When I describe my interest in medicine/public health, I make a point to emphasize how this goes beyond my scientific curiosity and into my passion for people, particularly marginalized communities. Intersectionalities such as the crib to prison pipeline/ books v. bars have been supported with substantial evidence.

I've been fortunate enough to join some of the YP4 staff here at the Netroots Nation Conference in Austin, Texas. One of the goals I shared with other YP4 attendees was connecting with other leaders in the progressive movement who have used the blogsphere as a means of pushing our respective social concerns, particularly racial/gender/economic justice. While my main passion lies in healthcare reform and inequalities in health, based on my personal experience and academic/civil work, I recognize the need to learn about other areas, including the environment, workers' rights, access to affordable higher education, and how they affect our nation's health.

Before Furgie switched gears and began singing about her "humps" and being "Clumsy," I had a deep appreciation for the Black Eyed Peas. A couple of years ago, BEP came out with the song, "Where is the Love?" One of the lines that struck me most was, "Overseas we try to stop terrorism, but we still got terrorists livin' here in the USA."

In his book, Come Hell or High Water, Michael
Eric Dyson recounts how hundreds of thousands of people were left behind in the
Gulf Coast region to experience the after
math of Hurricane Katrina. Those left behind to suffer the destruction,
disease, and death were predominately the black poor. These people had no way
out of the city before the storm hit, and received inadequate relief after the
destruction was done. It is no secret that the people who were mainly affected
by the aftermath of Katrina were poor people of color. These people also tended
to be the largest group with the smallest voice in political matters. Is this
mere coincidence or part of an intricate hierarchy of oppression? During this

Hey YP4 folks! I remember conversing with some of you during the Summit about the complexity of race and how it often intersects with other factors i.e. gender, class. Here's an article I received from my professor:

There is a great class war in our society. Globalization, capitalism and other forces have managed to further the gap between the rich and the poor.

458 Billionaires control over half the world's wealth. 3 trillion people earn less than $3 a day. The abject conditions of the working poor continue to disintegrate each day around the world and in our own country.

A man once wrote about this class struggle. His name is Karl Marx. His teachings and communism have been dragged through the dirt by many intent on making sure the current system is eternal.

Please take a minute and watch the video in this entry. Listen to the words and enjoy the cartoons :-)