Reply To: From Separate to Equal and The 1619 Project

[Bryant_Dean]

#782

I do think that hospitals and healthcare facilities should make a concerted effort to employ ex-prisoners that show they really have the desire to help those in need. I think this should happen because it’s a better way for both parties to benefit from the unfortunate circumstances that ex-prisoners are forced to experience due to the discrimination they face upon re-entering the world from prison. So many individuals want to get back into thirst lives and they aren’t allowed to which isn’t my fair. I believe many other industries should do the same thing, including the healthcare industry. Obviously, there would need to be some limitations to the process that could gradually de-escalate as the employees make progress. The main concern would be the pure ability to complete the job, due to the fact that they would need the proper training in order to do so which should be included in the effort as an entirety. There are a number of companies that have and continue to hire ex-prisoners including the Blue Cross & Blue Shield Association a company in the healthcare industry. However, for me, it doesn’t stop at just hiring them but allowing them to flourish in the workplace and supporting them as much as you would any other individual there. Giving ex-prisoners a second chance at life is the care minimum we can do for people who have paid their debt to society.

The idea that whites wanted to keep African Americans just healthy enough o do their slave work, but not enough physically or mentally to overcome the oppression they were faced with ties to health-related issues for us. Malnutrition was a notorious factor in the dire health of African Americans as well as not having access to medicines and their living conditions affecting them. I think it goes without question that matters of wealth, income, land ownership, and access to credit play a role in healthy/unhealthy communities. It can’t be overlooked that hospitals and healthcare facilities are businesses as well just like those of other industries like retail, automotive, etc. Therefore, there will always be some type of financial barrier between those who can afford care and those who can’t, no matter the magnitude of said barrier. The advantage of payday cash stores is being able to get access to funds you might desperately need in order to move on until you’re next source of income comes in, but a terrible disadvantage is the fact that the consequences behind not being able to pay that money back will last far longer than that loaned money ever will for the person using it.