Black Lives Matter

I stumbled on this story completely by accident, and was impressed at how young Alice Bell was when she created a cure for leprosy and thought that our community was a good place to share her story 🩶

Alice Bell was a groundbreaking African American chemist in the early 20th century. Despite facing societal challenges due to her race and gender, she showed a remarkable aptitude for chemistry. She went on to work at a time when both the fields of chemistry and medicine were dominated by men.

Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, is an ailment that has plagued humanity for centuries. The debilitating disease, which affects the skin, nerves, and mucous membranes, has historically led to sufferers being ostracised and isolated from communities.

In the early 1900s, chaulmoogra oil was the only known treatment for leprosy. However, its application was less than ideal. It was thick and sticky, making it difficult to be administered effectively. Alice Bell tackled this challenge head on. Through her research, she was able to isolate the active compounds from chaulmoogra oil and developed a method to make them water soluble. This led to the creation of an injectable form of the medication, making the treatment more effective and leading to better patient outcomes.

While Alice Bell's contribution was pivotal in changing the narrative for those suffering from leprosy, her recognition was long delayed. For many years, her work went largely unacknowledged, overshadowed by the Dean of the university she worked at, taking credit for her work following her premature death at just 24 years old.

Thankfully, with the passage of time and a renewed interest in highlighting overlooked figures in science, Bell’s crucial contribution to the fight against leprosy is now being recognised. In a world that often focuses on the well trodden paths of history's most famous figures, I think we would all agree it's essential to remember quiet pioneers like Alice Bell. Through her tireless work and innovations, countless lives were changed, and the fight against one of humanity's most stigmatised diseases took a significant leap forward due to her efforts.

#ChronicIllness #blacklivesmatter #DistractMe

📺 - #Letters4TransKids - "You Know Who You Are!"

www.youtube.com/watch

🗣 - “I want you to be fully you, whoever that turns out to be. And it’s okay if it takes time to figure it out. That’s part of what being a kid is supposed to be all about—figuring out who you are.” - Ina Fried

‼️ - #Letters4TransKids

#Letters4TransKids is a social media campaign started by Ina Fried to support trans kids targeted by legislative attacks. Provide encouragement, support & comfort to #trans youth in the face of anti-trans legislation!

If you can say #blacklivesmatter , if you can say #EveryChildMatters , if you denounce anti-Asian racism, if you can #standforukraine , if you are left-handed:

Then, you can support trans kids. This needs you to act right now.

❗️ - Watch! Comment! Share!

* 📺 - #Letters4TransKids - "You Know Who You Are!"

* 👍🏻 - Please like & share this to help get heard!

* ✉️ - End anti-2SLGBTQIA+ abuse!

Feedback I have received includes:

* “Wow, you are yelling. Depends on your goal but some ppl might not make it through. Darkside INFJ going full ESTP 😛”

* “And you may have just inspired someone to stand up for themselves as your anger gives them permission to feel it too.”

The anger is real. Kids are under attack, and too many people are not speaking up!
Please hear the message. Please share yours when you're done. #Letters4TransKids

📒 - Alt Information

* Text: #Letters4TransKids "I want you to be fully you, whoever that turns out to be. And it's okay if it takes time to figure it out. That's part of what being a kid is - figuring supposed to be all about figuring out who you are. - Ina Fried
PROVIDE ENCOURAGEMENT, SUPPORT & COMFORT TO TRANS YOUTH IN THE FACE OF ANTI-TRANS LEGISLATION!

* Captions: Automated

I remember the news of George Floyd’s passing. I remember it so vividly. I remember seeing the video of him. I cry and I hurt so badly every time I replay it in my mind.

You may be asking why, why does it bother me so much? It bothers me because I realized that my very existence is expendable to those who are in authority positions, like the police, government etc.

I am also part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Having multiple intersecting oppressions makes life extremely difficult at times. It’s hard to see my friends, family and comrades be targeted for living their authentic lives.

Unfortunately, inequality based on race and skin color will always exist until white people treating social movements like Black Lives Matter as trendy topics to tweet about affer getting their morning coffee.

Our struggles as Black people are real and raw. White people need to stop expecting us to educate them on why racism is an important issue to combat. Start learning about the roots of racism and use your privilege and power to help ease our suffering.

I notice that after every death, the trend comes back. I am not saying, by any means, that it is not good to talk about but white people need to get off their keyboards and get into protests. Instead of tweeting their own takes on these issues, I so longingly urge them to step away and amplify a Black individuals take on the matter.

Remember, there is no change without action. There is no change without revolution. There is no change without love. There is no change without hope.

Please start talking, but more importantly, start acting. Our lives are not a trend. They are precious. #Racism #blacklivesmatter

" I understand that I will never understand. However, I stand."

#blacklivesmatter
#Depression
#PTSD
#Anxiety
#CPTSD