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We have the privilege of living in a great County that is diverse and vibrant. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to travel around the municipalities and talk to community leaders and residents about issues important to them. Jobs, safety, access to services for children, the elderly and people suffering from behavioral and mental health challenges including substance abuse disorders are important. But they see the strength in our communities and during major observances like Juneteenth in Chester, PA, Flag Day in Yeadon and the Fourth of July in Marple-Newtown, they have been showing us what it means to celebrate life in Delco.

CELEBRATING IN DELCO

THINKING ABOUT LGBTQ+ PRIDE AND PUBLIC HEALTH

As we celebrate Pride Month, let us take a moment to reflect on what it means and how we got here. The LGBTQ community came together and, in many ways, came out because of a public health crisis, the AIDS epidemic. Johns Hopkins University is going to be awarded a contract to once again address the public health needs of Delaware County. Hopefully this time they will be given sufficient scope to address the question of whether a public health department is a good idea, specifically in addressing health outcomes in marginalized communities. Would it help us recognize the needs and perspectives of diverse parts of our community? Would it help us gather the data we need to tackle disparities in care?

For more information see: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/diversity/_documents/lgbtq_pride_heritage_guide.pdf and
https://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/index.htm

100 YEARS OF GENDER EQUITY IN THE POLLING PLACE

This year we celebrate 100 years since our country took the first step towards full rights of citizenship for more than 50% of the population. Passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment guarantees all American women the right to vote.

As we contemplate almost a century of women having the right to vote, it is important to remember that the suffragist movement was not just made up of wealthy white women. Then as now, women formed a coalition to bring about change. The movement not monolithic as to race, religion, economic status or tactical approach. But the women persisted and their movement prevailed.

Photos from:

https://www.delcotimes.com/lifestyle/community-briefs-history-comes-alive-with-a-suffragette-s-story/article_0e62e8ca-36d8-11e9-aebd-876379da388b.html ;

http://delco.palwv.org/delco/about/justicebell.htm

https://www.vogue.com/…/african-american-suffragists-women-… and

https://suffragistmemorial.org/jewish-suffragists/