Amanda Dunlap

This week’s dispatch is written by Amanda Dunlap who has just graduated with a degree in Sociology with a minor in Women’s Studies. Amanda has just demitted office as the president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Beta Eta Chapter and Sister 2 Sister which is a community organization that fosters dialogue with African American women on campus. Amanda has been accepted into many schools of Public Health in their masters degree program and has decided to join the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan. her dispatch is entitled – Dr, Abdool Karim is a Reminder for me to be the Change I want to See.

– Enjoy. Nesha

Dr. Abdool Karim is a Reminder for me to be the Change that I want to See

“A person with ubuntu is open, available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others  are  able  and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished,”

~ Archbishop Desmond Tutu, No Future Without Forgiveness

Archbishop Tutu prefaced these words by explaining that defining ubuntu is something that is very hard to do in a Western language. Over the past few weeks our journey through South Africa has placed us in a very fortunate position to interact with a plethora of people and communities, many  have been the embodiment of ubuntu.

On Friday we traveled to CAPRISA, Center For The AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa. We were honored to talk to Dr. Quarraisha Abdool Karim, assisted by Dr. Leila Mansoor. Dr. Abdool Karim is a world-renowned researcher and trailblazer in the fight against HIV and AIDS and Dr. Mansoor is the Head Project Coordinator. Dr. Mansoor is not only an accomplished researcher but touched me when she said she would not work anywhere else but home, that she loves South Africa.  Recently Dr. Abdool Karim sent shock waves through the world, having developed the first microbicide gel, Tenofovir Gel, to successfully prevent the transmission of HIV in women. After trials showing a 40% reduction in new HIV infections the gel is currently under a fast track review by the Food and Drug Administration since  at this moment this gel is the only real possibility for women to have  a method of their own against HIV. As impressive as her professional accolades are, what is most impressive and inspirational to me is Dr. Abdool Karim’s dedication and commitment. Throughout her talk she often reminded us how important tenacity is to the struggle. She also explained to us the importance of risk taking and the politics of putting women’s bodies at the center of medical scientific research. As a young woman myself who is passionate about improving the health disparities of women, Dr. Abdool Karim is a true inspiration and reminder for me to be the change that I want to see. She is a woman who understands the politics of public health and health disparities and how women are disproportionately represented among those suffering from disparities, particularly in the HIV epidemic. As a result she, Dr. Abdool Karim and the rest of their team have set out to make an impact on an epidemic that is affecting South African women (and women all over the world) at astonishing rates. This is ubuntu, as a South African herself she is taking responsibility for her community and her nation.

Her talk about the drug trials, and the impact of the research led me to think about the early years of my undergraduate career. I arrived at the University of Michigan with my mind set on majoring in Biochemistry. I loved science and had always done well, so I felt confident to perform well at Michigan. However, the sciences at Michigan have a way of making students rethink their passions. Many of the African American students on campus jokingly call it “the Michigan Difference” (a play on one of the school slogans) because of the impact it has on our dreams, goals, and ultimately our lives. It is a sad reality that led me to dread science courses. Eventually, it played a significant role in my decision to switch my focus to the social sciences. Dr. Abdool Karim’s talk emphasized the impact that scientific research has had on women’s health. It also reminded me about the necessity of persistence, never accepting failure as the final outcome. In turn, it served as inspiration for me to engage more in science again. I wish I heard Dr.Abdool Karim speak back in 2007, when I began to doubt my competence in the sciences. I wish so many of the African American students, especially women, at the University of Michigan could hear her speak before taking their first General Chemistry exams or receiving their final grade in Organic Chemistry. These moments make it difficult to stay motivated because students are consumed by the outcome of one class. Dr. Abdool Karim explained the necessity of remembering personal motivation and the greater struggle. For Dr.Abdool Karim, the women of South Africa—her community—are her motivation. My community is the women of the United States of America, specifically African Americans and it is this that serves as inspiration for me to work to improve their healthcare, because their healthcare is my healthcare.

Our POA t-shirt design for this year features a tree with the roots representing both the foundational theory of POA and the influential people who helped shaped us into the branches of that tree. Names on the roots are leaders like Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, and Paulo Freire, with the names of our 2011 team on the branches, as a reflection of our growth from their knowledge. The experiences of our travels in South Africa, like the roots at the bottom of the tree, are anchoring my conscience about my responsibility to my own community. Like any flourishing tree the branches may stretch and grow into un-chartered territory but the roots provide the substance, nourishment, and thereby motivation to go forth.

Amanda Dunlap
Pedagogy of Action Team Member 2011