Public health experts are warning vaccinated people to not post photos of their vaccine cards on social media or anywhere else online.
“Don’t share it on social media because there is protected health information on it,” said Dr. Jerry Abraham, a physician who works at the Kedran Community Health Center in Los Angeles.
He warned people who get vaccinated to keep the information on the front of the card away from the view of scammers or other bad actors who could compromise their security.
Abraham says, for now, the white CDC vaccine cards are the only proof that an individual has been inoculated against COVID-19.
“Really the only piece of evidence you have right now, that is absolutely your confident verification is that CDC vaccination card for COVID-19 vaccines that lists your first and second dose from Moderna or Pfizer or just that one shot from Johnson & Johnson.”
Usually on the back the series is completed after that. That data is entered and pushed to the California immunization registry, he said.
Abraham made the comment during a news briefing organized by California Black Media in partnership with The Center at the Sierra Health Foundation and the State of California titled “Get Smart on COVID-19.”
Organizers say the “series is designed to equip Black journalists with the information they need to write authoritatively about COVID-19 vaccinations and harm reduction measures.
Some public safety experts have also shared their concerns about people posting their vaccine cards online. They say sometimes criminals work for a long time piecing personal information together about possible victims, including birth dates, when they target them for identity theft.
Popular radio and television personality, whose career first began to skyrocket in the 1990s on Black Entertainment Television and proved its staying power until about four years ago in 2017 — is aiming to once again become a familiar face and name in American media.
This past weekend, Smiley reentered the game on Juneteenth. But, this time, not only as a talk radio host but also as an owner, putting his mark on a format that is both “unapologetically” progressive and African American.
Smiley owns the majority share in KBLA 1580 Los Angeles. Smiley along with a group of investors dropped $7.5 million to purchase the radio station with a reach of about 12 million people in Southern California.
The station is expected to be on air 24 hours a day seven days a week.
“We just want to be a voice for those who have been voiceless for too long in this city, speak a truth that is otherwise not being considered,” Smiley said of the station.
In 2017, Smiley, who was born in Mississippi and raised in Indiana, was fired from National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service for having romantic affairs with people on his staff.
For now, Smiley says he’s focused on the launch of the station, its potential impact and the adventure ahead.
“The opportunity to have a Black-owned and Black-operated talk radio station in this city, where talk radio for too long has been all day, all night, all White, is an opportunity that is begging for someone to take advantage of it. So. I’m dumb enough to try,” Smiley said.
BALTIC SEA—- Logistics Specialist 1st Class Joseph White, from San Bernardino, Calif., takes inventory in supply support aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) during BALTOPS 50, June 15, 2021. The 50th BALTOPS represents a continuous, steady commitment to reinforcing interoperability in the Alliance and providing collective maritime security in the Baltic Sea.
LOS ANGELES, CA—- The UOMA Pride Month & Juneteenth Celebration Launch Event for UOMA by Sharon C for WALMART was produced by CEO, Founder & Creative Director of the black-owned beauty brand, UOMA Beauty, Sharon Chuter, and was attended by celebrities and the biggest names in beauty and social media at Hyde Sunset. The event took place on Friday, June 18th, and featured a surprise musical performance by legendary music artist Wiz Khalifa.
