Ben Jenkins’ Post

Happy Juneteenth! We want to highlight the importance of centering Black folks in how we all celebrate today.  As a healthcare professional, how is your practice and organization countering racial injustices and promoting an inclusive human experience for patients, families, and staff daily? We would like to share a few ways to honor Juneteenth today by gaining awareness and taking action as a healthcare professional. The link provided below from the National Museum of African American History and Culture, is a great starting point to increase awareness and includes a digital toolkit. We also encourage each of us to commit to at least one implicit bias interruption skill you can cultivate in your daily life. One example could be Shift the Frame during communication with fellow healthcare professionals. For example, when you notice phrases being used to describe a patient or family, ask for more information, “Can you tell me more about what was difficult/picky/challenging?” and promote consideration of what the family’s perspective may be with your colleague and how to promote partnership with the patient. Bias interruption is a daily practice, and one that supports the actionable changes needed to decrease racial injustices in healthcare. As we all celebrate Juneteenth today, we must also continue to move from awareness to action to improve health equity. #HealthEquity #ImplicitBiasInterruption #AwarenessToAction https://lnkd.in/gqvPZFF

As Juneteenth approaches, it is crucial to foster a safe and inclusive environment for your employees by respecting the significance of the holiday. Here are 6 do's and don'ts for engaging in conversations around Juneteenth. https://lnkd.in/e-qV8E3X

Today is a great day for curiosity! As I scrolled past my fourth Instagram Story this morning that talked about being glad for having the day off today and not acknowledging *why* it's an American Federal holiday, I sighed deeply. Sure, a lot of our Federal holidays are rote. We grew up with them. We associate President's Day with mattress sales more than presidents, and Labor Day is more about end of summer festivals than recognizing the hard won fruits of the labor movement. But this one is new, y'all. Everyone in a job right now was alive when Juneteenth was declared as a holiday - because it happened in the year of our Lord 2021. So, like I said, today is a great day for curiosity. Juneteenth commemorates that on June 19, 1865, the final slaves were freed under the Emancipation Proclamation. Even though slavery had been declared illegal in the Union in 1863, it didn't count in Confederate held territories. So on this day, 159 years ago, Union soldiers rode into Galveston Bay and informed the 250k enslaved persons that they were, in fact, free. I cannot even begin to *fathom* that moment. Some of us have a day off and some don't, but all of us can commemorate the day. We can learn more about Juneteenth to start, about how the celebrations have evolved in the last century or so. We can find a local organization that supports education for Black children, or fights slavery on a global scale. We can check out any local events, and maybe even volunteer to organize one. Whatever you do, if you're under this blasted heat dome, please don't do it outside. Happy Juneteenth, everyone. May it be a reminder every year that just because something is over, it does not mean that it's finished. #juneteenth #juneteenthcelebration #burnoutladies #thegooddoctors #curiositymatters #curiosityinbusiness

Here's our fall approach to ramp up engagement & action -

🗣️ 'Driving Social Impact by Elevating Community Voices,' with Mea Johnson, Rahn Dorsey, Leena Matthew, & Seona Bae. Put some respect on our throat chakras. The ongoing project of social and political freedom doesn't begin or end with getting out the vote. Active and meaningful participation in shaping the decisions, policies, and governance that directly affect us is how we elevate community voice. In this session, we will discuss how to go beyond deep listening to center community leadership in project design and decision-making processes.

Joel C. S., Shawn G. Skelly & @TomPerez please reply! As a Viet-era veteran whose pragmatic choice was to volunteer in 1972 for the U.S. Air Force medical service rather than being drafted into the Army for different reasons, including giving back to those who have served the needs of our nation for good more than bad. In Oct 1973 I learned about geopolitics with the Yom Kipper War & OPEC gasoline lines, resulting in idea of 1930’s CCCorp focused on energy conservation. In 1979, I became a lifelong supporter of H.R. 2206 “National Service Act’s” proposal of using military draft signup “ONLY” as a means to “Polling” all youth with civic values/education talks locally/nationwide for 1-year, 17 to 18th birthday as a domestic/national security basic framework. It also proposed marketing voluntary service-learning job choices with local non-profits or contracted community or military service. My problem for 14 years on Xtwitter @pjesella, @NCMNPS I have asked 1000’s with zero feedback. Can you help me learn why this challenge for Congress, makes me a crazy veteran? Can you help me design a website that polls experts, leaders, scholars, politicians, business leaders, & AI on how implications for 2025 with a better working U.S. Congress?

Can You Be The Voice of Someone Who Can't Speak for Themselves? Every day, there are people around us who are unable to speak for themselves. They may have a situation where they are unable to communicate, or maybe they are afraid to speak up. But that doesn't mean that their voices don't matter. We can help them by: ➡️ Listening. One of the best ways to be a voice for someone who cannot speak for themselves is to simply listen to them. Let them know that you are there for them and that you care about what they have to say. ➡️ Advocating. If you see someone who is being mistreated or who is not having their voice heard, you can speak up for them. You can be an advocate for their rights and help them to get the support they need. ➡️ Sharing their stories. We can also be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves by sharing their stories. We can do this on social media, in our communities, or even just with our friends and family. When we share their stories, we help to raise awareness of their struggles and give them a platform to be heard. Remember, we all have the power to be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. Let's use our voices to make the world a more just and equitable place for everyone.

Take action to impact the things that matter to you and your community. Join us for this insightful webinar to learn about the key forms of civic engagement, the impact of civic engagement, and ways to be more civically involved in your community - no matter where you live! ➡️Register HERE: https://ambar.org/pp4u6lv4

"Capital B Atlanta spoke with three Black Atlantans who are imagining what public safety and justice look like outside the existing system by mediating restorative conferences, community building, and educating others. They spoke about their work, why they believe it is beneficial for Black people, and why they focus their efforts outside the existing system as opposed to attempting to reform it." Read the full article here ➡️ https://bit.ly/3UGVxp8 #IIRP #BlackHistoryMonth #RestorativePractices #RestorativeJustice #CommunityBuilding #BlackHistoryMonth24

To my LinkedIn friends and colleagues,   Some of you are aware of my passion for documentaries covering topics such as industry, government, public figures, and transportation. It's my privilege to share with you a documentary (see YouTube link below) about my hometown of Jefferson City, MO, which captures the oral history of residents from a black neighborhood known as "The Foot". This area was a vibrant mixed-use community, boasting everything from hotels to grocery stores. When it came to entertainment, The Foot was a hotspot where talented musical acts like Ike and Tina Turner often performed. I'm sharing this video not just because it's about my hometown, where many of my family members still reside, but because it provides a broader insight into the issue of Urban Renewal. We all know that Urban Renewal initiatives were largely destructive practices that disproportionately affected low-income and minority neighborhoods. However, too often, I think people associate Urban Renewal as an issue that only impacted large urban areas like Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, NYC, and St. Louis.    Small cities, like the one I grew up in, also suffered from this same negative approach to planning, and the impacts it had on small communities were just as devastating for those who lived there as they were for residents of big cities.   Many of you are involved in industries that support and lead projects with the potential to profoundly influence both infrastructure and the social fabric of the communities they serve. This documentary, along with other examples, serves as a reminder that what we do truly matters and can have a lasting and deep impact. We must never lose sight of this as we advise and lead such developments.     Happy Black History Month! https://lnkd.in/gtXy9tfC