Mane Street Memphis: Riviana Foods continues $80.6 million expansion

Happy New Year, y’all! It’s the first official Mane Street Memphis of 2024, and we’ve got a few big updates this week.

First things first, though, I want to apologize for my last Mane Street Memphis and an uncharacteristic error on my part. I incorrectly reported that the Memphis and Shelby County Board of Adjustment approved a new site plan for the historic church property 1663 Autumn Ave. The site plan drew a 3-3 vote resulting in its rejection.

As some of y’all know, the property has been a point of interest for residents in the Evergreen Historic District and has been highlighted rather frequently in this column. I already beat myself up about the mistake, but still wanted to address it in this week’s Mane Street.

On lighter news, if y’all haven’t had a chance to look ahead what else is happening in 2024, take a peek at my year-ahead review and updates on which notable Downtown projects will be making significant moves soon.

Now, let’s take a look at what’s cooking this week around the Mid-South.

Riviana Foods begins 36,200-square-foot expansion

Riviana Foods is undergoing an $80.6 million expansion at its 29.49-acre site at 2314 S. Lauderdale St.

On Dec. 27, Trey McKnight, economic development specialist with the Economic Development Growth Engine for Memphis and Shelby County (EDGE), filed an administrative site plan permit with the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development for a 36,200-square-foot expansion at the Riviana Foods plant at 2314 S. Lauderdale St.

The expansion is part of the company’s ongoing $80.6 million expansion at the 29.49-acre site. In July 2022, EDGE awarded an 11-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) for project. The investment is expected to add 80 new jobs with an average annual base wage of approximately $44,000.

The permit filed is for the fifth phase of the plan and will expand upon the company’s existing South Lauderdale Street campus, which includes a 404,105-square-foot processing plant and more than 17,000 square feet of office space.

President’s Island property gets state certification

A view of the 42-acre site near President's Island that was announced as a Select Tennessee Certified Site designation via TNECD on January 5, 2024.

The Memphis area has landed another state-certified super site just south of Downtown.

On Jan. 5, EDGE and the Greater Memphis Chamber announced a 42-acre industrial property located on President’s Island has become certified via the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD).

“Partnerships have been a key strategy throughout this journey,” EDGE vice president of operations Joann Massey said in a statement. “Collaboration with the Greater Memphis Chamber, the City of Memphis, and our team at the Port of Memphis has been instrumental — with a particular focus on economic development initiatives and driving positive change within our community.”

The 42-acre property borders Harbor Avenue and Channel Avenue on the northern and southern ends of the property and the U.S. Navy’s William B. Morgan Large Cavitation Channel research facility on the eastern and western portions of the site, according to the news release. The property is zoned for industrial and commercial use.

The site is located north of the Nucor Steel facility at 3601 Riverport Road and the recently purchased Electrolux facility at 3231 Paul R. Lowry Road.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN MEMPHIS:Memphis Chamber to open $15M workforce development center. Here’s why & what it will offer

EDGE staff said several companies have already expressed interest in the site, however, no confirmed investors have been announced yet. The TNECD certification is part of the state’s Select Tennessee initiative, which launched in 2012. The program is designed to improve property and accessible lands for capital and corporate investment. The program is limited to industrial sites.

“Achieving the Select Tennessee Certified Site designation for the EDGE property at President’s Island is a testament to this team’s commitment to building a thriving community with the infrastructure and partnerships needed to attract global investment,” said Kirby Lewis-Gill, TNECD director of site development.

It is only the second site in Shelby County to receive the designation. (Previously the Mall of Memphis site along American Way was awarded certification.)

The site is owned by the Memphis and Shelby County Port Commission, which is part of the EDGE organizational umbrella.

Port Commission Executive Director Randy Richardson said the port helps contribute $6.2 billion in economic impact annually.

Bank of America donates $250,000 to Memphis Brooks Museum

On Jan. 4, Bank of America Memphis awarded the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art a $250,000 donation for use with the museum’s Black Arts Collective initiative. The program includes major exhibits from Black artists and educational workshops. The funds are distributed via an anchor grant.

“This group of art enthusiasts spans various sectors and ensures that Black artists and audiences are actively welcomed and supported within and through the city’s museum and that their participation grows and deepens,” Bank of America Memphis President Trevia Chatman said in a statement. “Our goals are to present a major exhibit by a Black artist annually, purchase a work of art each year, and educate the community on the Black art experience twice a year.”

Bank of America is the presenting sponsor for the museum’s current Black American Portraits exhibition.

On Jan. 2, the museum received a donation of 75 works, including photographs, paintings and sculptures, from Black artists. Three of those works will be on display with the Black American Portraits exhibit.

The museum is in the process of relocating from Overton Park to its new $180 million Downtown location along Front Street. The 122,000-square-foot facility broke ground in June 2023 and is expected to open in 2025.

DMC’S NEW LEADER:Chandell Ryan named Downtown Memphis Commission’s new leader: 4 things to know about her

Stellar Industrial acquires IMC Supply

On Jan. 3, Washington-based Stellar Industrial Supply acquired Memphis-based IMC Supply. The Whitehaven business has been headquartered in Memphis since 1960.

