ONTARIO HIV TREATMENT NETWORK (OHTN) CONFERENCE Leo Wilton, Ph.D., MPH Binghamton University Department of Human Development November 21, 2016
“The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action”: Theorizing African Diaspora Health Leo Wilton, Ph.D., MPH
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS AUDRE LORDE “I have come to believe over and over again that what is most important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood. That the speaking profits me, beyond any other effect.”
A CRITIQUE OF SYNDEMIC THEORETICAL CONCEPTUALIZATIONS Some of the possibilities of syndemics: Some of the possibilities of syndemics: • Possibility of mo ssibility of moving the f ving the field of public health be eld of public health beyond nd a a uni-centric le uni-centric level of analysis t l of analysis to a a multif multifact actorial le rial level • Possibility of engaging int ssibility of engaging interrelationships of rrelationships of overlapping epidemics that influence HIV disparities erlapping epidemics that influence HIV disparities Signif Significant theore icant theoretical and em tical and empirical limitations of pirical limitations of this area of scholarly inq this area of scholarly inquir iry (gr y (grounded in unded in epidemiologic frame epidemiologic framewor ork) k)
A CRITIQUE OF SYNDEMIC THEORETICAL CONCEPTUALIZATIONS Void in id in considering socio-structural and -cultural considering socio-structural and -cultural specificities f specificities for Black communities at the core of r Black communities at the core of this analysis (e.g., structural racism this analysis (e.g., structural racism) Socio-structural and –cultural f Socio-structural and –cultural fact ctors pr ors provide the ide the basis f basis for de r developing culturally gr loping culturally grounded HIV ounded HIV pre prevention int ention interventions strat entions strategies f egies for Black r Black communities communities
CONTEXT Thinking A Thinking About Black Liv out Black Lives Matt s Matter er Ev Evolving public discourse about structural violence olving public discourse about structural violence embedded in Black communities that emerged based on embedded in Black communities that emerged based on the case of T the case of Trayvon Mar on Martin (r in (racially pr acially prof ofiled and killed while iled and killed while walking home in Florida) lking home in Florida) The T The Trayvon Mar n Martin case receiv in case received (int ed (inter)national media er)national media att attention in ntion involving ongoing pr lving ongoing prot otests and outcr ests and outcry in Black in Black communities, which culminat communities, which culminated int d into the Black Liv o the Black Lives Matt s Matter er Mo Movement ment
CONTEXT BLM f BLM founded in 20 unded in 2012 b 12 by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Cullors, and Opal T Opal Tome meti ti, three Black q , three Black queer w eer women men Call t Call to action that af action that affirms firms Black communi Black communities and ies and addresses structural violence addresses structural violence The salience of social jus The salience of social justice and human rights – tice and human rights – asymme asymmetrical po trical power ineq r inequalities alities BLM as a BLM as a count counter-narr rrativ ative t e to post-racial and color post-racial and color- blindness discourses. blindness discourses.
CONTEXT Accor ccording t ing to the Black Liv the Black Lives Matt s Matter Mo er Movement, “ ment, “When w hen we sa say Black Liv y Black Lives Matt s Matter er, w , we ar are br e broadening the con oadening the conversation ersation ar around stat ound state violence t e violence to include all of the w include all of the ways in which ys in which Black people are int Black people are intentionally lef entionally left po powerless at the hands of rless at the hands of the stat the state. W e. We are talking are talking about the w about the ways in which Black ys in which Black liv lives are depriv s are deprived of our basic human rights and ed of our basic human rights and dignity….Ho dignity….How Black w Black women bearin men bearing the bur g the burden of relentless en of relentless assaul assault of our children and ou t of our children and our f r families is stat milies is state violence. e violence. Ho How Black q w Black queer and trans eer and trans f folks bear a uniq lks bear a unique bur ue burden fr en from om a a het hetero-patriar -patriarchal society that disposes us lik chal society that disposes us like garbage garbage and simultaneously f and simultaneously fetishizes us tishizes us and pr and profits of ofits off of us, and f of us, and that is stat that is state violence…” (Black Liv e violence…” (Black Lives Matt s Matter er, n.d.). , n.d.).
INTERDISCIPLINARY THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS African/African Diaspora/Caribbean Studies, gender studies, queer/gay/lesbian/bisexual studies, sexuality studies Build knowledge and theory as a basis to incorporate socio- historical, -political, -economic, and –cultural contexts in the lives of BMSM. Provides a critical approach to the work on health inequities that engage a critique of macro- and micro-level processes that influence structural inequalities for Black communities.
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BLA BLACK LIVES MA CK LIVES MATTER TTER Kalief Browder 1993-2015 Detained - Rikers Island Suicide Mass Incarceration
RACIALIZED VIOLENCE ON BLACK GIRLS 12
BLA BLACK LIVES MA CK LIVES MATTER TTER Monique Morris Explores the criminalization experiences of Black girls in schools Educational inequities – policies Racialized and gendered sterotypes about Black girlhood Agency & Resiliency
BLACK LIVES MATTER Toward a Black Psychology (1970) White stridently advocated for the importance of developing a theoretical perspective of Black psychology in the context of Black philosophy, Black families, and Black dialect: “It is virtually important that we develop, out of the authentic experience of Black people in this country, an accurate workable theory of Black people. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to understand the lifestyles of Black people using traditional theories by White psychologists to explain White people.”
BLA BLACK LIVES MA CK LIVES MATTER TTER Keeanga Yamahtta Taylor Examines socio-historical and –political contexts of racialized structural inequalities Mass incarceration Black un/under- employment BLM > Black liberation
THINKING ABOUT AGENCY AND RESILIENCY
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