Celebrity attendees included Wiz Khalifa, Ashlee Simpson, Jordyn Woods, Elizabeth Woods, Slick Woods, Mario Lopez, Jasmine Tookes, SJ Bleau, Mario Lopez, Evan Ross, Cassie Scerbo, Madison Pettis, Dartes Kelly, Khaneshia “KJ” Smith, Jasmine Sanders, Skyh Black, Sarah Jones, Todrick Hall, Shaun Ross, Jackie R. Jacobson, Lindsey Shaw, Shahd Batal, Marcela Iglesias, Aaliyah Jay, Hayley Herms, Nazanin Kavari, Samantha Ware, Joy Osmanski, Melissa L. Williams, Alex Meneses, Lisa Yaro, Aysha Harun, Brendan Jordan, Mea Wilkerson, Shelby Jaems, Michael Franklin, Alonzo B. Slater, Reagan Yorke, Margie Plus, Broderick Hunter, Carrie Bernans, Riley Hubatka, Mhair Zeitounian, Kathy Kolla, Laila Odom, Legendary Damon, Richard Nevels, Norman Towns, Johnny Kritsberg, Jordan Huxhold, Maddy Crum, Zoi Lerma, Peyton Jordan, Chel, Nyesha Arrington, Donny Savage, Tara Mirshokraei, Sav Palacio, Terrell Ransom, Darius Marcell, Cas Jerome, Coco and Breezy, Karlee Perez, Tati Mitch, Kinya Claiborne, Kanou AWTA, Emmy Combs, Autumn Swinbank, Sadaf Beauty, Wizard Kelly, Siobhan Bell, Auti Angel, Ethan Shiri, Adolfo Sanchez, Angel Moret, Jayden Robison, Kyle Shaffer, Maad, Mehki Letreigh, Pablo Kaestu, Max Talisman, Alyssa Ljubicich, Kinya Claiborne, Ben Elkayam, among many others.
Guests arrived at HYDE SUNSET in Los Angeles, CA, for cocktails and were transported into an amplified sustainable environment as they were greeted with a plethora of greenery and bold activist imagery. The carbon-neutral event opened with an eco-friendly carpet to celebrate PRIDE Month and to kick off the Juneteenth celebration, an HBCU marching band played. Guests enjoyed carnival dancers, free product giveaways, a station with jewelry artists who created bejeweled installations on guests’ faces and wrote personalized messages paired with a tree sponsored by UOMA. The event was sustainable and addressed social and environmental issues while positively impacting the community. Glowing hot pink lights inside the venue created an immersive and visually powerful setting.
“The sound grew, and I even heard crashing sounds. Seconds later, I saw people running from the tsunami wave shouting ‘Tsunami Waves! It took only seconds, not minutes, after hearing the thunderous sounds and then the waves hit us. It was literally a matter of seconds. Moments later, there was devastation. It came out of nowhere.” [Bapua Suwarna survivor of Indonesia’s Tsunami].
Yet, to repeat, the Bible says that this will happen again in much greater fashion and on a much grander scale. Listen, my purpose is not to scare you, but to let the Word of God sound a trumpet blast to awaken you from your sleep, because the order of things as they are now is about to change dramatically! When Scripture tells us that a day of destruction is coming you can count on it. When it tells us that heaven and earth will pass away, you can be sure that this world as we know it will definitely end.
I tell you; the tempest is preparing; the lightning will soon cast abroad its flames of fire. Earth will rock with thunder blasts; granite peaks will be dissolved; all nature will tremble beneath the fury of the storm. For the hurricane of wrath is coming, the whirlwind and the tribulation. “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape,” [I Thessalonians 5:3].
“Rumors of wars, nations against nations, kingdom against kingdoms,” [Matthew 24] evidenced by a number of prophetical developments that have been fulfilling right before our very eyes. And in the midst of all of this, there will be agreements, ceasefires, truces of sorts, but one thing you can be sure of, it will not last for long, because “Peace and Safety” are the seductive and demonic doctrines of Antichrist [1 Timothy 4:1] in which Daniel warned of a coming king of “fierce countenance” espousing peace, but intent on destruction: [Daniel 8].
People ignoring the signs of the times. Lulled into a sense of false security. Caught up with the spirit of the world, enjoying their lives, focusing on themselves, oblivious to God and His demands, but that’s not the end of the story. When the Man of Sin, the Son of Perdition confirms the peace treaty between Israel and the many. Then he will destroy many by this so-called ‘peace’. He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. But, when you feel secure, he will destroy you and take his stand against the prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.
I’m convinced that all the fearful things we see coming upon the earth right now — hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, drastic weather changes, terrorism, nuclear threats, wars and rumors of wars — all have to do with the coming of Christ. Beyond all the war clouds gathering, beyond the gross darkness covering the earth, a cloud is being formed in heaven. And one day soon Christ is going to enter that cloud and reveal himself to the whole world. [1 Thessalonians 21:31].
