Tag Archives: louisville

05Aug/20

A Letter To End The Food Apartheid

Culture, , , , ,

We are tired of struggling and we refuse to stand down. Kroger and other multi-billion dollar corporations post #BlackLivesMatter, but don’t even have the decency to treat Black customers like human beings. I will not bow down and accept their crumbs. This is a movement. I am proud to share our most recent call for food justice. Much love to all the Black folks in Louisville who fought these same battles. I look forward to speaking with our elders about past Black supermarkets.

In the meantime, join us. Email/text/call/tweet Kroger and demand that Black folks be given reparations for the historic disenfranchisement of our community. If CEO, Rodney McMullen, can post about #BlackLivesMatter, then he should be held to that standard. Read our letter below and help us hold these executives accountable for the harm they continue to do in Black communities.

—–

Peace,

My name is Shauntrice. I am the director of #FeedTheWest. Over the last 2 months, we have served more than 14,000 West End residents who currently live in a food desert. I am also the owner of the Black Market KY, a West End home owner, and author of the Bok Choy Project.
Since you responded to our social media post today (and not the calls or emails made to Kroger directly over the last few weeks) we’d like to speak candidly with you about about food justice and racism for a moment. Kroger must do much better. The mobile market is not sufficient. The partnership with Dare To Care is not sufficient. Here are some highlights from the #BokChoyProject:

From 2011-2015, there were 335 infant deaths in Louisville Metro, out of 49,577 total births. Far and away, preterm births, low birth weights and infant mortality disproportionately affect Black babies. This is important because infant outcomes can impact health throughout the rest of one’s life. While infant mortality has slowly been falling, the death rate for Black babies from 2011- 2015 was 1.95 times higher than for Louisville Metro; 2.31 times higher than for White babies. (Louisville Metro 2017 Health Equity Report).

Black residents in Louisville are much more likely than white residents to have diabetes and heart disease. Black children are more likely to suffer from health issues, which lead to truancy and incarceration, but the Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), reported fiscal 2019 sales of $122.3 Billion. We invite Kroger to join us during our Press Push tomorrow (Wednesday, 5 August 2020) to respond to our Antiracism and Equity Commission‘s recommendations outlined below:

  1. Kroger should publicly admit to discriminatory food apartheid practices in the West End
  2. We ask that Kroger gift $5 million in unrestricted funds to #FeedTheWest
  3. Since many Kroger workers in the West End are facing eviction, we support an increase of all non-management workers’ wages to a living wage by deducting the difference from executive level Kroger representatives including the CEO.
  4. Increase Black farmer support by sourcing at least 30% more of your produce from the following Black farmers: Kentucky Greens and Cleav Family Farm.

Please respond by 11:00 am tomorrow (Wednesday 5 August 2020). We look forward to hearing from you.
For transparency and accountability, I have CCd a number of community members.


All the best,
Shauntrice L. Martin

#FeedTheWest Director

Change Today, Change Tomorrow

08Apr/19
Black Owned Healthcare Practice

Self Love Series | Black Owned Healthcare Practice Targets Sexual Health and Education

Culture, Health & Fitness, Lifestyle, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Black Owned Healthcare Practice

Vontrese at her practice.

“Everyone is doing it (sex) but nobody is talking about it.” I hear Vontrese Warren, nurse practitioner and fellow Louisville Central High school alum, explain. As a writer covering self-love and seeing sex as a part of that, I felt it important that Vontrese shares her story and the importance of sexual/reproductive health. Besides being a credible resource on the topic, Vontrese also co-owns her own healthcare practice (with Cynthia Parker) in west Louisville, KY. Their Black-owned healthcare practice focuses on reproductive health and education. West Louisville is not known to have many Black-owned healthcare businesses, especially not considering its population demographics.

Dapper Dr. Feel (DDF): What made you become a nurse practitioner? 

Vontrese Warren (VW): I have always wanted to be in the health field since I was a child, I really wanted to be a neurosurgeon. I attended Moorhead State University as a pre-med/chemistry major but realized it wasn’t for me and changed my major. That’s when I decided I wanted to be an obstetrician and went to nursing school. Once I completed the nursing bachelor’s program, I got a job working at UK (University of Kentucky) hospital in the labor and delivery department. For the next ten years, I held jobs at UK hospital, Medical University of North Carolina, and Baptist Health Louisville.

“I early conceived a liking for and sought every opportunity to relieve the sufferings of others.” – Rebecca Lee Crumpler (The first African American Woman to earn a medical degree)

FYI: Crumpler, like Like Vontrese Warren, was a nurse for 10 years before she furthered her education and practice.  

DDF: What made you go into reproductive education? 

VW: After being on call on holidays during the summer and spring break when most families are on vacation and realized I’m missing out on family events like some of my sons’ events, I decided that I didn’t like the current lifestyle/schedule. I decided to go in another direction. It was at this point I decided to get my master’s in nursing at the University of Cincinnati. While studying nursing, I also studied sex counseling.

