Letter from the Editor,
When is the better time to talk about gun legislation than when three children and three adults are shot dead by a supposedly deranged shooter in Nashville, Tennessee, or when 17 children and three adults are killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, or when a young boy and three teenagers are shot in acts of senseless violence when one mistakenly knocks on a door and the latter mistakenly get into the wrong car or drive into the wrong driveway, or when every day in America at least 30 young black men between the ages of 12 and 30 are shot and killed. Universal gun checks, red flag legislation, or the diminution of NRA control over Congress appear to provide some solutions. Another way would be to stop illegal gun sales or sales to minors or to criminally penalize the parents of children below certain ages when they mistakenly either kill themselves or a sibling with an unsecured firearm. Why is it so hard for people to put the lives of children, as one congresswoman recently passionately asked, above their own selfish needs and desires? Is providing much-needed resources for poverty-stricken communities across this nation more important than safe streets where children can at least lie in bed playing video games without being killed by a stray bullet?
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre recently called it “shameful” and “unacceptable” for some Republican lawmakers to say Congress in the wake of the Nashville shootings, has done as much as it can to address gun violence.
“That’s unacceptable. That’s our response,” Jean-Pierre said at a briefing with reporters. “It’s unacceptable that Republicans are saying there’s nothing we can do. Our schools, our churches, our places of worship have now become deadly places for many Americans who have lost their lives just this past year.”
Jean-Pierre questioned if Republicans would tell the families of victims in mass shootings in recent months in Nashville, Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas, that there is nothing more that Congress can do, and she called on GOP lawmakers to “show some courage.”
“If they had courage, they would be introducing legislation banning assault weapons today. That’s what they would be doing today,” Jean-Pierre said. “They refuse to move forward, and yet guns, as we know, are the leading cause that is killing our kids.”
“And they refuse to show some courage and do anything about it. And that’s shameful,” she added.
Common Sense gun legislation may have permitted at least some of these killings, and most tragically the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, also called Newtown shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, on December 14, 2012,. The shooting left 28 people dead and 2 injured. After murdering his mother at their home, Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children and 6 adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School before taking his own life. It was one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.
We must all bear some responsibility for the senseless gun carnage in America, arguably the world’s most deadly industrialized nation. If nothing more, we can ensure the mental health and stability of our loved ones and keep guns securely away from them.
This issue of HBCU Research and Speakers Bureau continues to chronicle selected HBCU news and accomplishments, as well as the latest news on the healthcare crisis within our communities. Enjoy!
Sincerely,
Gwendolyn S. Bethea, Ph.D.
Editor
Pentagon announces Howard University as the first HBCU to Lead a University-Affiliated Research Center
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin appears at Howard University on January 23, 2023, in Washington. Matt McClain/The Washington Post/Getty Images
CNN — The Pentagon has chosen Howard University to lead a university-affiliated research center, its first partnership with a historically Black college or university, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced this week.
“To sharpen America’s technological edge and to strengthen America’s outstanding military, the department is committed to investing even more in HBCUs and minority-serving institutions,” Austin, the first Black secretary of defense, said Monday.
Howard will receive $12 million per year for five years in funding, according to a news release. This is the first university partnership primarily sponsored by the Air Force, and this is the first time the department accepted submissions from universities to become an affiliated research center, according to Howard University President Wayne A. I. Frederick.
The new consortium will focus on tactical autonomy, an Air Force program that aims to develop technologies that require minimal human supervision, according to the branch’s website. The center looks to take advantage of Howard’s science, technology, engineering and math programs.
Austin described the technology as “central to US security in our changing world” and said the military needs the creativity and ideas of students in these programs to continue advancing the advantages American soldiers have on the battlefield.
“Responsibly used autonomous systems make our military faster, smarter, and stronger,” he added. “Howard’s new research center will protect our most precious asset—and that most precious asset is our men and women in uniform.”
The university will also focus on diversifying the pool of scientists and engineers that work with the Defense Department, according to the news release, and it will lead eight other HBCUs, including Hampton and Tuskegee universities, in the research effort.
Frederick told CNN that this is “an enormous opportunity” for faculty and students to “work on cutting edge research in a technology space that is ever evolving.”
“It’s going to put us in a unique space to develop techniques and capabilities and skill sets that we otherwise wouldn’t,” Frederick said, adding that this partnership will allow the university to expand to other areas of research.
