Profound Conversations

With their history of forced immigration to the United States (US), African Americans were de-cultured and dehumanized, their misery treated as ‘natural’ and benign. Today, they are an important minority in a nation with a singular degree of world influence. Much of the country’s vitality, especially its contemporary cultural life, can be credited to African Americans, but racism remains a definitive and stark reality.

A critical aspect of the racism that African Americans face is a continuing geographic segregation in many parts of the US, a legacy of ‘Jim Crow’ laws enacted in the South after the Civil War, as well as discriminatory attitudes right across the country including the so-called ‘white flight’ from urban areas to suburbs after the Second World War.

Much of the African American population is urban and they make up the majority of the population in cities such as Detroit, New Orleans and Washington DC. While many major US cities have had black mayors and African Americans are well represented on most large city councils, politics and funding have limited their attempts to make significant changes in the conditions of urban African Americans. This is reflected in the persistence of profound inequalities in a range of areas, from education and health care to housing and access to justice.

In the area of education, for example, while black educational levels are on the rise, inequalities and discrimination persist. While poverty and a broader backdrop of exclusion play a part to poor educational outcomes – almost a quarter (24.1 per cent) of the black population were living in poverty in 2015, compared to 9.1 per cent of non-Hispanic whites.

African Americans are at high risk for mental illness, heart disease, cancer, HIV infection and other major diseases, due to a cluster of factors, including levels of education, poverty, stress, poor health care, pollution and family instability. The wide socio-economic gaps between African Americans and whites remains high. In 2018, the annual National Urban League report, The State of Black America, found that nationwide black households earn an average income of US$38,555 compared to white an average of US$63,155 among white households.

Introduced in House January 3, 2019, HR 40 is a bill that would establish a Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans. The commission would examine slavery and discrimination in the colonies and the United States from 1619 to the present and recommend appropriate remedies. Among other requirements, the commission shall identify (1) the role of federal and state governments in supporting the institution of slavery, (2) forms of discrimination in the public and private sectors against freed slaves and their descendants, and (3) lingering negative effects of slavery on living African Americans and society.

This episode seeks to explore some of the aforementioned, egregious social, political and economic challenges faced by African American men and women. How do we effectively influence public policy to correct systemic injustice? What will it take to get traction behind this bill? What will coalitions of support need to look like to bring about success for this and similar important initiatives?

Profound Conversations Executive Producers are the Muslim Life Planning Institute, a national community building organization whose mission is to establish pathways to lifelong learning and healthy communities at the local, national and global level. MLPN.life

The Profound Conversations podcast is produced by Erika Christie www.ErikaChristie.com

This week we discuss the need for making informed decisions as we listen to politicians' campaign speeches or read news stories about the people running for office. Part of being an informed voter is being familiar with down ballot candidates and understanding the referendums which impact local elections. Has your family discussed a vote plan? Are you an early voter intending to mail your ballot? Have you checked to ensure you are registered to vote in your district? These and other timely considerations will be part of the Profound Conversations.
Our host is Linda Howard and our Profound Conversationalists are Dr. Charles Lewis, Aura Vasquez, and Jamiah Adams.
Profound Conversations Executive Producers are the Muslim Life Planning Institute, a national community building organization whose mission is to establish pathways to lifelong learning and healthy communities at the local, national and global level. MLPN.life

The Profound Conversations podcast is produced by Erika Christie www.ErikaChristie.com

Protests that originated in Minneapolis after a white police officer killed George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, quickly spread around the country. The reality of social inequality create anger and despair that is now playing out on the streets of cities throughout the country. How did we get here and what is the way forward? What are specific health impacts on individual, family and communities from both physical and mental perspectives? What are effective pathways to breakthroughs in enforcement and judicial policies and civic engagement? How do we begin to transform our social contract to include those who have been dehumanized, commoditized and under represented?
Today's panelists are Pastor Melvin Russell, Adar Ayira, Major Neill Franklin, Justin Hodge, DeBorah Ahmed, Dr. Charles Lewis, and the host is Linda Howard.
The Profound Conversations Podcast is produced by Erika Christie https://www.ErikaChristie.com
The Profound Conversations Series can be found at
https://www.profoundconvos.com/series

Managing mental health and wellness during turbulent times will be a Profound Conversation focusing on important best practices for families to continue to thrive and live together in peace and harmony during times of heightened stress and uncertainty. Our presenters posses a wealth of knowledge in the areas of clinical mental health, chaplaincy and Islamic knowledge. Profound Conversations will be a moderated discussion with a question and answer segment for listeners to contribute thoughts and seek guidance for current challenges that exist within the family dynamics of our current times.

The world is experiencing unprecedented challenges:

• Economics
• Communities
• Family Dynamics
• Mental and Physical Well Being

Profound Conversations Executive Producers are the Muslim Life Planning Institute, a national community building organization whose mission is to establish pathways to lifelong learning and healthy communities at the local, national and global level. MLPN.life

The Profound Conversations podcast is produced by Erika Christie www.ErikaChristie.com

*this episode is reposted from 3/26/2024

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US businesses will re-open in a new reality. Social distancing regulations may make it difficult for some establishments to realize profit margins sufficient to support growth and long-term viability. We are likely to see a continued increase in online trans-actions. Some macro strategist suggests that cryptocurrencies will replace the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency. With Profound Conversationalists Jameel Aalim-Johnson and Yaya J. Fanusie, we explore MLPI’s new visions for equity and inclusion in the development of capital markets, investments, and wealth-building in a post COVID-19 pandemic world.

The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision. ~Helen Keller

When you look at this country's history, which we're looking at, is taking what should be the most efficient use of capital and you damming it up to cut off some areas and redirecting it.

There's going to have to be a greater focus on cybersecurity and not just for the big companies.

“I’m sure that in the next few months, a lot of jobs are going to be looking for people who know to how to administer webinars who know how to run a zoom call and do all the things with the participants, etc.”

“People will always serve you better if you bring them something that they need.”

The economic stimulus is not dealing with the long term.

It's going to take a whole lot of black banks to get attention of large companies.

“I think most of what you're talking about which creates these inequities is just a basic desire to say ‘I have to make sure that I survive before I concern myself whether you survive.’ “

Profound Conversations Executive Producers are the Muslim Life Planning Institute, a national community building organization whose mission is to establish pathways to lifelong learning and healthy communities at the local, national and global level. MLPN.life

The Profound Conversations podcast is produced by Erika Christie www.ErikaChristie.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.