Unum Group has named Valoria V. Armstrong to lead the company’s office of inclusion and diversity. Armstrong will continue to develop the company’s I&D strategy to further foster a culture of belonging.
“We’re proud of our representative workforce as well as the communities where we live and work. Valoria has strong operational and functional expertise to build on our data informed I&D strategy. She will also help us ensure customers benefit from the diverse talents and thoughts of our employees,” said Liz Ahmed, executive vice president of People & Communications at Unum Group.
Prior to joining Unum, Armstrong served as chief inclusion officer and vice president, External Affairs, for American Water. While in the role, she strengthened the company’s inclusion, diversity, and equity strategy by creating a comprehensive and integrated focus on driving dignity, respect and inclusiveness for the largest U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company.
She was president of Tennessee American Water and held various roles in human resources with Food Lion over her 15-year career with the company.
Armstrong earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Georgia Southern University and her master’s degree in human resource development from Villanova University.
Kimberly Bowen
She is the current chair of the Hamilton County Partnership Advisory Board and a board trustee at the Tennessee Aquarium and Benwood Foundation.
In related news, Kimberly Bowen was recently promoted to senior vice president in an expanded role leading Unum’s global talent and inclusion efforts.
Bowen joined Unum in 2019 as head of talent management. Prior to that, for two decades she served in roles focused on all facets of human resources, including talent acquisition and management, employee relations, inclusion and diversity, compensation, mergers and acquisitions, and employee learning and development.
Her career has spanned multiple industries, including retail, healthcare, third party staffing, outsourcing and financial services.
“I’m incredibly excited to have Valoria and Kimberly Bowen, who leads Talent and Inclusion, driving Unum’s ongoing commitment to inclusion and diversity,” Ahmed said. “We are so fortunate to have these dynamic leaders on our team.” Unum (NYSE: UNM), an international provider of workplace benefits and services, has been helping workers and their families for more than 170 years.
Rep. Yusuf Hakeem is proposing a new bill that he says would protect the health and safety of women in Tennessee
Sen. Rusty Crowe, a Bristol Republican, is looking at legislation that could provide exceptions to Tennessee’s current abortion law.
Rep. Yusuf Hakeem is sponsoring a bill that could provide exceptions to Tennessee’s abortion law when lawmakers return to the State Capitol Jan. 10 to begin the 2023 legislative session.
HB10 proposes exceptions regarding issues of rape and incest, as well as the health and potential death of the mother. It calls for additional exceptions for the pregnant woman’s mental health.
The bill also requires the doctor who performs the abortion to verify the patient reported the offense to law enforcement before the procedure.
“This bill specifies that the offense of criminal abortion does not include an abortion that was necessary due to a medical emergency affecting the physical or mental health of the pregnant person or performed on a patient whose pregnancy was the result of rape or incest when the physician performing the abortion has verified the patient reported the offense to the appropriate law enforcement agency prior to the procedure,” the text of Rep. Hakeem’s bill, filed Dec. 8 of last year, said.
Tennessee’s “trigger” law went into effect in August 2022, making abortions illegal in Tennessee, with little to no exceptions. In anticipation of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning its landmark 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, Tennessee’s Republican dominated legislature passed the Human Life Protection Act in 2019.
The law excludes mental health as a medical risk that can be taken into account. And any Tennessee doctor who performs an abortion would need to prove in criminal court that the procedure was necessary, or face felony charges, prison time and stiff fines.
Citing a local resident whom he said had experienced a near-death situation since the “trigger” law took effect in August, District 28 Democrat Hakeem noted that sometimes after a law is implemented, consequences follow that were not considered.
“We’ve had an example of that here in the city of Chattanooga, where we’ve had a citizen who had to be driven by ambulance for six hours to North Carolina so that she could have a necessary abortion to save her life,” Rep. Hakeem said.
Last summer, Democrats said they would be proposing a litany of bills designed to turn back the state’s abortion ban, which is among the most stringent in the nation. On the other hand, GOP lawmakers voted overwhelmingly for the “trigger ban” in 2019. And Republican Gov. Bill Lee said he is “satisfied” with the law as written and doesn’t think it needs to be changed.
Now, six months after one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion laws took effect in Tennessee, some GOP state lawmakers appear ready to loosen it.