I tell you, this is a very important revelation in the hour we are living in. To illustrate this point think about the war spoken of in [Ezekiel 38 and 39]. It references a war between Israel and their foes; Moscow, Persia [Iran], Tubal [Turkey], Ethiopia [which would consist of Sudan and Somalia from biblical times], and Libya, among others. The pieces of the puzzle are coming together as these nations are starting to align their mutual interests. It is particularly astonishing that we see Russia starting to align its interests with Iran [Persia]. Turkey is coming into co-operation with Iran as well. I tell you; it is a time for us to lift up our head for our redemption is drawing nigh.
Bible prophecy says that when commentators begin to trumpet man’s successful peace initiatives, watch out! Sudden destruction is just around the corner. It will be so bad that even ambassadors of peace will weep bitterly [Isaiah 33:7]. Do not buy into the false propaganda. It will be a short-lived peace and safety-with terrible repercussions. [Luke 17:27].
A message has come – repent and turn back to Christ the only place of safety. For the Lord is about to vent His wrath against the nations. He will give them up to slaughter and destruction and many will die. [Isaiah 34:1-5]. “I shall send fire to consume Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Arabia and Israel. [Amos 1:1-15; 2:1-5]. On that day, I will destroy your armed forces and burn your cities. [Micah 5:10-11]. I will pour My wrath onto nations and kingdoms. My burning anger will consume the whole earth. [Zephaniah 3:8].
But they said, we will not hearken” [Jeremiah 6:9–10, 17].
God instructed Jeremiah to give his people this warning: “Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth” [Jeremiah 7:27–28]. Because of it, the day of destruction is going to come suddenly. In just one hour.
Just when men begin to think they have a handle on society’s problems, total chaos and destruction will erupt!
The life of a fighter can be exhausting. The need to make weight is draining, as is the constant training to hone their craft in hopes of becoming a world champion.
For Brownsville, Texas, native Omar “El Relámpago” Juarez, boxing is the platform to showcase his talents as well as his hometown pride. The undefeated super lightweight prospect (11-0) is constantly giving back through various nonprofits and programs, including helping families who have children with Down syndrome.
Juarez is currently preparing for what could be his toughest opponent yet against All “The Machine Gun” Rivera (21-5, including 18 knockouts). That fight will be the opener on a card headlined by unbeaten WBA super middleweight champion David Morrell Jr. defending his title against undefeated challenger Mario Cazares on FOX Sports on June 27, broadcast live from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
With camp winding down, Zenger News spoke to Juarez about his upcoming bout, inspiring his community and his goal to become Brownsville’s first world champion.
Percy Crawford interviewed Omar Juarez for Zenger News.
Zenger: How’s training coming along for the fight against Rivera?
Juarez: Everything is good. Coming up on the last of sparring, so physically we’re a little tired, but ready to close strong.
Zenger: When you watch Rivera, what do you think of him as an opponent?
Juarez: He’s going to be a very strong fighter, he’s solid. He’s had a couple of fights at welterweight. I know whatever he brings to the table, I will be ready for it. I’m also excited that he’s a southpaw, because I feel like I have a lot of abilities that people haven’t seen. I have a lot to prove to myself.
Zenger: You fought in your first 10-rounder in your last fight, and it went the distance. Does that benefit you in this next bout, which also goes 10?
Percy Crawford interviewed Omar Juarez for Zenger News. (Heidi Malone/Zenger)
Juarez: I know that I’m ready. Since I started fighting in six rounders and eight rounders, I would tell my cornerman that I still had a lot left in the tank. Even this last fight, it was the last round and I felt like I could’ve done four more rounds. I know that I am physically, mentally and emotionally in the best shape of my life. A lot of people have doubted me in my last couple of fights, and they’re going to doubt me in this fight as well, so I have a lot of people to prove wrong. This fight is the particular one that I’ve been asking for.
Zenger: You’ve been putting Brownsville, Texas, on the boxing map. The fact that so many of your fights have been televised, and this one is no different, I’m sure makes it easier to put eyes on your city.