Black Owned Healthcare Practice

When you put yourself in a specialty, you put yourself in a bubble, like, a family nurse practitioner can get a job anywhere. However, I knew what I wanted to do and I didn’t want a job just anywhere.

It was difficult finding a job that fit me. Job after job, I searched and they were either already taken or not a good fit for me. I finally found a job at a doctors office where we performed aesthetic care which included weight loss management and reproductive care. This was right up my alley but it still didn’t work out.

After two years looking to find a job, I thought, if I can’t find a job I am going to make a job. So that’s what I did.

“…somewhere in your life, there has to be a passion. There has to be some desire to go forward. If not, why live?” –Alexa Canady (The first African American Neurosurgeon) 

DDF: What is the importance of sexual health education, outside of just grade school? 

VW: As I mentioned, everybody is doing it but nobody wants to talk about it. When people are talking about it, they are not discussing correct information. Like my son is in second grade, you have kids in third grade and up talking about sex but what are they saying?  

Even when it comes to the parents or grandparents sharing old wives tales about sex, these aren’t backed with education or studies. So, I like to inform people to give them the direction to go. If you are doing it the right way and have a good knowledge base, then you are better off in any relationship with your own sexual health and whomever your partner is.

“Talk to her about sex, and start early. It will probably be a bit awkward, but it is necessary.” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, author of Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions

DDF: Do you have male patients as well? 

Both women and men are patients, but I have more women patients because I provide more for women. It just depends on the type of venue.

DDF: How important is sexual health and sex education to self-love? 

If you are unhealthy in any aspect, you have to take some accountability on why you are like that. Why aren’t you as healthy as you can be? You know what can be done and/or can seek the resources to help yourself.

DDF: What are your goals, both short term and long term? 

VW: My goal both short and long term is to educate the community on reproductive health and let people know that there are resources out there. Here in West Louisville, there are not too many businesses, let alone healthcare, but that’s why I have my services here.

If you are in the Kentucky area, visit Vontrese at her business:

Warren & Williams Health C.A.R.E., PLLC

2600 West Broadway, Suite 208, Louisville, Kentucky 40211, United States

Contact: warrenwilliamshealthcarepllc@gmail.com

Tel: (502) 653-9716 or (502) 309-4432

18Aug/18

West Louisville Little League Baseball Team Saves Lives

Culture, News, Sports, , , , , , , , , , , ,

The West Louisville baseball team 2018

No, the West Louisville Little League Baseball team (ages 13 and under) aren’t health care providers but they are providing hope for the youth in the community. Over the years West Louisville, KY has had its issue with homicides and other crimes. This is why it was important for the West Louisville team to make the Little Babe Ruth World Series. Not for just the exposure but for other youth in the community to join an activity that can lead to opportunities and away from the lure of the streets.

With the area being known for the greatness of Muhammad Ali and basketball (notably the University of Louisville Basketball and the University of Kentucky Basketball), it allows the youth in the area to dream outside of playing for the NBA where it has been reported that only 1.2% of college players make it to the league according to the NCAA.

Being a native of the area and former player of the league, I have seen the effects of players being active in the sport and the player that has left it without participation in any other activities. Those players that stop playing baseball, and didn’t find an alternative, were susceptible to the streets. There were a few cases where players lives were taken via gun violence and others who frequented the court system.

I can only wonder if some of the guys would have stayed in baseball, would they have been lured into the situations they were in? More so, if we were like the West Louisville baseball team this year and made the Babe Ruth World Series, would we have brought in more youth into America’s favorite past time, thus creating more opportunities for success and fewer opportunities for the alternative.

1995 Courier-Journal covering the Drew Corson little league baseball tournament.

Back in 1995, my father, Furlin Patterson, put together a baseball tournament that featured teams from around the area like Cincinnati and Tennessee.  It paid tribute to Drew Corson, a young player that died on the basketball court. His family donated funds to the West Louisville baseball league for uniforms. After all of these years, the Corson family must be delighted to see the progress of the West Louisville team and their efforts to bring home a World Series title.

Current LA Lakers guard Rajon Rondo

Some of the notable players from the league that I played with and against were Keenan Burton (Receiver for UK Wildcats/ LA Rams), Michael Bush (Running back for UofL Cardinals/LA Raiders), Rajon Rondo (LA Lakers), and Jamon Brown (LA Rams) who donated money to the West Louisville little league team this year in their World Series Championship pursuit. All of these players became prominent in other sports like basketball and football, but were great baseball players.

Although the West Louisville baseball team was eliminated from the Babe Ruth World Series last week, they still serve as an inspiration to others in the community to participate in positive activities and away from the negative desires of the streets. Maybe one day the West Louisville baseball league can produce a future MLB Hall of Famer or a few MLB all-stars who encourage more youth from the area to get into baseball – achievements that would be more newsworthy and valued than another statistic to gun violence. 