Sen. Rusty Crowe, a Bristol Republican, is looking at legislation which would make saving the life of the mother an exception rather than require an “affirmative defense” in which the physician would have to introduce evidence in court to negate criminal or civil liability, proving an abortion was necessary to stop the mother from dying or suffering a life-altering illness.
“In the upcoming legislative session, Sen. Crowe wants to ensure the law protects physicians who perform life-saving abortions when the life of the mother is in jeopardy. At this point, Sen. Crowe has not met with stakeholders to discuss specific legislation but he looks forward to doing so in the coming weeks and months,” said Senate Republican Caucus spokeswoman Molly Gormley.
And House Speaker Cameron Sexton is saying he would back exceptions to the abortion restrictions.
“Speaker Sexton believes clarification is needed in the current law, as well as a change to affirmative defense–meaning someone has to prove their innocence which runs contrary to our judicial system. A doctor should not be singled out under affirmative defense instead of the usual standard of being innocent until proven guilty,” spokesman Doug Kufner said last week. “As with any legislation, should a proposal with agreeable language make it through the committee system to the House floor–including exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother–the speaker would be supportive.” Sexton is expected to appoint a committee when the General Assembly convenes, along with standing committees, that would shepherd such legislation through the House.
“As soon as I arrived at the Gare du Nord train station in Paris, France, everybody was hollering, yelling and screaming,” recalled King. “So I said, ‘Was there some kind of dignitary over here when I’m arriving here.’ A lady touched me on the shoulder and she said, ‘No, soldier, all these ladies and men and people they’re hollering at you. All these people are hollering at you.’ And I said, ‘Well that’s a surprise. That’s different from the United States.’ It was a heck of a difference to be welcomed in Paris as soon as I got off the train by white ladies, women, boys, girls, men–everyone.”
And the hero’s welcome continued throughout King’s stay in Paris. He said he “hung out with white guys,” frequently went to integrated clubs and dances and walked the streets of downtown Paris and surrounding areas without his race ever being an issue.
“They looked up to soldiers, especially the Black soldiers, to be honest,” King explained. “And, no, I never heard a negative comment about race the whole time I was in Paris. Never. We use to dance with the French ladies, and I never heard a negative comment about race in my 25 months in Paris. Several of us were even invited to the University of Paris to mingle and compare cultures.” (Editor’s Note: Read King’s full story in the December 29, 2022 issue of the Chattanooga News Chronicle)
Army Veterans: left, Vietnam Combat Vet, John L. Edwards, III, publisher, CNC, and, right, Eddie L. King who served in Paris, France, discuss major differences upon their return home from same war.
By John L. Edwards, III
Statistics say that only two percent of Americans experience military combat. A former Army Sergeant and combat squad leader, I was drafted when I dropped out of college to take a job so I could earn money and get back to school. Having been involved in the Nashville “Sit-ins” and the Black Power Movement on the campus of Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee, I had no desire to put my life on the line for a country who denied me first class citizenship. My late father who was a minister and World War II Navy Veteran was heavily involved in the Civil Rights Movement suggested I consider going into the ministry. I might fool my country, but I couldn’t fool God. I wanted no part of that, but I did talk to God about it.
In the story recounted in Matthew 22:15–22, Jesus speaks the well-known phrase, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God”. Most Christians take Jesus’s words here straightforwardly to suggest that we have dual allegiances, one to The United States and one to God.
Linda Mines will entertain and educate us on the history of Speakeasies, Bootleggers and Prohibition In Chattanooga.
CAHA’s meeting location: First Presbyterian Church, 554 McCallie Avenue
located at the corner of McCallie Avenue and Douglas Street with parking in the rear. For those who are not familiar with the area, the sanctuary is on the corner; next to the church is a tall building and between it and the larger building which is now owned by UTC is a small driveway. Enter the church from the parking lot; we meet in the chapel. (No steps involved). If you cannot find it, call 423-595-4468; we will get you to the meeting. All meetings are free of charge and open to the public; we ask you to come and bring a guest. Meetings are usually on Mondays unless noted, and all meetings begin at 6:00pm.
Important among the milestones is a technological transfer in partnership with Affordable Human Needs (AHN) and Frontida Records as promotion to build on the continued bond between Africa to America.