With the acquisition, the IMC facility will operate as a metalworking and technical hub for Stellar, its 19th regional hub within the U.S. and second in Tennessee (Knoxville is the other location).

“Over its six decades of operation IMC Supply has been a cornerstone for many families, contributing to the local economy and fostering a sense of community,” IMC President Mark Hill said. “I have had the privilege of knowing John Wiborg, the owner of Stellar, for many years. I am confident that his leadership will ensure the continuation of the IMC legacy.”

Barnhart Crane & Rigging Co. acquires White Crane

On Jan. 8, Barnhart Crane & Rigging Co. acquired South Carolina-based White Crane.

On Jan. 8, Memphis-based Barnhart Crane & Rigging Co. announced it had acquired South Carolina-based White Crane Co. Inc.

Barnhart has continued to expand significantly over the last year, with three acquisitions in 2023: In November Barnhart acquired Minnesota-based Armstrong Crane and Rigging Co. Previously the company purchased St. Louis-based Taylor Crane Rental in May 2023 and acquired Illinois-based Bollmeier Crane in October 2023.

The White Crane deal is the first of 2024 for the Memphis construction company.

“We are pleased to welcome White Crane to the expanding Barnhart family,” Barnhart Mid-Atlantic regional director David Wills said in a statement. “The company’s customer service is second to none, and their experience in heavy industrial lifts; shutdowns, turnarounds and outages; power generation plants; and the hauling, lifting, and setting of out-of-gauge components makes them a perfect fit for us.” 

White Crane is based in West Columbia, South Carolina and was founded in 1977 by Eddie Flynt. The family-owned company has provided crane rentals, rigging and transport for services for clients more than three decades.

Barnhart was founded in 1969 in Memphis. The private company is one of the largest heavy lift and transportation organizations in the nation with more than 50 locations nationwide.

Neil Strebig is a journalist with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at neil.strebig@commercialappeal.com, 901-426-0679 or via X:@neilStrebig

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

Sarasota to display artwork by Florida’s famed Highwaymen at City Hall

City of Sarasota Public Art Manager Mary Davis Wallace, straightens a painting by one of the original Florida Highwaymen, Albert Hair, as she helps prepare the exhibit in Sarasota City Hall atrium on Monday.

To the left of the Sarasota City Commission chambers, two long, skinny Florida Pine trees stretch toward the sky, alone in marshland that shines gold in the daylight. Near a hallway that leads to city offices, a palm tree curves off the shore over a swamp that mirrors the orange sky above as Spanish moss hangs from the surrounding foliage.  

The paintings featuring these images, each harkening back to when Florida was more known for its unique natural beauty than its real-estate development, are part of the newest installation of Sarasota City Hall’s Cultural Heritage Exhibit.  

The goal, according to Sarasota Public Art Manager Mary Davis Wallace, is to inform and educate the public on one of the state’s most celebrated art movements: The Highwaymen.  

“It’s not just an opportunity for us to share the stories of our local heritage, but it’s also contributing to the broadcast of such a fantastic legacy.”  

In the 1950s, 26 Black landscape artists, primarily hailing from Florida’s Treasure Coast, sold their vivid landscape pieces off roads like I-95 and U.S. Highway 1 (hence, their name). At the time, Florida’s codified segregation made it nearly impossible for Black artists to see their work displayed in galleries.  

The group is estimated to have painted around 200,000 pieces.  

Wallace said it’s important for the city to provide free, accessible exhibits displaying the history and culture of Sarasota and the state of Florida.  

“I’ve had a lot of people coming into City Hall, thinking they were just going to pay for their parking ticket, and ending up being educated and informed and enlightened by the exhibition,” Wallace said.  

Highwaymen art collector Roger Lightle carries paintings by Willie Daniels and James Gibson into Sarasota City Hall Monday morning to begin hanging an exhibit of the Highwaymen's paintings. The exhibit is free and open to the public during City Hall hours, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Roger Lightle is a collector and amateur historian of The Highwaymen, their art, and their story. He and his wife operate Highwaymen Art Specialists, Inc., which possesses about 600 paintings, and he has helped some of their artwork be displayed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and the Orlando International Airport.

Lightle, who loaned Sarasota the artwork for the gallery, said he remembered first seeing The Highwaymen’s artwork as a child growing up in Florida – displayed at homes and businesses in Vero Beach and Fort Pierce. He said that even as a child, he was mesmerized by the paintings.  

Greater recognition of the Florida Highwaymen for their contributions to the cultural and artistic history of both Florida and the South has put their artwork in high demand, Lightle said. The demand is much more than the original artists, who sold pieces door-to-door or out of the trunks of their cars for as little as $20, just hoping to survive, could have ever dreamed.  

“Now, we’re in demand by these major museums,” Lightle said. “It’s not stopping, but it shouldn’t stop. It’s such a relevant story.”  

Lightle will lead two public lectures on the Florida Highwaymen on Feb. 13.   

