But Roberta encouraged us to take it furtherto take risks, to put ourselves on the line. We studied activism by becoming activistsgoing beyond changes in individual behavior to explore how policy and politics helped or hurt our causes.
OUR BIGGEST UNDERTAKING WAS the Madison Heights incinerator. An elementary school stood in the shadows of its smokestacks, and from soil samples and air-quality reports commissioned by a local community group, Clean Air Please (CAP), we learned that the adjacent neighborhood had higher rates of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. For decades, soot from the incinerator coated these modest working-class homes. The county closed the incinerator for a time, but when it tried to reopen it, we went to the streets with CAP, led by a courageous nurse and single mom, Pam Ortner. A group of usincluding Elin, Annie, Mark, and our classmate Dave Woodwardprotested, knocked on doors, and wrote letters. “Haji lived far away, in Baghdad, where he had many successes, many jobs and businesses, and where he had so many friends. They were all kinds of people with different religions and different ethnic backgroundsKurds and Jews and Muslims. He was an idealist. Do you remember what that means? Its somebody who believes the world can be better than it is now. Haji had great faith in people but less faith in religion.
Did he go to church? Layla asked. I figured she was curious because, unlike most Chaldean families, we werent regular churchgoers.
No, he didnt.
Why not?
Theres actually a story about that, I said.
Tell us that story, Mama.
Okay.
Layla smiled and settled deeper into her bed.
Haji had four brothers. All their names ended in an L. I dont know why. And Hajis real name was Khalil, so his name ended in an L too. He had two sisters. Do you remember their names?
One of them was Layla! Layla said.
Thats right. They were all very creative and started many businesses. One uncle was a lawyer. Another uncle opened a famous bookstore called Dar Al Katub Al Kadema, which means The House[]
Excerpt From
What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City
Mona Hanna-Attisha
Question #1 – Page 44: We studied activism by becoming activists – going beyond changes in individual behavior to explore how policy and politics helped or hurt our causes. Think about this quote in relation to the historical events in public health that you are learning about this week. How many of the milestones studied were individual behavior changes vs. societal policy changes? What does this tell you about how public health can be most effective?
Question #2 – Page 49: He was an idealist. Do you remember what that means? Its somebody who believes the world can be better than it is now. What does this quote mean to you (in general and during times of public health crisis like this pandemic)? Do you relate to the idealism expressed in this quote?