(Black PR Wire) LOS ANGELES, CA: Malick L. Manga and Bill Haley, Jr., Alex Haley’s grandson, will be visiting The Gambia to celebrate and acknowledge the awarding winning book, “Roots.” The seven milestone anniversaries surrounding the book and its ongoing cultural phenomenon is being revisited through a series of initiatives. Important among the milestones is a technological transfer initiative in partnership with Affordable Human Needs (AHN) and Frontida Records as promotion to build on the continued bond between Africa to America. Malick L. Manga and Bill Haley, Jr., will be arriving in The Gambia on January 9, 2023, in celebration of their joint legacies to kickstart the new year.
The year 2022 marked seven milestone anniversaries surrounding the award-winning book, ROOTS, which was written by world famous author Alex Haley. The massive trajectory of “Roots” was fostered by Haley’s chance meeting with Ebou Manga, a Gambian student at New York’s historic Hamilton College who was a major key to unlocking Alex Haley’s family lineage in West Africa. Manga later became Haley’s Chief Gambian Technical advisor for the novel and Pictured: Malick Manga (left) and Bill Haley (right) subsequent miniseries franchise, all of which led to a titanic shift of cultural identity by AfricanAmericans, and of the ties between Africans, African-Americans, and the African Diaspora.
“The Technology Transfer initiatives are a generational gift to the people of The Gambia; an affirmation of our ‘Roots’ legacy; and the seven milestone anniversaries, which include the 55th Anniversary of my grandfather and Ebou Manga’s inaugural visit to The Gambia,” said Bill Haley, Jr. “And, it is the story of my ancestral descendant Kunta Kinteh.” Malick L. Manga reiterated, “These initiatives are a reflection of the deep yearning we have in connecting to our Roots, a celebration of our joint legacies but they are also an answered call for those of us in The Diaspora to help with the development of our ancestral homeland.”
The Technology Transfer Initiatives to be discussed will be focused on Sustainable Housing, Education, Healthcare, Agriculture and Cultural Tourism; all which are critical sectors concerning the overall development for The Gambia.
Manga and Haley plan on unleashing a series of initiatives to the global public square which celebrates and inform a new generation of their Roots Legacy and the importance of the African diaspora.
We at Dove Style Magazine are honored to present the Hidden Treasure’s Award, to a woman who has earned the respect of so many, throughout the country and abroad.
Her leadership spectrum ranges from the work she does for kids and youth, to the elderly and legally disadvantaged. But it doesn’t stop there. She is also a seasoned educator and social science researcher. Her exemplary academic teaching career has earned her the honor of being chosen 2006 Outstanding Professor of the Year, Political Science department, at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga. She is one of only two African Americans to receive this distinguished award.
The list of her other achievements and accolades are far too numerous to include. [See Link to her Bio.: JHH-Combined Resume-Bio 2022-12.docx]
Among women, she is highly respected and seen as an exceptional role model. Her professionalism, including candor in speaking her mind, when]necessary as she champions worthwhile causes, has earned her the respect of all who know her.
Known for her abundant love and human compassion, as well as her wisdom and most capable leadership, she exemplifies strength, courage and tenacity to forge positive change, locally, nationally and internationally. Indeed, she is both a servant and force to be reckoned with, in championing worthy causes.
For all of these reasons and more, she was chosen to be one of the first to be awarded the Dove Life Style Magazine’s Hidden Treasure Award.
We appreciate Dr. Howard-Hill for all that she does, as a pioneer and role model, and for always being there, and caring so deeply for others. The event which celebrated ten selected hidden treasure recipients, was held outside of the nation’s capital. Criteria for the selection, included shining the spotlight on individuals who have and continue to forge change and make positive contributions, often unnoticed and behind the scenes.
Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Damar Hamlin, a safety for the Buffalo Bills, collapsed on the field during a Monday night football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2, 2023.
Medical staff gave Hamlin CPR and shocked him with a defibrillator, restarting his heart’s normal rhythm. News outlets immediately began speculating that Hamlin may have suffered from commotio cordis – a potentially lethal stoppage of the heart caused by a strong impact to a person’s chest. The next day, the Bills announced that Hamlin had indeed experienced “cardiac arrest” but did not confirm whether the cause was commotio cordis.
