Miseducation, Marginalization, and Misrepresentation are the Reality for Many Young Women of Color
By Jalan, former member, Young Women of Color Leadership Council, Advocates for Youth
I am from Buffalo, New York and currently live in Harlem, New York City. I graduated from the University of Virginia in 2005. There, I studied the health of marginalized populations and sexual health issues. I currently attend the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health with a concentration in Health Promotions. I will be attending medical school next year and hope to some day practice primary care in underserved communities of color.
I became interested in reproductive health issues while in high school. I saw such a huge need for accurate, reliable, and compassionate health education. The overcrowded health classes taught by our uninterested and/or unconcerned gym teachers did not do much to educate us.
Miseducation, marginalization, and misrepresentation are the reality for many young women of color. Issues that are relevant to young women of color such as access to affordable and quality health care are often left out of the reproductive rights debate. I joined the Young Women of Color Leadership Council to make sure our voices are heard and have significance in the national reproductive rights movements.
This is my third and last year on the Young Women of Color Leadership Council (YWOCLC) and my first year as a member of the Advocates for Youth Board of Directors. Participation with YWOCLC has been extremely beneficial to me. I enjoy the comprehensive training, the connection with outstanding young women of color who are committed to enhancing women's health outcomes, and the limitless support and many resources made available to me; these resources have helped me to take my involvement to the next level. In addition to my AFY affiliations, I am involved with leadership activities with the Black and Latino Student Caucus and Public Health Students for Reproductive Freedom and coordinate an Emergency Contraception awareness campaign with the Harlem Health Promotion Center.
"Revolution begins with the self, in the self . . . We'd better take the time to fashion revolutionary selves, revolutionary lives, revolutionary relationships" (Sister Toni Cade Bambara). I take these words to heart, and work every day to be a part of the revolutionary changes that must occur to help Americans lead informed and healthy lives.
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