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President's Report
by: Daniel fields jr.
Membership Meeting
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Children's National Hospital and Washington Hospital Center
Daniel Fields Jr. President Debra Davis Vice President
Our wish has come true. Donald Trump was defeated in his bid to retain his presidency. But, the damage has been done. Even if you were a Trump supporter you have to admit that the social stability and consciousness of this country has taken a severe downturn. Systemic Racism still exists. This became clearly evident when the Capitol Building was stormed by ardent Trump supporters and domestic terrorists.. I recall as a child watching on television as minorities and freedom fighters were being beaten and water hosed and attacked by police dogs during peaceful protests. I recently recall the Black Lady that was shot to death in her car, which included a baby inside, because she was driving erratically and too close to the vicinity of the White house. I saw recently when Black Lives Matter protests were going on in Washington, D.C., the police force was out in full effect. In riot gear I must add. This also included the National Guard. Yet, when the Capitol Building of our nation was being stormed by domestic terrorists, no such police presence existed. In fact it was as if the terrorists were escorted to the front door and invited in. The majority of us know what would have happened if the Black Lives Matter protesters had tried to even walk up the steps of the Capitol building. The police would have acted in a more aggressive manner, and no doubt the blood shed and fatalities would have been far greater. As I have stated in other articles, we must begin the healing process. We must get back to respecting one another and treating each other with dignity and accepting our differences. This also extends to our work environment. We must put our petty disputes aside, or at least don’t bring them to work. Continue on page 6 Continued from page 1 The disciplines pertaining to job violence and insubordination are on the rise. Both Hospitals have implemented a zero tolerance for workplace violence. This includes aggressive behavior towards co-workers, patients, visitors or anyone else. This also includes the use of vulgar language. These things can or might result in immediate termination. This just does not apply to members of SEIU, Local 722. This applies to all workers, and we will make sure that it is applied evenly, From the President of the Hospitals, to the Doctors, Nurses or any other position. Please think before you act or respond. It is too late to think about losing your job after you have done the act. Reminder: Be on the lookout for the Contract Surveys if you work at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Your contract expires June 30, 2021. Get involved and get ready.
February 2021 Issue # 130 Marshall Jackson Editor
Send articles to: news4local722@msn.com
Membership meetings will be held from 2pm - 4pm the third (3rd) Saturday of every month. Due to the COVID - 19 Pandemic we will attempt to set up a ZOOM video conference. Please see the bulletin boards for the computer link as well as call - in options.
You learned about Helen Keller instead of W.E.B. DuBois. You learned about the Watts Riots, but not Tulsa or Wilmington. You learned that George Washington's dentures were wood, rather than the teeth from slaves. You learned about ghettos, but not Black Wall Street. You learned about the New Deal, but not "red lining." You learned about Tommie Smith's fist in the air at the 1968 Olympics, but not that he was sent home the next day and stripped of his medals. You learned about "black crime," but white criminals were never lumped together and discussed in terms of their race. You learned about "states rights" as the cause of the Civil War, but not that slavery was mentioned 80 times in the articles of secession. Privlege is having history rewritten so that you don't have to acknowledge uncomfortable facts. Racism is perpetuated by people who refuse to learn or acknowledge this reality
