Truthful Tuesday COP 24/7 Style

Sending Out a SOS: I AM Enough Symposium Sends Video

 

The Saving Ourselves Symposium kicking off June 5-7, in Memphis, TN is being hosted by The Red Door Foundation under the direction of Mr. Marvell L.Terry II. This party with a purpose event will fill the week with a film presentation of Dear Dad concerning the role that father's play within the lives of their SGL son's to a Saturday night gala featuring the winners of their Flamethrower Award. COP 24/7's EP, C. Mabin was apart of the inaugural class and will be in attendance for the conference this year.  To show their social media savvy, the organization has created and forwarded this video highlighting guest presenters and speakers on topics ranging from interpersonal relationships to understanding personal economics. There is still time to register for this free conference. All details can be found on their Facebook page or at www.trdfmemphis.com


Truthful Tuesdays Wants YOU!!

Truthful Tuesday is held each week at noon on the Capitol Steps in downtown Little Rock. The event is the brainchild of "a coalition built on the idea that our government should be "by the people," "of the people," and "for the people. Each week a social justice issue is the focus ranging from last week's LGBT/ Marriage Equality format to this weeks Voter's Rights. At this posting a circuit judge has found that the state's Voter ID law as unconstitutional. At the forefront of the Arkansas Truthful Tuesday Coalition  is local minister Rev.Wendell Griffin whom brings a spirited "tent revival " tone to each meeting as he leads a mantra that calls attendees to attention in regards to that day's subject. Check out there Facebook page for more information and stay tuned to this forum for additional coverage.

Southern Health Partners

The Southern Health Partners are a group of advocates from 12 Southern states working toward proactive state, regional, and national health care reform. The organization is hosting it's annual Southern Health Partners convening June 25-27 in Atlanta. Arkansas HIV Planning Group Co-Chair and licensed ACA Navigator Cornelius Mabin will attend from Arkansas.

At this conference, invited advocates from all over the south will come and share best practices, brainstorm challenges, and engage with each other as part of a Southern advocates learning community. There will be several sessions that discuss health equity, including a roundtable specifically on LGBT health equity initiatives. Mabin stated, "I believe this will be another unique opportunity to network while building a foundational relationship with the Community Catalyst organization." He continued, "It's imperative that we continue to not be "state bound," but rather making sure that Arkansas has credible representation at all tables especially as we further unpack how the ACA will impact Ryan White access and the LGBTQ community at large."

Community Catalyst's Southern Health Partners initiative, established in 2008, builds and strengthens the capacity of state-based consumer organizations that represent the needs and concerns of the

uninsured, underinsured, and members of vulnerable populations.

The South as a region encompasses similar challenges with regard to health care needs, racial, ethnic and class disparities, poverty, and political environments. Similarly, policymakers from one Southern state often look to neighboring states when developing policy approaches. Community Catalyst supports Southern advocates to use this regional framework to improve health care access, affordability and quality, expand access to Medicaid, strengthen charity care and community benefit, and address substance use disorders and other local and state health policy issues.

Many of the Southern states have the highest percentage of uninsured populations in the country, with the majority of the uninsured living below 138 percent of the federal poverty level. Given this, the South can reap significant economic and health outcomes advances with implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Nearly 14 million people will either be newly eligible to receive health coverage through Medicaid expansion or a subsidy through the new health insurance Marketplaces. To ensure these benefits are actualized, Southern Health Partners advocates are now working to implement the ACA at the state level, which involves policy analysis and robust grassroots organizing campaigns.

Community Catalyst supports state advocates' work by providing assistance with various advocacy capacities, including coalition and stakeholder alliances, resource development, grassroots organizing, communications, and policy analysis and advocacy. Community Catalyst fosters a learning environment for Southern advocates to share best practices, explore new ideas and learn from each other's experience. The Southern Health Partners learning community connects advocates-giving them a needed forum to effectively collaborative with and learn from their peers through conference calls and regional meetings.