Blog

By Tia Taylor Williams, American Public Health Association, May 2020 Alarming disparities within the COVID-19 pandemic — such as higher hospitalizations and death rates among African Americans — are sadly predictable and highlight the urgent need to address the root causes of health inequities. APHA is hosting this four-part webinar series to give an in-depth look at racism as a driving force of the social determinants of health and equity. The series will explore efforts to address systems,...

In the United States, many black people are born into a life of trauma. It is a trauma informed by a long history of brutal inhumanity, repression, violence, and injustice that continues to firmly grip black men and women each and every day. This trauma is not something any of us who have not had the experience of being black in America can speak to in the same way as someone who has. Yet, acknowledging this trauma and casting it in a broad, unflickering light is all of our responsibility.

Practice Slowing Down By Paul Chapman Valencia College, Professor of Humanities and Peace and Justice Institute Campus Coordinator Practice Slowing Down . Simply the speed of modern life can cause violent damage to the soul. By intentionally practicing slowing down, we strengthen our ability to extend nonviolence to others - and to ourselves. I use this principle every day, but with one small change in the wording. I prefer to use the term “peace”. By intentionally practicing slowing down,...

The Heart of a Teacher is Within Us All By The Peace and Justice Institute at Valencia College In this time of turmoil and pain surrounding the systemic injustice that still prevails in our nation compounded with the collective trauma of a global pandemic, many are asking themselves, “what can I do?” More specifically, those of us who work with children and youth worry about the potential life-time impacts of these traumas and how this could contribute to the negative health outcomes we know...

By Maria Godoy and Daniel Wood, National Public Radio, May 30, 2020 In April, New Orleans health officials realized their drive-through testing strategy for the coronavirus wasn't working. The reason? Census tract data revealed hot spots for the virus were located in predominantly low-income African-American neighborhoods where many residents lacked cars. In response, officials have changed their strategy, sending mobile testing vans to some of those areas, says Thomas LaVeist , dean of...

by Rachel Miller , VICE.com, May 28 2020, 7:25pm. Friends, I don’t need to tell you that it’s been an especially hard few weeks for Black people in the United States. Breonna Taylor . Ahmaud Arbery . Chris Cooper . George Floyd . Tear-gassing the protesters who had the gall to be upset about a racist murder . All of this, during a time when Black people are disproportionately dying from the COVID-19 pandemic . It’s exhausting. Amid all this suffering, it can be hard to believe Audre Lorde...

Each week we will be posting one of the 13 Principles for How We Treat Each Other from the Peace and Justice institute at Valencia College. This week we welcome Principle number ten, "when things get difficult, turn to wonder." Turning to wonder in times of stress is a gift to ourselves and others. Pausing to wonder the circumstances which lead others to their choices is a powerful tool of compassion. #PJIPrinciples Click here to access all of the Principles available in English, Spanish,...

By The Daily, The New York Times, May 20, 2020 Some have called the pandemic “the great equalizer.” But the coronavirus is killing black Americans at staggeringly higher rates than white Americans. Today, we explore why. Guest: Linda Villarosa, a writer for The New York Times Magazine covering racial health disparities, who spoke to Nicole Charles in New Orleans, La. about the death of her husband, Cornell Charles, known as Dickey. He was 51. For more information on today’s episode, visit...

CRACKED UP THE EVOLVING CONVERSATION TRAUMA AS THE ROOT CAUSE OF ADDICTION With DARRELL HAMMOND DIRECTOR MICHELLE ESRICK and RENOWNED TRAUMA AND ADDICTION EXPERT GABOR MATÉ, M.D. author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction MODERATED BY JANE STEVENS, FOUNDER OF ACES CONNECTION Hosted by ACES Connection Thursday May 21st at 2pm PDT / 3p MT / 4p CT / 5pm EDT FREE FOR ALL WHO REGISTER! IF YOU REGISTER, BUT CAN NOT ATTEND, YOU WILL RECEIVE A RECORDING WITHIN ONE WEEK.

The Peace and Justice Institute (PJI) invites you to the PJI Academy for Teachers taking place this summer. Originally, the academy was set up as a series of face-to-face sessions. However, since COVID-19 caused campus closures, participants will now collaborate and learn in an online setting. “Through a highly engaged learning experience, the Academy for Teachers transforms the inner life of the teacher, leading to outer changes with the curriculum and pedagogy,” said Rachel Allen ,...

Bringing the Protective Factors to Life: 90 Minute Recorded Protective Factor Webinars & Slides: This 5 part webinar series is titled, “Bringing Protective Factors to Life” . The five Protective Factors (developed by the Center for the Study of Social Policy ) are: Parental Resilience, Social Connections, Concrete Support in Times of Need, Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development, and Social and Emotional Competence of Children. The Protective Factors Framework has been used...

Did you know you can post a blog on ACEs Connection? Have you been wanting to share a news article? Tell us your story? Explain what you're doing in the ACEs world? Look below for videos & link to blog posts on how to post a blog! Plus, videos on how to add photos, documents, and videos to your blog post. Please leave questions or comments below! How-To: Post a Blog Add a How-To: Add a Title Image to your Blog Post How-To: Insert a Video into a Blog Post How-To: Add a Document to a Blog...