Interview with NAACP chairman Roslyn Brock

taliawhyte WGBH activism, black unemployment, health care, NAACP, obesity, racism, Roslyn Brock, social media, Troy Davis

Roslyn McCallister Brock, chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) national board, was the keynote speaker at the centennial gala for the Boston Branch on September 17. Last year she succeeded Julian Bond, becoming the fourth woman and the youngest person to serve in the position. In recent years, the organization has been accused of lacking relevance and not addressing the concerns of younger African Americans. However, during the gala, it seemed like there was an explicit effort to redress these complaints.

Watch the video interview here

9 September 2010

Soda-Free Kids

taliawhyte WGBH obesity, soda, youth

Youth Fighting Fat: Soda-Free Kids

Part 2

by Talia Whyte

This summer, the Boston Public Health Commission launched its Soda-Free Summer media challenge, which is an effort to call attention to the high caloric and high sugar content of soda and other artificial drinks. Sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) are closely associated with a variety of health ailments in addition to obesity, such as diabetes, liver disease and tooth decay. Bostonians are being encouraged to choose healthier drink options like water, low-fat milk and small portions of 100 percent fruit juices.

According to statistics provided by the Commission, the highest consumers of SSBs are adolescents aged 12 to 19 years old, and particularly males, blacks, Latinos, low income residents and those with a family history of obesity. About half of Boston high school students are either overweight or at-risk of being overweight.

View the video here