Kizzmekia "Kizzy" Shanta Corbett is an American viral immunologist at the Vaccine Research Center(VRC) at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health based in Bethesda, Maryland. Appointed to the VRC in 2014, she is currently the scientific lead of the VRC's Coronavirus Team, with research efforts aimed at propelling novel coronavirus vaccines, including a COVID-19 vaccine. In December 2020, the Institute's Director Anthony Fauci, said: "Kizzy is an African American scientist who is right at the forefront of the development of the vaccine." In 2008, Corbett (in the Scholars Program) received a B.S. in biological sciences and sociology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). In 2014, Corbett received a PhD in microbiology and immunology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill From 2009 to 2014, Corbett studied how people produce antibodies in response to dengue fever, and how the genetics of dengue fever impact the severity of a disease. As part of her research for her dissertation, Corbett worked as a visiting scholar at Genetech Research Institute in Colombo, Sri Lanka. In October 2014, Corbett became a research fellow, working as a viral immunologist, at the NIH. Her research aims to uncover mechanisms of viral pathogenesis and host immunity. She specifically focuses on development of novel vaccines for coronaviridae. Her early research considered the development of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) vaccine antigens. During this time, she identified a simple way to make spike proteins that are stabilized in a conformation that renders them more immunogenic and manufacturable. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Corbett started working on a vaccine to protect people from coronavirus disease. Recognizing that the virus was similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, Corbett's team utilized previous knowledge of optimal coronavirus S proteins to tackle the novel coronavirus. S proteins form a “crown” on the surface of coronaviruses and are crucial for engagement of host cell receptors and the initiation of membrane fusion in coronavirus disease. This makes them a particularly vulnerable target for coronavirus prophylactics and therapeutics. She was part of the NIH team who helped solve the cryogenic electron microscopy (CryoEM) structure of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Her prior research suggested that messenger RNA (mRNA) encoding S protein could be used to excite the immune response to produce protective antibodies against coronavirus disease 2019. To manufacture and test the COVID-19 vaccine Corbett's team partnered with Moderna, a biotechnology company, to rapidly enter animal studies. Subsequently, the vaccine entered Phase 1 clinical trial only 66 days after the virus sequence was released. The trial, to be completed in at least 45 people, is a dose escalation study in the form of two injections separated by 28 days. Corbett has called for the public to be cautious and respectful of one another during the coronavirus pandemic, explaining that regular hand washing and sneezing into one's elbow can help to minimize the spread of the virus. She has also emphasized that we should not stigmatize people who may be from areas where the virus started. When asked about her involvement with the development of the COVID-19 vaccine, Corbett said, "To be living in this moment where I have the opportunity to work on something that has imminent global importance…it’s just a surreal moment for me" We Thank You Dr. Kizzmekia "Kizzy" Shanta Corbett An African American Hero Leading The Way
" Some People Don't believe in African American heros"
A big honor goes out to Mr. Henry Baker of the late 1800's, to early 1900's. You see, Mr. Baker who was the 3rd African American to enter the U.S. Naval Academy was also a U.S. Patent Office employee during these early years. During this time African Americans had little to no rights which obviously made entering into contractual and legal agreements very difficult if not impossible. More than enough laws prevented early African Americans from participating in most legal processes; especially those in contest against white persons concerning ownership, claims, patent infringement, etc.... Many African American inventors lost or never gained legal rights to their inventions and those who were fortunate enough to obtain invention patents for example, were seldom recognized. Many slaves who were inventors automatically lost rights to their inventions to their slave masters. Henry Baker took it upon himself to make sure that African Americans who were awarded patents by the U.S. Government would be "unofficially" documented. This was a very unique and important decision since the US Patent office never recorded culture or racial identity on patent applications. To accomplish this Henry Baker made a mark (only recognizable by him) on the forms of known African American inventors who had submitted patents to the Patent Office. Using these marked forms he compiled one of the most important records in African American history. These documents have become known as "The Henry Baker Papers." Without them we would never have known the magnitude of the African American contributions to society and the world. Thank You Mr. Henry Baker An African American Hero !!
