There has been a lot of discussion on health issues in communities of color. Recently, John Oliver, the host of "Last Week Tonight" addressed medical bias in the health system. Oliver talked about a study that bias against communities of color caused nearly 83,000 deaths in the African American community. He also talked about the U.S. maternal mortality rate among black women, which is the highest in the developed world.
Milwaukee Film has announced a new Minority Health Film Festival to discuss these issues and more. The festival is the first of its kind in the country and will take place from Sept. 12 to Sept. 15. The Minority Health Film Festival will feature unique film screenings, community forums and interactive health fair dealing with these issue in communities of color.
Featured speakers for the festival will include Charlamagne Tha God discussing mental health issues, Styles P discussing health and wellness, and Harriet Washington discussing the politics around medical issues.
Charlamagne Tha God, co-host of the nationally syndicated iHeartRadio program “The Breakfast Club” and New York Times bestselling author will kick off the festival with a moderated discussion at Turner Hall on Sept. 12. The social media influencer and podcaster (“Brilliant Idiots”) is recognized as a leading public advocate for mental health awareness.
The Resource Fair which takes place on Sept. 14 will cover topics on financial fitness, juicing, trauma care, and more. On Sep. 15, there will discussions on cancer and mental health. These discussions will take place at Kenilworth Square.
In addition to the panel discussion and speakers, Milwaukee Film will screen eight films that cover a wide variety of topics surrounding health issues in communities of color. The films will all be screened at the Oriental Theater.
You can download the Minority Health Film Festival Program over at Milwaukee Film's website.
"Save Me" - Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. - Tickets
What began as a Hmong-American play presented at UW-Milwaukee in 2018 by local Southeastern Milwaukee students has become an essential work of art, exploring issues of mental and emotional health in Milwaukee’s Hmong community. Save Me features a young Hmong girl who loses her mother and falls into depression until she meets a mysterious person who teaches her to find acceptance. The film reveals the challenges of living between the two worlds of Hmong and Western life.
"Unbroken Glass" - Sept. 14 at 10 a.m. - Tickets
When he was six years old, Dinesh Das Sabu’s parents died. Raised by his older siblings, he had little idea who his parents were or where he came from. Through making Unbroken Glass, he attempts to piece together their story and his own. Uncovering a silenced family history and disturbing truths, Dinesh and his siblings must finally reconcile the past, confronting the trauma of losing their parents and the specter of mental illness.
"Resilience" - Sept. 14 at 10:30 a.m. - Tickets
An exploration into the developments of medical studies where conditions like heart disease can be linked to childhood experiences, Resilience provides the basis for a new understanding of what our culture is facing and how to best treat families dealing with "toxic stress."
"Salud Sin Papeles: Health Undocumented" - Sept. 14 at 1 p.m. - Tickets
Sparked by a neo-Nazi march, a ragtag group of activists organize the community to build a free clinic for undocumented immigrants, breaking the cycle of oppression perpetrated by healthcare disparities.
"The Interrupters" - Sept. 14 at 6:30 p.m. - Tickets
Profiling a year in the life of a city grappling with urban violence, The Interrupters follows members of the activist group CeaseFire as they work to curb violence in their Chicago neighborhoods by intervening in street fights and showing youths a better way to resolve conflicts.
"A Touch of Sugar" - Sept. 14 at 4 p.m. - Tickets
Told through the voices of people united in their struggle with this chronic disease, A Touch of Sugar dives into the diabetes healthcare epidemic that affects every community in the United States.
"Spilled Milk" - Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. - Tickets
Spilled Milk captures straight talk from doctors about the inexperience many hospital staffers have with Sickle Cell and the consequent stigmas that can plague African Americans seeking treatment for pain.
"The Invisible Vegan" - Sept. 15 at 3 p.m. - Tickets
Foregrounding the health and wellness possibilities enabled by plant-based vegan diets and lifestyle choices, The Invisible Vegan explores the problem of unhealthy dietary patterns in the African American community.
Check out the full schedule for the Minority Film Festival here.
