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SACRAMENTO — The 12 member California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) elected Assemblywoman Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) and Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) to serve as its Chair and Vice-Chair for the 2023-24 legislative session.

Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-San Diego) was elected secretary and Assemblymember Isaac G. Bryan (D-Los Angeles) was elected treasurer. The newly elected officers will begin their two-year terms in December.

“It is a great honor to have been elected chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus,” said Assemblymember Wilson. I look forward to working with my colleagues to uplift over two million Black residents living in California,” Wilson said in a statement.

The change of leadership occurs less than a year after Bradford (the current CLBC chair) was awarded the “Regional Legislator of the Year” award from the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) during their 45th annual legislative conference in Atlanta in November.

NBCSL is the nation’s premier organization representing and serving the interests of African American State legislators. It considers legislation and issues of public policy which impact, either directly or indirectly upon “the general welfare” of African American constituents within their respective jurisdictions.

Bradford received the NBCSL award for authoring Senate Joint Resolution 7, which called for the destruction of illegal FBI surveillance tapes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Senate Bill (SB) 796 that authorized Los Angeles County to return the beachfront property known as Bruce’s Beach to the Bruce family.  On Sept. 30, 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill returning the Manhattan Beach property to descendants of Willa and Charles Bruce who operated a beachfront resort before it was forcefully taken by eminent domain in 1924.

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“It has and continues to be a distinct privilege to serve as an executive leader of the California Legislative Black Caucus,” Bradford said. “I look forward to working with the newly elected officers to further advance an agenda that ensures equity and opportunity for all Californians.”

Wilson, the former mayor of Suisun City in Northern California, was sworn into office April 6 to represent the 11th Assembly District. She won a special election following the resignation of former Assemblymember Jim Frazier, also a Democrat.

Wilson, the first Black female mayor to serve in Solano County, was the only candidate on the ballot for the special election. She will serve out the remainder of Frazier’s current term, which ends on Dec. 5. Wilson is running for reelection in November to serve a full, two-year term. Her opponent for the seat is Jenny Callison, an independent.

Kellie Todd Griffin, founding convener of the California Black Women’s Collective, a statewide organization whose members represent various professional backgrounds, says we live in a critical time that requires focused and experienced leaders like Wilson to ensure the needs of Black Californians are prioritized.

“We are proud that she is a member of Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) and part of the California Black Women’s Collective,” said Griffin. “We look forward to working with her on systemic change that improves the lives of the state’s more than 2.1 million Black residents, especially Black women and girls.”

Shortly after she was sworn into the Assembly, Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) appointed Wilson as Assistant Majority Whip.

Wilson also has a seat on the Accountability and Administrative Review Committee, the Agriculture Committee, the Appropriations Committee, the Banking and Finance Committee, the Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee and the Select Committee on Gasoline Supply and Pricing.

“From access to healthcare to housing and homelessness to criminal justice reform and creating economic opportunity, the CLBC has a long history of legislative accomplishments,” Wilson stated. “I am excited to build upon the past successes of the honorable leaders who have come before me as we move forward into the 2023-24 Legislative Session.”

The CLBC, founded in 1967, is a bipartisan and bicameral body of Black lawmakers committed to eliminating existing racial and social disparities and inequities for Black Americans.

“It is an honor to pass the leadership torch to Assemblywoman Wilson and serve alongside her as we embark on a new chapter. I have full confidence in her ability to elevate this Caucus,” Bradford stated. “I want to thank our immediate past executive leadership team for their strength and unwavering commitment to lead during these past two years. Together, we have been a powerful force, championing legislative policies and initiatives with the purpose of enriching the lives of Black Californians.”

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If you have diabetes, you have a higher-than-average risk of having a heart attack or a stroke. While men and women generally have similar rates of Type 2 diabetes, women are twice as likely to have heart disease.

In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S., killing one woman every 60 seconds. It’s the leading cause of death for African American and white women and, among Hispanic women, it causes as many deaths as cancer each year.

Two-thirds of women who die suddenly of heart disease have no previous symptoms. Women are more likely than men to have the following heart attack symptoms:

• Pain in the neck, jaw, abdomen or back
• Nausea
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Fatigue

More than 90 percent of women have one or more risk factors for heart disease. Women of all ages can get heart disease. While the risk gets higher with age, lifestyle, diet, smoking and hereditary conditions can increase a younger person’s risk.

Risk factors for heart disease include:

• Diabetes
• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• High LDL (bad) cholesterol
• Obesity
• Poor diet
• Physical inactivity

If you have a family history of heart disease, there are still steps you can take to lower your risk. Below are some important steps women can take to reduce their risk of heart disease:

• Know your risk factors; have your blood pressure checked regularly, along with your cholesterol and triglycerides
• Stop smoking
• Eat healthy, including lean proteins such as white meat chicken and lean ground beef, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Check out the Healthy Eating video at parklanddiabetes.com/healthy for more tips on eating healthy with diabetes
• Find ways to relax more and lower your stress level
• Get moving and exercise more. Check out the Move Your Body video at parklanddiabetes.com/move for easy tips on how to get more exercise into your day

If you are a woman who has diabetes, it’s very important to keep your blood sugar within the range recommended by your doctor. If you don’t know how to manage your blood sugar, make an appointment with a health care provider to get more information on keeping your diabetes under control.