1. What is commotio cordis?
Commotio cordis can happen to a person with a normal heart and occurs when a blunt trauma to a person’s chest – often while playing sports – leads to cardiac arrest where their heart stops pumping blood. Commotio cordis typically occurs in children and adolescents. The impact needs to be forceful and occur at a very particular moment in the heart’s electrical cycle. When this happens, the normally well-organized electrical signals that control the heart become chaotic. The uncoordinated electrical pulses cause the heart, and in particular the large blood-pumping chambers called the ventricles, to twitch and spasm in what is known as ventricular fibrillation, a type of heart arrhythmia.
This ECG diagram shows the electrical signals of a heart in ventricular fibrillation. Compared to the ordered, repeating electrical pulses of a normal heartbeat, this ECG is much more chaotic. Jer5150/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA
This ECG diagram shows the electrical signals of a heart in ventricular fibrillation. Compared to the ordered, repeating electrical pulses of a normal heartbeat, this ECG is much more chaotic. Jer5150/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA
When a heart is in ventricular fibrillation, it is no longer able to pump blood throughout a person’s body, and their organs begin to suffer damage due to lack of oxygen. Heart attacks, abnormal heart or artery structure, and many other issues can lead to ventricular arrhythmia. Regardless of the cause, if a person’s heart stops beating, the result can be deadly.
2. How can a physical impact cause a lethal arrhythmia?
A single heartbeat is a very coordinated series of muscle contractions that are all controlled by precise electrical signals. After the muscles in a heart contract, they need to reset and prepare for the next beat. This process, called repolarization, involves moving electrically charged ions to different parts of a cell so that the cell can effectively contract when it receives an electrical signal.
If a person gets hit in the chest during the fraction of a second that repolarization is occurring, the impact can trigger some of the electrical signals before the heart is ready. This disrupts the whole system, resulting in a chaotic electrical storm that throws the heart into spasms.
3. Are doctors sure it was commotio cordis?
Although Hamlin was able to stand upright immediately after the impact, it was only briefly. It was clear from the way he collapsed without making any effort to protect himself that no blood was getting to his brain. The fact that he received CPR and a shock from a defibrillator also showed that he was experiencing an arrhythmia or electrical disturbance of the heart. But it is not possible to diagnose commotio cordis from a video alone.
The reason many doctors are speculating that commotio cordis was the reason for Hamlin’s heart failure is that it occurred right after he collided with another player and that the impact could have been responsible. But, in most cases, a diagnosis is only made after an autopsy when all other potential causes of arrhythmia have been ruled out. Though more common among among children and adolescents than adult athletes, commotio cordis is so rare that it is hard to get reliable information on the number of occurrences. In a registry of patients who died from sudden arrhythmia in Minnesota, only 224 cases over a 15-year period were caused by commotio cordis.
Usually when a healthy athlete experiences sudden cardiac arrest, the cause is one of two more common conditions. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is when the walls of a person’s heart thicken and can cause sudden arrhythmia with no prior symptoms. Roughly 1 in 200 U.S. residents have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. A person usually inherits the condition and multiple family members are often affected, so many people are diagnosed well before they begin playing competitive sports. However, some cases do slip through the cracks, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is responsible for about 21% of sudden arrhythmia deaths in athletes.
The second most common cause of fatal heart rhythms in athletes are abnormalities in the structure of a coronary artery. These abnormalities are present at birth and can compromise blood flow to the heart, sometimes resulting in issues during exercise. Around 1% of people have an issue with the structure of their coronary artery, and the problem is responsible for about 14% of cardiac deaths in athletes.
An automated external defibrillator, or AED, can restart a heart’s normal rhythm. Owain Davies/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY
4. How can people protect themselves from sudden and fatal arrhythmia?
Commotio cordis is a rare occurrence, but does happen in sports including boxing, baseball or football where blunt trauma directly to the chest is common. Appropriate precautions, like using chest padding, are the most effective way to prevent commotio cordis.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, coronary artery problems and other heart problems that may predispose someone to dangerous heart rhythms may be found through screening. Your doctor can offer advice on whether a screening could be beneficial to you or your family members.
No matter the cause, if a person’s heart stops pumping blood and oxygen isn’t getting to their brain, time is everything. Call 911 and start CPR immediately to delay the onset of brain damage or death until a defibrillator can hopefully restart the heart’s normal rhythm. (The CONVERSATION/Jan 4, 2023)
“A crime whereby traffickers exploit and profit at the expense of adults or children by compelling them to perform labor or engage in commercial sex.” The US Department of State uses this definition to relate to the often-used terms “human trafficking,” “modern slavery,” and trafficking in persons.” Almost identically, the US Department of Justice defines human trafficking as “a crime that involves compelling or coercing a person to provide labor or services, or to engage in commercial sex acts.”
