition value. Howevero malnutrition is being curtailed by teaching adults how to grow their own food such as carbohydrates and proteins. South African women are being taught what to grow and how to eat a balance diet. These women are no longer feeding their children junk food or porridge.

I have learned to take a better look at my own diet because there are a lot of fast foods and junk foods in my diet. I was wondering because of my diet do I eat a well balance diet. Here in America we can greatly reduce malnutrition. Companies are now giving their access fod to charities and food banks.We need to teach more families in America if they can to plant their own gardens of fruits and vegetables.

Child Development

Since I do not have a child birth experience, I will speak of my first time new born experience with the birth of my first nephew Michael when I first became an uncle. I was 18 at the time when Michael was first brought home. He was so small. My oldest sister had been working as a nurse aid at a local nursing home before attending college so she was used to caring for people and she naturally took to taking care of her newborn son Michael. My experiences with him when he was first came home was to feed him, change his diapers, and to play with him. I was curious about the skin on the navel and my sister informed me that it would naturally fall off. This was my first introduction in child birth.Michael was born a healthy child and my sister took care of both her prenatal needs and his prenatal needs.
Tibet: The Old Ways Remain
This was a shocker to me because of all of the technology that is out there for child birth. The Tibetan women gives birth alone with 66% of the Tibetan women having home births in an animal pen. There is a high mortality rate because at birth the mother cuts the umbilical cord with an unclean knife. There is limited access to doctors and emergency services because of poverty and the mountains. Lastly the child is not first nursed until he or she is given a a paste of butter, honey, saffron water and musk water, thought to protect the child from harmful spirits. I have learned that as long as women have access to doctors, midwives, health care and a healthy diet then there will be less problems with the birth and the opposite with no access to doctors, midwives, health care and a poor diet.