Black Lives Matter
It's no accident that
Black history month is always a great time to reflect on the many positive things and ways that black people have contributed to society. We realize that we are not in this society alone and that others have made major contributions as well. We often bring attention to these positive things because society seems to only bring attention to any and all negative things done by black people. We have always been treated differently than others and that's why across the nation you continue to hear "Black Lives Matter". Some black people in America have worked hard and prospered over time, however, as a society we are still not treated equally. There is still a double standard in America and I don't want anyone to think that the standard has changed. We watched all summer long as thousands of people of color and allies took to the streets last year to peacefully protest police brutality; law enforcement often clashed with these demonstrators, deploying tear gas and rubber bullets (They were even shot with real bullets), bruising faces and bodies, and, in one incident that went viral, pushing an elderly man to the ground. However there was no or slow response to rioters at the U.S. Capitol. What we heard from our leaders in the country was that the Capitol police were unprepared, ineffective and some were complicit. But were they really unprepared or did they just keep the double standard and prepare differently because the protesters looked like them? People of color protesting are called “Thugs” and the system is designed to treat us that way. However, white nationalists protesting are considered “Great Patriots”. So even in 2021 there’s still no equal justice under the law. Videos show unarmed black people being shot by the police, being choked by the police, dying with a knee on their neck by police, and the system can’t see a problem. We see on the airwaves people climbing walls, breaking out windows, breaking in and defacing the Capital building, stealing legislators items, damaging journalist property, all while several people in D.C. Capitol Police jackets removing barriers outside the Capitol building, allowing demonstrators to pass through to the building. Videos also showed at least one person who appeared to be an officer taking selfies with people who had breached the Capitol. But again, Black protesters are heavily policed and brutalized for literally advocating for our lives and saying, “Don’t kill us.” This speaks volumes about the values of this country. So as we celebrate Black history month, let’s not forget where we came from and continue the fight for the same humanity and equality afforded non-people of color in society. What we have seen and experienced these last four years reminds us of our nation’s racist history and present.
We celebrate Black History 365. We are bringing you some fun to black history. We know there are many black history facts that can and should be shared. What we shared is just a sampling. Our goal is never meant to offend anyone, nor, to ignore the accomplishments of non - African Americans. All SEIU Local 722 members are eligible to participate. There will be monetary prizes for the top (3) winners. If there are more than (3) perfect scores, all perfect scores will be put in a hat and three winners will be randomly selected. Local 722 Executive Board Members may not win prizes. All quizzes must be delivered to the union office by Friday February 26th NO EXCEPTIONS !!! I was a linebacker and a 9th round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns. I retired from the NFL in 1990. After retiring I spent 17 years as a teacher. It's a historic night in the NFL, and I think it's fantastic. I held two different positions throughout my 25 season NFL career. Of all my NFL seasons, one game stands out. It was a first for the NFL. But I also accomplished another NFL first. Who am I, when did I come into the league; what was this big game and what was my role at this time, and what was the other first that I accomplished? At (8) eight years of age, I attended racial justice rally’s and became an activist. I organized a rally of a little more than 700 people in the park near my home. I echoed those who took to the streets to demand a change in how police treat black people. I spoke into a megaphone and shouted to the crowd “Stop hurting black people.” Who am I, when and where did this happen, and what organization was I supporting? I am an American engineer. I was a lifelong friend and top engineer to Howard Hughes. As a child I had a natural affinity for fixing things. I starred on a radio show. At age 11 I had my own mechanical shop working alongside airplane mechanics, repairing engines. I was the primary civilian instructor for some great pilots. I broke the barrier with a major airline. Who am I, what radio show was I on, who were the pilots I instructed, what barrier did I break and with which airline? I am a graduate of Howard University College of Medicine. I’m a holder of (5) patents. I am the 1st woman to lead a post – graduate training program in ophthalmology. Some great legislation coincided with my freshman year at Howard. In the summer of 1968 I organized Howard University medical students in providing volunteer health services. Who am I, what legislation coincided with my freshman year at Howard, what organization did we provide volunteer health services for, and name at least one of my (5) patents. On November 23, 2020 the National Football League made history and we played a role in this history making event. What history was made and specifically what role did the (8) eight of us play in this history making event, and which teams were playing?
As the Local 722 leadership start preparing the contract survey members of Medstar Washington Hospital Center should be thinking about what you would like to see in the next contract. We can open the contract to new ideas if that's what you the membership are willing to fight for. Keep in mind that we are a collective body of workers joined together to fight for the things that will benefit all of us. We are not putting one group against another.
WASHINGTON D.C. 20009
contract survey
1673 COLUMBIA ROAD N.W.
SUITE # 100
SEIU LOCAL 722
President's report CONT.......