Juarez: It’s a blessing. It’s a dream come true. The only thing Brownsville is known for is for being the unhealthiest city in the U.S. So, that’s not really a good thing, but eventually I want people to know that Brownsville is the home of the Juarez brothers, including me. I’m making noise slowly but surely, one fight at a time.
Zenger: Not to overlook Rivera, but a lot of dust is settling within the 140-pound weight class with several top prospects emerging. Where do you want to fit in within the division following this fight?
Omar Juarez digs a left hook into Elias Araujo. (Sean Michael Ham/TGB Promotions)
Juarez: After this fight, I know they’re going to keep me busy, for sure. I’m hoping to get maybe two more fights. I know there will be bigger gaps since the rounds are going up, but we’re just taking it one fight at a time. I have the best managerial team in the world. They’re doing a really good job at getting me publicity, building me up the right way, giving me different styles to prepare me for those elite-level fights later on in my career.
Zenger: Stylistically, your fights are always exciting. What are you expecting on the 27th?
Juarez: Whatever he brings to the table, I’ll be ready. If he wants to press me, I know how to hit and not get hit. If he wants to stay back, I know how to put pressure and bang the body. I’ll be more than ready for whatever it is he’s trying to get done.
Zenger: You’re so much more than a fighter. You’re always heavily involved in your community, and you do a ton of philanthropy work. Have you found a balance between your career and helping others, because they can both be demanding?
Juarez: It is a balance, brother. Training does get exhausting sometimes, both physically and mentally. But that’s something that I have never dreaded doing since I graduated from high school at 16. I’ve always given back to my community. I was raised that way, to remember where I’m from.
Zenger: Tell us a bit about Nathan Rios and his paintings of you — it’s a pretty special story.
Juarez: Wow! That actually caught me off guard. I was trying to hold back tears. It was such an inspiring story. This kid was born blind, he listened to my fight and after hearing everything that I do for the city, it motivated him to paint a portrait for me. It was something so surreal and brought out so many emotions, it was hard to keep the tears in. I carry every special needs kid … every event that we have, I promise them that I carry them in my heart, and I’m going to do it all the way to a world title.
Nathan Rios and his paintings with Omar Juarez. (Team Juarez)
Zenger: I’m sure it helps a lot that the WBC’s outreach program is getting you in front of the right people.
Juarez: Absolutely. It was actually after my last fight that [WBC president] Mauricio Sulaiman came out to Brownsville because another ambassador — RJ Mitte, the actor from “Breaking Bad” — was at the mall in town for a premier of his new movie “Triumph.” It was very inspiring, and it was great to meet RJ. I definitely want to thank the WBC for everything that they do for me. Any events that they have, I gladly show up, gladly represent them, not just them, the city of Brownsville nonprofit organizations that help kids with special needs, “Down” By The Border. We’re just making noise one fight at a time.
Zenger: What’s your ultimate goal in the ring?
Juarez: I want to be something that the sport has never seen before. I want to be the David Goggins of boxing. I will continue to do it all the way to the top.
Zenger: I remember speaking to you when you were just starting out. Now 11 fights in, how have you evolved as a fighter?
Juarez: I’m getting very comfortable in the ring. I know that physically I still have a lot to prove and to show. My capabilities in the ring are only getting better. We are taking it one fight at a time, and I feel like very soon, the world is going to hear about Omar Juarez.
Zenger: Anything else you want to add?
Juarez: It’s going to be fireworks on the 27th. I trained very hard, I sacrificed everything and dedicated my life to this lifestyle and there is no way I can be beat. I watched his last two fights, but I know that no matter what, he is going to be a different fighter than his last fight, just like myself. So, I try not to pay attention to footage.
I show up in the ring, and at the end of the day we’re fighters, so we adapt. It takes me maybe 30 or 40 seconds to adapt, and once I have them figured out, that’s when I start to have fun. Thanks everybody so much for the support, all my sponsors and supporters, the city of Brownsville, my community, Rio Grande Valley. Brownsville is going to have its very first world champion real soon.
