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The hope: A Community Dialogue on Race will lead to healthier community
YOUNGSTOWN
Unrelenting stress created by race and racism is part of what is at the root of Mahoning County having some of the highest black infant mortality rates in Ohio and in the nation.
Research shows that blacks who live in a racist society are under stress, causing the body to release cortisol, a stress manager, continually, which scientists are beginning to think is part of the problem, said Frances Frazier, a speaker at Thursday’s kickoff of “A Community Dialogue on Race: Creating a Healthier Community. Saving Babies” at Mill Creek Community Center on Glenwood Avenue.
“Blacks have higher everything, such as blood pressure and diabetes, because of stress that we don’t know how to turn off,” said Frazier, senior associate for Everyday Democracy, a national organization that helps local communities find ways for all kinds of people to think, talk and work together to solve problems.
“You were invited to this ‘Community Dialogue on Race’ to put you in conversations with each other and see if you want to continue the discussion,” said Frazier, who put the more than 150 participants in small groups to talk about topics such as racial and/or ethnic background, family values, worries and concerns about the community they live in, whether race has anything to do with it, and what would have to happen to make it a healthier place to live.
“When we look at the inequities and talk about them as they relate to health, we will have talked with and know each other well enough to work together to effect change,” Frazier said.
“When we look at the issues of housing, education, access to health care and employment with a race overlay, we can talk about the ways we can take collective actions and positively impact high infant mortality rates,” she said.
Money alone will not solve the problem of high infant mortality rates in Mahoning County, said Dr. Rodney Hill, an obstetrician/gynecologist and owner of Associates in Women’s Health of the Mahoning Valley Inc., in presenting an overview of infant mortality in Mahoning County.
“It will take community organization,” he said.
Major causes of the high black infant mortality rate are premature births before 37 weeks of pregnancy, sleep-related deaths, birth defects and lack of neonatal care exacerbated by lack of transportation, lack of emotional and social support and obesity.
Also, Dr. Hill said, when a poor woman becomes pregnant, it can take up to 90 days to get Medicaid approved, which means they may not see a doctor for that three-month period because most doctors will not work on an if-come basis.
He said prenatal care is crucial to treat problems sooner than later.
Infant mortality is defined as the death of a live-born baby before his or her first birthday. The infant-mortality rate is the number of such deaths per 1,000 live-born births.
Infant mortality rates in Mahoning County are almost double those of the rest of the nation. In Ohio, black babies are nearly 2.5 times more likely to die before their first birthdays than white babies, health officials said.
Erin Bishop, Youngstown city health commissioner, said the idea for Thursday’s event began about a year ago. “Seeing it happen here is amazing,” she said.
“This is an opportunity for us like we’ve never had before,” said Mahoning County Health Commissioner Patricia Sweeney.
The “A Community Dialogue on Race” series will continue May 17 and July 26 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Newport Library, 3730 Market St.; May 19 and July 28 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Merici Center, 3314 South Ave.; and May 21 and July 30 from 10 a.m. to noon, also at Merici Center.