We are slowly entering the end of the winter quarter, and I am honestly not ready for the course to end. I still have a few weeks left (as this is being written during the end of week 7 (wow!)). Yet, I feel as though I definitely could use another 5-6 weeks to further expand the growth I have achieved so far. These last two weeks have consisted of some of my favorite activities from the course. The two I specifically wanted to recap in this blog are the Love, Care, and Connection event, as well as the Fair Housing assessment for seniors in Barrio Logan. The Love, Care, and Connection event was something I truly did not expect to impact me as much as it did. Prior to the event, I had a general understanding of the work we would be doing. It was the conversations and witnessing the joy we brought, however, that truly made me realize how important events like these are (especially amongst our unhoused and low-income senior community). My most memorable moment from the event was working in the Games and Activities section. It allowed me to see them experiencing childhood-Esque joy (and even encouraged me to play a couple of rounds and fail miserably lol). The assessment of equitable senior communities in Barrio Logan reminded me of the reason why I wanted to pursue public health and environmental justice as a career. It's not only important to highlight the structural inequities and barriers in place but to highlight the resilience, comradery, and passion communities like Barrio Logan have.
So now that we have begun to become accustomed to the course load and the quarter as a whole, things are becoming more and more natural. While at the beginning of the course, it was often hard for me to actively reinforce the changes in ways I discussed age, ageism, and older populations. It almost felt like a chore because my perceptions were so ingrained. However, through more open conversations with classmates, friends, and family, I have been actively correcting myself and others when problematic views about aging come about. One project that really helped in this active restructuring of my mindset was the Oral history project. One of the goals for myself in this project when I first chose my EP was to begin to understand them on a deeper level. This is because we had a slightly tumultuous relationship prior to the previous time I talked to them (which was probably three plus years ago.) Through discussing some of their most important or memorable moments, it opened my eyes to not only the struggles but rather the resilience of my EP. My favorite memory from her memoir An Ode to Judy Lynn was learning about her childhood in Virginia. Being a black woman growing up in rural Virginia in the 40s-50s is something that (sadly) requires a thick skin and strength beyond measure. One thing I am looking forward to is the Love/Care/Connect event next saturday. This will be a great opportunity for me to apply the knowledge I have learned through this course into tangible actions.
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Kortni WashingtonKortni Washington is a Public Health major with a concentration in Health Policy and Management. She is Archives
March 2022
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