That made Smalley, who then estimated she was 85, one of the last living witnesses to the original Juneteenth, although she did not know it was occurring at the time.
Her interview is now preserved in the Library of Congress’ collection of recordings, and she was not alone in remembering what happened when Union soldiers made their way through Texas, two months after Confederates surrendered at Appomattox Court House in April 1865.
Smalley, Uncle Billy McCrea, and Aunt Harriet Smith were recorded and interviewed in 1940 and 1941 by Faulk, at the time a professor collecting folklore and memories, and later a radio broadcaster and advocate for civil rights.
Uncle Billy McCrea, sitting in his yard, in Jasper, Texas, where he told interviewer John Henry Faulk in September 1940 his memories of slavery – and how freedom came with the arrival of the Union Army. (Ruby T. Lomax/Library of Congress) The order which ended slavery in Texas, leading eventually to the creation of June 19 as a federal holiday 156 years later. (Library of Congress)
Smalley, like many of the enslaved millions, did not know her real age, but thought she was 10 when freedom came, on June 19.
In fact freedom had been declared long before, by Abraham Lincoln in the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, and she and her family’s enslaver who they called Mr. Bethany, had already returned from the Confederate defeat.
She remembered his return, and what followed, telling Faulk: “We all got up and all of them went to the house. Went to the house to see old master.
“And I thought old master was dead, but he wasn’t. He had been off to the war, and… come back. I just know he was gone a long time. All the n****s gathered around to see the old master again. You know, and old master didn’t tell, you know, they was free.”
Faulk asked her: “He didn’t tell you that?”
“Uh-uh. No he didn’t tell,” she replied. They worked there, I think now they say they worked them, six months after that. Six months. And turn them loose on the nineteenth of June. That’s why, you know, we celebrate that day. Colored folks — celebrates that day.”
She recalled the celebrations which quickly came to mark that date.
“I remember, you know, the time you give them a big dinner, you know on the nineteenth,” she said.
“Just had a long table. And just had ah, just a little of everything you want to eat, you know. And drink, you know. Now, and they say that was on the nineteenth — and everything you want to eat and drink. Well, you see, I didn’t know what that was for.”
The slaves freed on Juneteenth had waited more than two years for freedom after the Emancipation Proclamation, and in the case of Laura Smalley, had not even been told they were free by the man who enslaved her and her family . (Library of Congress)Union Army Major General Gordon Granger, who read the Emancipation Proclamation in Galveston, ending slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865. (Brady’s National Photographic Portrait Galleries/Library of Congress)
But what happened after would not be celebrated.
“Mama and them didn’t know where to go, you see after freedom broke,” she said.
“Didn’t know where to go. Turned us out just like, you know, you turn out cattle.”
After the emancipation was enforced, Union soldiers simply left, and it was up to the newly freed African Americans to find their way in a hostile country.
McCrea, who said he was a “big boy” at the time, remembered the blue uniforms of the Union troops, their long trains of mules dragging cannon, and the men on horseback.
“We all would [be] standing looking at them, all going home” he told Faulk.
“And I said, I ask them, I said, I ask them, I say, “Mama, where they, where they going?” McCrea said. She replied: “They all going home now.” “And old Colonel M. that was our master, he was in there, and he say, ‘Well, Harriet, [McCrea’s mother] all of you n******s is all free now. Yankees all going home.’”
It was a dramatic change: McCrea’s father had driven a wagon for the colonel, who — McCrea recounted — traded slaves across the south.
“Well, none of your folks were ever sold then?” Faulk asks. “No, sir. None of them never was sold.”
But he had — even as a child — witnessed atrocities. Outside the jailhouse in Jasper, he told Faulk, he had witnessed runaway slaves being brought in.
“Right at the creek there, they take them n****s and put them on, and put them on a log, lay them down and fasten them. And whup them. You hear them n****s hollering and praying on them logs.”
Aunt Harriet Smith, who was like Smalley, born into slavery in Hempstead, Texas, saw her life change after the “big break up.” That was the term for the day of freedom: until then, a white man held her, her grandmother and her mother as his slaves.