16Aug/17
Bodybuilding Power Couple

Bodybuilding Power Couple Share Their Love For Fitness

Culture, Health & Fitness, Lifestyle, News, , , , , ,

There is nothing like sharing love with someone, but sharing the love of something you have in common is something even more special. That is the case with bodybuilder power couple Jeanitra Moore and Kevin Johnson. Their love for fitness has been heavily inspired by bodybuilding champion Kai Greene. Based out of Louisville, KY the couple has been competing for many years and has won several competitions, including Jeanitra being the 1st novice class A champion at the Kentucky state championship.

Kevin and Jeanitra both offer free health advice online because they love what they do and they want others to be healthy as well. They understand that many people need motivation and or cannot afford to get what they need to increase their health. They also have a family together that embodies love of life, love of fitness, and working together.

They train everyday as each other’s support and partner while taking on a growing number of clients that range from beginners to those that are amateur bodybuilding competitors. They train clients in person but also provide online training for those that live outside of the state or who are on the go out of the area. It’s nice to have some support when you’re on a business trip surrounded by unhealthy foods.

When asked about approaching fitness in life, Kevin explained his view stating, “In your 20’s you don’t care about drinking, partying, food,etc. because you are young. Then when you are in your 30’s you start looking at your health and your physical shape. When you look at some of the physical jobs out there, they require you be in shape to perform the jobs and if you can’t perform the job, you can’t work for them. You have to put things into perspective, how you want to look, and ultimately how do you want to feel for the rest of your life.” Jeanitra’s advice to all people is to just “Go for it! Love yourself. Be dedicated. Don’t worry about the results too soon and just go for it!”

They are well known on instagram with a combined following of over 35,000, including celebrities. Jeanitra was even acknowledged by Megan Fox on instagram and has been featured on other fitness websites. Kevin has been known for his work ethic and his powerful inspiration to others. In 2012 he had an well directed biographic documentary (directed by Antonio Pantojia) that would make Spike Lee shed a tear.

When questioned if they knew of any fitness couple out that they knew of, they both agreed that they had a unique system. “[Not] here in Louisville, KY. Not trying to sound cocky, there are not a lot of couples doing what we are doing. Not a lot of paired trainers in regards to nutrition, planning, exercise, etc.”

Kevin also added “There are a lot of people that struggle working together because of their ego and they have their own system that they are not willing to change. We have a system that works well for the both of us. Plus, we do this not for the money but the positive effects we have on people’s lives.”

The fitness star duo also raise three children together, ages 3, 7, 14, who they try to include in their healthy living, although Kevin mentioned “they eat the healthy stuff, but they also eat some of the unhealthy stuff like pizza rolls, but they are kids. They will learn and hopefully join us in healthy living one day.” Jeanitra stated that the kids sometimes keep her in check. “My 14 old will tell me sometimes that I need to not eat certain things or let me know it may not be a good idea to eat too much of something.”

When asked about their favorite bodybuilders, they both agreed that Kai Greene was their favorite. Jenitra mentioning that he reminds her of Kevin. I guess that’s one reason to like a bodybuilder, usually it’s the other way around. But they explained how humble and dedicated to fitness he is. Kai Greene was at one point homeless, a orphan, and a troubled youth, then made a turn around with the guidance of one of his teachers. He is now a world renowned star and multiple bodybuilder award winner. His popularity has his fans lining up at airports to greet him worldwide. Kevin and Jeanitra both explained how much of a great guy he is because you never really hear anything bad about him from anyone.

Bodybuilding Champion Kai Green

To show how much dedication they have for their clients when asked if they would take a celebrity client that was preparing for a movie over their current regular clients Jenitra said, “ I treat every client with respect. I would like to know their schedule because I also have a realtor business that my clients currently work around. Ultimately I wouldn’t bump my regular clients for a celebrity.”

Kevin stated “Let’s say that a celebrity did call about training for a movie in NY. I would have to be compensated for all the times I would take away from my clients. Then I need money to hire someone to train those clients, living expenses if I travel, etc. Once I break down all that’s needed to hire me, they probably wouldn’t want to… Now if it’s an opportunity to further my career, like it would be nationally televised, I would make arrangements, but I would make sure that my clients are taken care of.”

These two have used Kai’s passion for fitness to inspire them to be the healthiest that they can be and teach others how to do the same. Many can use their story of love and partnership to venture into a healthier lifestyle. Although you don’t need to be an award winning champion in body building like Kai Greene, you can be a champion of your health.

Kevin is next competing in the Amature Olympia and Jenitra will compete in the Kentucky Muscle.

Be sure to check out Kevin and Jenitra at www.1manstalent.com!