January has been declared by both Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump as times of education and focus on the heinous global industry that objectifies humanity–typically women and children, but certainly the most vulnerable and at-risk–for the purpose of profit, often in illegal activities such as drug-running, prostitution and cheap enslaved labor.
Traffickers prey upon victims whose vulnerabilities–according to the US Dept. of Justice–include poverty, lack of legal immigration status, some degree of English language deficiency, along with unstable housing and financial security.
In November 2022, Tennesseans voted to amend the State’s Constitution, which read in Article I, Section 33, “That slavery and involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, are forever prohibited in this state.” Tennessee’s Constitution will read, after Tennesseans overwhelmingly voted to pass the amendment, “Slavery and involuntary servitude are forever prohibited.”
While human trafficking has never been legal or embraced in the Volunteer State, the new language will be clear that the legal standing of a person in Tennessee is never viewed as property, an object, or absent their constitutional rights.
How does the US compare to other nations in human trafficking?
Globally, a system is used to rank countries in a tiered list divided into four strata, with tier 1 being the level at which a nation is working to address human trafficking with some measurable progress made. Tier 4 is the worst.
America, thankfully, is in tier 1; with China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Sudan, Syria and Venezuela in Tier 4. Within America, the states of California, Texas and Florida have the highest rates per capita of human trafficking, with the cities of Houston and Los Angeles leading with the highest number of crimes reported. The state of Georgia has a reportedly growing incidence of human trafficking, with Atlanta fueling the rise.
According to data in June 2022, of all criminal trafficking cases filed in 2021, 92% were sex trafficking cases, and 8% were forced labor trafficking cases. In addition to large cities, high profile sporting events with international patrons who are predominantly men are the locations where trafficked victims are most exploited.
The sin and crime of slavery was prohibited, and abolition began in America in 1863 with the Emancipation Proclamation. Just as profit drove slavery then, profit drives modern slavery today with the demand for prostitution and pornography. Should the demand go away, so would the profit.
Ron Harris, vice president of corporate workforce diversity for BlueCross.
Minority students with strong academic records and community service experience who intend to pursue a career in health care are encouraged to apply for the BlueCross Power of We Scholarship.
Applications will be accepted through Feb. 12. For eligibility criteria and to apply, visit bcbstnews.com/scholarship.
Established in 2013, the Power of We Scholarship program aims to build a more inclusive health care workforce in Tennessee, ultimately addressing the historic lack of opportunity and health disparities that minority populations face.
“These scholarships are a much-needed resource for many bright and talented students in our state,” said Ron Harris, vice president of corporate workforce diversity for BlueCross. “The financial assistance will help them achieve their dreams while improving access to care and overall health for our neighbors across Tennessee.”
Harris has served in various management roles at BlueCross for 30 years and is also a co-founder of the BlueCross BlueShield Association Diversity Alliance. He provides strategic leadership and counsel for diversity initiatives within the organization, including diversity awareness training, recruitment, cultural competency training, employee development and community outreach.
Sheena Freeman, president of the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE) – Memphis Chapter.
The scholarships are presented in partnership with the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE) – Memphis Chapter and recognize achievements in academics, community service and leadership.
“We are proud to support the BlueCross Foundation and the BlueCross Power of We Scholarship,” said Sheena Freeman, president of NAHSE – Memphis Chapter. “We hope that by working together, we can improve inclusion in health care, helping more Tennesseans to seek regular care, establish trust and feel understood by their providers, which we believe will contribute to improved health outcomes in our communities.”
In 2020, the BlueCross Foundation doubled the number of awards given from three to six as part of the company’s larger commitment to address systemic racism and injustice within Tennessee communities.
Since the program was established, the BlueCross Foundation has awarded $405,000 in scholarships, helping more than a dozen promising students continue their studies in the fields of nursing, medical technology, pharmacy and more.
The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation organized to promote the philanthropic mission of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. The foundation provides funding for the BlueCross Healthy Place program, which creates active, healthy spaces across Tennessee.