U.S. President Joseph R. Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law in the East Room of the White House on June 17, making it the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was signed into law in 1983. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
“He had my grandma, and uh, and my ma. My ma was the cook, and grandma, you know, and them they worked in the field, and everything. I remember when she used to plow oxen. I plowed, I plowed oxen myself,” she told Faulk in 1941.
Like McCrea she remembered soldiers coming through, saying: “They play the prettiest, prettiest music you ever heard in your life. And the soldiers would, you know. And them horses, they’d sing, you know. And them horses dart and follow the music just like that.”
Smith, who was unsure of her age, did not recount the moment of liberation, but said that when it happened “all, all our white folks was dead.”
Instead of being thrown out, her family rented part of the farm where they had been enslaved.
“Rented on the halves till we bought our home across the creek,” she recalled.
Now, 165 years after they witnessed it, the voices of Smith, McCrea and Smalley are being heard again, as the day of their freedom is a federal holiday for the first time.
LOS ANGELES, CA— Black AIDS Institute (BAI), the nation’s only Black HIV organization focused on ending HIV in Black communities, welcomes Harold J. Phillips as the new Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, which has been recently reinstated by President Biden. Mr. Phillips’ selection, based on his extensive HIV/AIDS policy experience across federal agencies and his lived experience as a Black, gay man living with HIV for the past 15 years, are a strong indicator of the Biden-Harris Administration’s approach to tackling an epidemic that disproportionately impacts Black Americans. His appointment, announced on 40th anniversary of AIDS, is in complete alignment with the Black AIDS Institute’s “We The People: A Black Strategy To End HIV,” that advocates for elevating Black leaders in the HIV community and addressing HIV as a racial justice issue.
40 years since the discovery of the AIDS virus, we have proven medical options like a daily pill called PrEP that provides over 90% protection and daily HIV treatment that can keep a person healthy and prevent them from passing on HIV. But direct outcomes of systemic racism such as stigma and lack of healthcare access have prevented Black communities from benefiting from lifesaving HIV interventions in the same way white Americans have. Therefore, during the Black AIDS Institute’s Heroes In The Struggle Virtual Gala on June 5, it was encouraging to hear Mr. Phillips address the need to “begin reviewing and redesigning systems including policies, laws, programs and institutions that exacerbate inequities and do not advance equity for all including Black people who have been historically underserved, marginalized and adversely affected by systemic and structural racism.”
“As a uniquely and unapologetically Black organization that has led the fight to end HIV for 22 years, Harold is just as much a part of our community as he is the highest-ranking Black HIV leader in the federal government. His aforementioned professional experience, such as leading the federal government’s “Ending The HIV Epidemic” initiative, as well as his personal understanding of intersecting stigmas experienced by Black and LGBTQ people living with HIV, are critical for this juncture in the HIV crisis. I am hopeful that Harold’s leadership and the Biden-Harris administration’s recognition of racism as a public health issue will be a catalyst to finally center Black lives,” said Raniyah Copeland, President and CEO, Black AIDS Institute.
ABOUT BLACK AIDS INSTITUTE Founded in 1999, Black AIDS Institute (BAI) is the only uniquely and unapologetically Black think and do tank in America. Our mission is to stop the AIDS epidemic in Black communities by engaging and mobilizing Black institutions and individuals to confront HIV. Black Empowerment is our central theme and we are led by people who represent the issues we serve. We source our capacity building, mobilization, and advocacy efforts from Black leaders and communities across the country, and provide culturally respectful, high-quality, HIV prevention and care services for Black people in Los Angeles. Learn more at https://blackaids.org
RIALTO, CA—- San Bernardino County Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr., joined Never Stop Grinding Impact, Healing California, the Rialto Police Department, the San Bernardino County Department of Human Services, and the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health on June 12th at the Rialto Community Center to bring free dental services to the community. The free services that were provided included x-rays, assessments, dental fillings, dental cleanings, and extractions. 53 patients were serviced during the event totaling $28,000 worth of dental services.
