Our Impetus for this Project

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In 1966, speaking at a Convention of Medical Committee on Human Rights in Chicago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. described health inequalities as “shocking and inhuman.” COVID-19 has further exposed the shock and inhumanity of health inequities; and the death of George Floyd has crystalized the shock and inhumanity of racist inequities. In 8 minutes and 46 seconds that felt like eternity, the grotesque intersection of racism and Black morbidity revealed one of its latest systemic acts of inhumanity, discounting the cries (“I Can’t Breathe”) of the dying Floyd and calls from a shocked audience to allow Floyd to keep breathing. 

 

According to the CDC, Black health culture is negatively impacted by several factors, including (a) living conditions in densely populated areas, as a result of institutional racism in the form of residential housing segregation; (b) work conditions, including a high representation of racial and ethnic minorities working as licensed vocational nurses; and (c) underlying health conditions and lack of access to adequate healthcare, resulting in chronic diseases and death.

 

Our Praxis 

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A key component of our IPP work is our NSB 846 Pledge. Envisioned as a response to systemic racial and health inequities, our NSB 846 Pledge is a direct action commitment to confront the systemic violence that choked Floyd in 8 minutes and 46. Customizable for persons or communities or institutions, the Pledge offers guidelines for concrete action to create systemic life and health for Black Subjects, specifically, and for marginalized communities, generally. Actions may include (but not be limited to) the following:

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• Programmatic Funding: Allocate 8.46% of annual budgets or discretionary spending towards Black health initiatives, for 8 consecutive years; 

• Donations: Donate $846 (or any permutation of 846) to a social and racial justice organization doing work at the intersection of racial and health justice; 

• Mental and Spiritual Wellbeing: Devote 8.46 minutes of prayer (per day) for the healing of traumatized communities, aligned with 84.6 minutes of community service; etc. 

• Mentorship (The 846 Mentor Program): Mentor 8 black or brown students/young scholars for 4 weeks (total) over a six month period.

 

NSB 846 Pledge Guidelines:

 

• Identify an Issue of systemic inequity connected to health and race/ethnicity

• Designate/Develop a Platform for Action-Plan(s) to mitigate or eliminate the inequity

• Design/Develop a Program/Event to implement your ideals/Goals

 

Note:

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• Customize your Pledge to match your resource abilities and institutional identity for maximum impact and transformation

• If possible, make your Pledge renewable (repeatable) and sustainable 

• Please note: The term 8.46 is a benchmark and quantities given in time and resources may of course be rounded and up and implemented beyond the scope of 8.46 as long the benchmark is met.

 

 

 

Downloads

with Appendix include:

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NSB C.A.R.E. Pledge Sheet

Community Pledge

Advocacy Pledge

Research Pledge

Education Pledge

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NSB Leadership Info Sheet

Identity leaders within to take the reigns 

on implementing the project

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The 846 Hotline Lifelines Sheet (Ideas for Action):

Biblical resources (biblical texts and interpretations)

Environmental resources

Ritual resources

Ethical resources

 

Possible Platforms

Church services

Christian Education programs

Annual events (alumni/ae events)

Company/organizational events

 

Possible Scope of Programs

Health events in churches 

Mentorship and Internship programs

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