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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (May 27, 2015)
Health Dreaming, Believing in Prostate Cancer Cure By Stacy M. Brown Special to the NNPA from The Washington Informer R obert Ginyard doesn’t have a cure for cancer, nor does he have a concrete solution for preventing the dreaded disease. However, the entrepreneur and prostate cancer survivor has been quite successful in providing a crucial tool for those who are recovering from serious illnesses, setbacks and whatever else might be a source of chagrin. “My mes- sage is that you really shouldn’t have to face something like cancer or something catastrophic for you to go after your dreams,” said Robert Ginyard Ginyard, the creator of DiBi DiBi Nation, an awareness cam- paign that encourages all to live out their dreams. DiBi DiBi stands for “Dream it. Believe it. Do it. Be it,” Ginyard said, noting that it’s a model he developed about one year after the radiation treat- ment he received. He said he made a vow to God that he would live up to his dreams of not only being successful, but helping others to achieve – or at least reach out for their long-held desires. “A year had passed since the radiation treatment and I couldn’t sleep because I didn’t fulfill the promise,” he said. “So, this is really about second chances and to really not take one day for granted.” “One of the things I try not to do is to be a motivational speaker where I’m try- ing to lift people up for the moment,” Ginyard added. “My goal is to inspire all to reach within themselves to come up with their own stories and when they leave my speaking engagement they can draw on their own experiences and search within their own soul.” Applying the DiBi DiBi concept to his own life, Ginyard said he’s now fulfilled his pledge and has become a prostate cancer advocate, appearing before Con- gress and the Senate Appropriations Committee, where he’s shared his story. He’s advocated for increased funding for prostate cancer research and has been featured on ABC News and The Michael Eric Dyson Show and in both The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Ginyard also serves as a board member and spokesman for ZERO – The Project to End Prostate Cancer, a non-profit based in Alexandria, Virginia. At Zero, officials have noted that prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death in African-American men but funding for research lags consider- ably behind other illnesses like breast cancer. Further, statistics reveal that Black men are more than twice as likely as white men to die of prostate cancer and African-American men are 60 percent more likely than white men to be diag- nosed with the disease. However, nearly 100 percent of black men diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer are still alive five years after diag- nosis. “When I’m talking to folks at board meetings, they [understand] that DiBi DiBi is universal,” Ginyard said. “Whether you are in Australia, China, or Mexico, everybody can look up and say, ‘Hey, my dream is this or that.’ That’s what’s been so amazing about the cam- paign because it crosses all racial and ethnic lines because everybody has a dream.” Ginyard’s advocacy work primarily is geared toward helping to identify new research that could lead to a cure for prostate cancer and identify treatment options to improve the quality of life for men living with the disease. “I know I’ve finally found my path and that is to motivate and inspire others to live their lives to the fullest and inspire others along the way,” Ginyard said. A one-time banker and director of mar- keting for a national trade association before launching his own tote bag busi- ness, Ginyard has also created DiBi DiBi T-shirts which indi- viduals can purchase and wear as part of the self-proclaimed DiBi DiBi Nation. “The DiBi DiBi Nation is a group of strong, driven people and I am proud my message motivates others to pursue their dreams to bring about happiness and ful- fillment in their lives and to the lives of others,” he said. To purchase a T-shirt or for more infor- mation about Ginyard and DiBi DiBi Nation, visit www.dibidibination.com. Black Mortality Rates higher in Racist locales By Zenitha Prince Special to the NNPA from the Afro-American Newspaper A groundbreak- ing study led b y researchers from the University of Mary- land College Park’s School of Health found Black mortali- ty rates are much higher in areas with greater levels of racism. The study gauged A study gauged the levels of racism based on the the levels of racism volume of Google searches containing the “n-word.” across 196 media markets based on the volume of Google higher frequencies of racist Google queries searches containing the “n-word” in each had a higher prevalence of Black deaths. area. Researchers qualified that not all the Those findings remained the same when searches were necessarily motivated by additional demographic and socioeconomic racism, but assumed “that areas with a characteristics of the areas, such as the ‘Racism is a social toxin that increases susceptibility to disease and generates racial disparities in health’ greater concentration of these searches have higher levels of racism overall.” The difficulty of measuring racism through surveys led the researchers to apply the methodology of an Internet query-based measure—previously designed by study co- author Seth I. Stephens-Davidowitz—to find the relationship between racism and mortality risk. “Racial disparities in health and disease represent a significant public health con- cern,” David H. Chae, assistant professor of epidemiology in the University of Maryland School of Public Health and lead author of the study, said in a statement. “Racism is a social toxin that increases susceptibility to disease and generates racial disparities in health.” The examination found that areas with number of Blacks, and levels of education and poverty, were taken into account. The correlation also remained unchanged when results were adjusted for the White mortality rate and other socioeconomic fac- tors. “These findings add to mounting evidence that population-level racial disparities in health are driven by racism,” said Chae. “Racism represents a serious social and moral dilemma. The persistence of racial disparities in disease and mortality reflects the fact that issues of racism remain unre- solved.” The study, entitled “Association Between an Internet-Based Measure of Area Racism and Black Mortality” was published in the online journal PLOS ONE. Constructing Hope Pre-Apprenticeship Program Empowering you to succeed through hands-on construction training, job placement, and career mentorship. We believe that those who seek a fresh start or a new direction are prepared to succeed when they have access to appropriate opportunities and are equipped to be personally empowered. Join us. Constructing Hope 405 NE Church Street, Portland, OR 97211 503-281-1234 • www.constructinghope.org May 27, 2015 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Page 7