“I am so proud of the work that went into coordinating this event. Some of those who received services during the event had not been to a dentist in years. Some were experiencing excruciating pain or discomfort and were simply dealing with it because of lack of insurance. It is clearly evident that the community is in need of these services. This event could not have been possible without the amazing organizations and the County Departments who worked together to make it a great success,” Supervisor Baca, Jr. states.
I am an actor, director, producer and resident of Los Angeles. With June being Men’s Health Month, I thought it would be the perfect time to share my story and continue the discussion to better health for Black men. I quit using tobacco because once you pick up a cigarette or vape, it’s hard to put it down. And with tobacco being a major contributor of heart disease, cancer and stroke within my community, I knew it was time for a change.
I started smoking cigarettes when I was fifteen-years-old because it was the cool thing to do. Living in New York City, you could smoke just about anywhere except the subway, and being Black, cigarettes were pushed in our communities at a higher rate. I would walk into a bodega and there would be cigarette advertisements all over, and each shelf behind the register was stocked with cigarettes.
I would probably smoke a pack or two a day. I never realized the extent of my addiction. With some people, the cigarette is the footnote to their action, but with me, my action was the footnote to a cigarette. I needed cigarettes to function. My morning routine would consist of waking up, lighting another cigarette, making a cup of coffee, lighting another cigarette, getting dressed and smoking three to four cigarettes on the walk to the subway. It even got to the point where I would deprive myself nutritionally. I would buy a dollar’s worth of salami, and fifty cents worth of cheese just so I had enough to buy a pack of cigarettes.
I reeked of burning tar, paper, and other chemicals. My hair, my clothes, my apartment; everything smelled like smoke. My teeth weren’t white, and I could barely taste my food.
The road to quitting was not easy. I tried and failed many times. I always felt as if I needed to announce my plans to quit in front of people to hold myself accountable. And each time I made such a statement, I got closer to quitting. Cigarettes also became more expensive, which is another reason why I wanted to give up the habit.
One of the things I have learned as a former smoker is nearly 70 percent of smokers would like to live smoke free. They have mixed emotions about quitting, and often want to wait for the perfect time. But there is no perfect time. According to one study, the average smoker attempts quitting 30 times before they succeed.[1] My reasons for quitting were personal, too. I no longer wanted to hide it from my mother and grandmother, who were both ex-smokers. My friend’s mother was a smoker and she died from
kidney problems due to smoking. And my soulmate was taken from me, leaving me and our two children prematurely.
After I stopped smoking, I would eat whenever I craved a cigarette, and as a result gained weight. However, my teeth got whiter, my skin cleared up, I stopped smelling like smoke, my mood improved, and I no longer had anything to hide from my mother and grandmother.
For anyone thinking about quitting, the best thing is to just do it. It’s all mental. Smoking is an addiction, and your body just craves it. You will make any excuse to smoke. However, once you throw out the cigarettes or vapes, it will be tough, and withdrawal is common.
And to those people thinking about starting smoking, I would strongly advise against it.
I’m glad I was able to kick my addiction. If I was still smoking during the pandemic, I would have been at higher risk for catching COVID-19 and more at danger for serious health problems. Research indicates that smokers experience worse symptoms after getting COVID-19[1]and those who smoke were two times more likely to get admitted to an intensive care unit, need mechanical ventilation, or die compared to those who did not smoke.[2]
For those who need assistance, there is a free resource to help Californians quit smoking or vaping. A supportive voice, tips to deal with triggers or creating a plan of action can be found at nobutts.org.
I wish these types of resources were around when I needed them.
[1] Vardavas CI, Nikitara K. COVID-19 and smoking: A systematic review of the evidence. Tob Induc Dis. 2020;18:20. doi:10.18332/tid/119324
[2] Guan WJ, Ni ZY, Hu Y, et al. Clinical Characteristics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in China. N Engl J Med. 2020;382:1708-20. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2002032
[1] Chaiton M, Diemert L, Cohen JE, et al. Estimating the number of quit attempts it takes to quit smoking successfully in a longitudinal cohort of smokers. BMJ Open. 2016;6(6):e011045. Published 2016 Jun 9. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011045
Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
