Senior University Day:  Dr. Camara Phyllis Jones, Keynote Speaker

"Life-time Experiences" of African-American females are "making them sick" according to a nationally-known researcher, who was the keynote speaker at the "Senior University Day" Forum on Health Disparities held at the HGD Senior Facility on May 14, 2009.  The community forum on health disparities, sponsored by the HGD Strategies For A Healthier Community Task Force, featured Dr. Camara Phyllis Jones, Research Director for Social Determinants of Health and Equity, Center of Disease Control and Prevention.

 The effect of race and poverty upon health status was presented as the story of flower seeds planted in two pots-one with fertilized soil, and the other without.  The "soil rich" seed produced a full-pot of red blossoms.  The "soil-poor" seeds produced a half-pot of pink blossoms.  Until the soil of the pink blossoms improves, Dr. Jones stated, the full red of the seeds will not appear.  She asked the group to consider the social, economic, and environmental factors which may explain why White female, high school graduates and African females living in Africa have lower infant mortality rates than African-American females with college degrees in the U.S.