For more information on how to keep your heart healthy and manage your diabetes, go to www.parklanddiabetes.com.

This article originally appeared in the Dallas Post Tribune.

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June is Men’s Health Month

By Dallas Post Tribune Staff

DALLAS – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report men in the United States, on average, die five years earlier than women. Each June Parkland Health & Hospital System observes Men’s Health Month to raise awareness by encouraging men to adopt healthy habits for both mind and body.

According to the CDC, the top 10 health issues experienced by men include heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries (such as road traffic injuries, poisoning, falls, fire and burn injuries, and drowning), chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke, diabetes, suicide, Alzheimer’s disease, influenza/pneumonia and chronic liver disease. The suicide rate among American men is about four times higher than among women, according to CDC data. Women are more likely to attempt suicide but men are more likely to succeed.

“This month gives providers the opportunity to educate their patients and their loved ones about the importance of regular health checkups and encourage men to take control of their health,” said Noel O. Santini, MD, Senior Medical Director of Ambulatory Services at Parkland.

Although physical health is almost always top of mind, “We want our patients, men and women alike, to focus on their mental health, too,” said Alejandro Zavala Cervantes, LPC, a mental health counselor at Parkland’s Garland Health Center. “A person’s mental health influences how they feel, think and behave. It also affects their ability to cope with stress, build relationships and overcome challenges and all of these affect their physical health as well as their emotional wellbeing.”

According to Mental Health America (MHA, formerly known as the National Mental Health Association), every year one in five adults experiences a mental health problem and 6 million men are affected by depression. The top three major mental health problems experienced by men are:

Depression: This illness is characterized by experiencing feelings of hopelessness, sadness, loss or frustration that cause trouble with daily life. Depression can last weeks, months or even years.

Anxiety: These disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear, affecting the ability to function day-to-day.

Bipolar disorder: This illness causes dramatic shifts in a person’s mood, energy and ability to think clearly. People with bipolar disorder experience extreme high and low moods.

Despite the prevalence of mental health issues, many people still view the subject as taboo.

“Discussing mental health issues with anyone, let alone a healthcare provider, is often seen as embarrassing or even unnecessary. In my experience, this is especially true in men,” Zavala Cervantes said. “Many of my male patients have expressed being hesitant about seeking help because doing so implies weakness and is cause for shame. As providers we need to erase this stigma and encourage patients to seek help.”

Getting appropriate and timely care can change lives, according to Celeste Johnson, DNP, APRN, PMH CNS, Vice President of Behavioral Health at Parkland. “The best treatments for serious mental illnesses are highly effective. Between 70 and 90% of individuals have significant reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life with the right treatments and supports.”

In 2015, Parkland launched a unique Universal Suicide Screening Program to identify those at risk and help save lives by intervening immediately. “Patients who later die by suicide are often seen by non-behavioral health providers in the days, weeks and months prior to death,” Dr. Johnson said. “U.S. data shows that 77% of people who die by suicide had contact with a primary care provider and 40% had contact with an emergency department provider in the year prior to death. We want to use every patient encounter at Parkland as an opportunity to identify those at risk and provide the help they need.”

Treatments for mental health issues may include therapy or counseling, medications and other treatments that can help people lead healthier lives. In addition to seeking professional help, there are many ways to take control of your mental health including:

Take care of your body: Good physical health can improve your mental health. Be sure to maintain a healthy diet and avoid drugs, tobacco and alcohol.

Exercise: Physical activity helps decrease depression and anxiety and improve moods.

Get enough sleep: Adequate sleep is a necessity, not a luxury. Skipping even a few hours here and there can take a toll on your mood, energy, mental sharpness and ability to handle stress.

Learn how to deal with stress: Stress takes a toll on physical and emotional health. While not all stressors can be avoided, management strategies can help you feel less overwhelmed and more in control.

When to seek professional help: If efforts to improve your mental health seem to fail, it may be time to seek professional help. It’s especially important if thoughts of self-harm or suicide are present.

“We want our patients to know they don’t have to suffer alone and in silence,” Zavala Cervantes said. “We’re here to help.”

If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call 911 immediately. If you are in crisis or are experiencing difficult or suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273 TALK (8255) or text the Crisis Text Line at 741741.

To access MHA’s online mental health screening tools please visit, https://screening.mentalhealthamerica.net/screening-tools. For more information about Parkland services, visit www.parklandhospital.com.

This article originally appeared in the Dallas Post Tribune. 

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