Georgia’s Stacey Abrams to join faculty at Howard University
ByJEFF AMY Associated Press
April 5, 2023, 5:45 PM
ATLANTA — Georgia’s Stacey Abrams will join the faculty at Howard University in Washington, D.C., the next step in her reemergence after the Democrat lost her second bid to be governor of Georgia last year to Republican Brian Kemp.
Howard, one of the nation’s top historically Black colleges, said it was appointing Abrams as the Ronald W. Walters Endowed Chair for Race and Black Politics beginning in September.
Paris L. Johnson Makes First Stage Appearance as Travis in Raisin in the Sun at Howard University Chadwick Boseman College of Fine Arts
Paris L. Johnson, 10, made his debut appearance as Travis in Lorraine Hansberry’s Raisin the Sun at the Howard University Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts on February 23, 2023. Paris is the son of Frankie L. Bethea, lecturer in the college,and the grandson of Ronald and Gwendolyn S. Bethea, Takoma Park, MD. Paris is a student at Lux Manor Elementary School, Bethesda, MD. His grandmother retired from Howard University Graduate School in 2017 after 45 years.
Blood Clots: Signs and Prevention
Preventing Blood Clots
Traveling often includes sitting for periods of time, which can increase your chances of developing a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a type of blood clot that forms in a large vein. Part of the clot can break off and travel to the lungs, causing a sudden blockage of arteries in the lung, known as a pulmonary embolism. Though these types of blot clots are rare, they are very serious and can cause death. Find out what steps you can take to prevent blood clots during travel.
Blood Clot Risk Factors
Sitting for a long time without getting up and walking around can cause blood to pool in the veins of your legs. This can lead to blood clots.
Other conditions increase your chances of getting blood clots, including
• Having had a previous blood clot
• Family history of blood clots
• Known clotting disorder
• Recent surgery, hospitalization, or injury
• Use of estrogen-containing birth control or hormone replacement therapy
• Current or recent pregnancy
• Older age
• Obesity
• Cancer or cancer treatment such as chemotherapy
• Serious medical conditions (for example, congestive heart failure or inflammatory bowel disease)
Prevent Blood Clots During Travel
Take steps to prevent blood clots.
• Stand up or walk occasionally.
‑ Select an aisle seat when possible so you can walk around every 2-3 hours.
‑ If traveling by car, include breaks in your travel schedule to stretch and walk around.
• Exercise your calf muscles and stretch your legs while you’re sitting. Try these exercises next time you travel:
‑ Raise and lower your heels while keeping your toes on the floor.
‑ Raise and lower your toes while keeping your heels on the floor.
‑ Tighten and release your leg muscles.
• Talk to your doctor about wearing compression stockings or taking medicine before departure if you have additional risk factors for blood clots.
• Taking aspirin to prevent blood clots when traveling is not recommended. If you take aspirin for other reasons, check with your doctor.
Recognize and Treat Blood Clots
It is helpful to know the symptoms so you can recognize if you develop blood clots. Deep vein thrombosis symptoms
• Swelling, pain, or tenderness in the affected area (usually the leg)
• Unexplained pain or tenderness
• Skin that is red and warm to the touch
Pulmonary embolism symptoms
• Difficulty breathing
• Faster than normal heartbeat
• Chest pain that usually gets worse when you cough or breathe deeply
• Coughing up blood
• Lightheadedness or fainting
If you have symptoms, seek medical care immediately. Finding and treating these conditions early can prevent death and complications.
To diagnose a deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism doctors use a variety of tests such as ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI to look for clots.
Blood clots are usually treated using medicines or devices that dissolve, break up, remove, or capture the clot. Usually, medicines are taken for several weeks or months to prevent more clots from forming and to give the body a chance to dissolve or heal existing clots.
According to HBCU magazine contributor and wellness coach, Zenobia D. Bailey, “to avoid misdiagnosis, individuals who suspect blood clots should seek immediate help. Misdiagnosis is often the case with seniors since this group is frequently considered society’s throwaways as with most aspects of health care.”
More Information:
- CDC Yellow Book: Deep Vein Thrombosis & Pulmonary Embolism
- Podcast: Blood Clots and Travel
- Venous Thromboembolism (Blood Clots)