Cultural Heritage Exhibits typically last six months, according to Wallace. In the meantime, City Hall will not only be the premier spot in town to hear dry debates on parking policy and zoning rules, but to also to be transported into Florida’s heartland, by paintings that represent some of the most significant work in the state’s history. 

Sarasota art collector Allan Asselstine, left, and Pui Lightle from Highwaymen Art Specialists, hang a painting by Albert Hair, one of the original Florida Highwaymen. A painting of a royal poinciana tree by James Gibson, behind Lightle will also be part of the exhibit.

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

LGBTQ+ people, including trans youth, are one of the highest risk groups for suicide

This story is about suicide. If you or someone you know needs support now, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Medical studies, national research, and local coalitions in Ohio all agree: suicide risks are higher in marginalized groups, including the LGBTQ+ community.

As Ohio awaits the fate of House Bill 68 — a bill to ban gender-affirming care in the state that has been vetoed by Gov. Mike DeWine but could have that veto overridden by the General Assembly — suicide prevention coalitions, mental health professionals and youth groups are all looking toward the future of the groups they serve, who could be negatively impacted by the bill.

“What is missing is the community care aspect of it,” said Erin Upchurch, executive director of Columbus’ Kaleidoscope Youth Center. “How we as adults in particular are creating a safer, more affirming world for our children, and lately we’re not doing a good job.”

Kaleidoscope has spoken out against HB 68 in several committee hearings and in public statements, and are among the hundreds to do so before the legislature passed the bill in December.

Opponents say the bill targets a small minority of kids, but could have a dangerous impact on adolescents trying to establish themselves in the world, or even on their decision to stay alive.

“When all (trans kids) are getting is messages that you don’t deserve to exist, that could make a kid say ‘that doesn’t make me feel good about my future,’” Upchurch said.

‘Internalized stigma’

A 2022 review of current research provided as a free guide by Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Center for Suicide Prevention and Research, identifies internalized stigma, or self-judgment for going against what is considered societal “norms,” as “a major risk factor for adverse mental health outcomes in LGBQ youth,” according to researchers.

“Similar relationships have been observed in transgender and gender-diverse adults, with internalized transphobia associated with suicide attempts above and beyond other factors, according to the research analysis.

The concept of “rejection sensitivity,” or anticipation and avoidance of rejection by society was also considered a possible risk factor for “self-injurious thoughts and behaviors” or SITBs, which includes self-injury that’s not considered suicidal, along with suicidal ideation and attempts at suicide.

“In contrast, support from family members, friends and communities is protective for LGBTQIA+ individuals and may play a key role in reducing SITB risk,” the research stated.

“Family connectedness and adult caring are protective against suicidal ideation and attempts among LGB youth,” both at certain points of a child’s life and across time, the research stated.

In 2023, the LGBTQ advocacy group The Trevor Project released a U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People, studying those between the ages of 13 and 24. The survey found that, for the fifth year in a row, “anti-LGBTQ victimization contributes to the higher rates of suicide risk reported by LGBTQ young people and that most (56%) who want mental health care are unable to get it.”

The study showed that 41% of LGBTQ+ youth surveyed “seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year,” with higher rates reported for transgender and nonbinary individuals, along with people of color in those groups.

According to the study, nearly 1 in 3 American LGBTQ+ young people said they suffered from poor mental health “most of the time or always due to anti-LGBTQ policies and legislation.”

“Nearly 2 in 3 LGBTQ young people said that hearing about potential state or local laws banning people from discussing LGBTQ people at school made their mental health a lot worse,” the study stated.

A different piece of legislature, Ohio House Bill 8, would target “sexuality” content in schools, and would create a system in which schools would be required to notify parents of “changes in the health of the student” and the district would be barred from “encouraging the student to hide these issues from their parents.”

Opponents of that bill, including Ohio School Psychologists Association and the Ohio School Counselor Association, say the bill could create a chilling effect, causing a school counselor or psychologist to be seen not as a trusted safe space, but as a place of stress and fear.

“It ignores a solid body of research as to the dangers inherent in depriving a vulnerable population of needed psychological care and the potential for suicide because of it,” OSPA Executive Director Rachel Chilton told the Ohio Senate Education Committee in December.

Reaching the population

At the start of 2024, the Ohio Department of Health announced a total of $350,000 in grants going to seven suicide prevention coalitions in the state, paid through the Public Health Fund of Ohio.

Coalitions in Cuyahoga, Darke, Hamilton, Highland/Pike, Licking, Logan and Lucas counties received $50,000 each to use for “suicide prevention strategies and approaches aimed at helping youth and young adults ages 10 to 24 years,” according to the ODH’s announcement of the awards.

Some of those programs include specific resources for the LGBTQ+ communities, and the grant money will further the work in those areas. Cuyahoga County’s Suicide Prevention Coalition plans to partner with two groups in the area to target two particular groups: African American youth and LGBTQ+.

“We know from the research that’s out there that those two groups have a higher vulnerability and a higher risk for suicide,” said Mark Onusko, a behavioral health prevention specialist for Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County.

Risk factors that play into the potential for youth suicide are experiences with “minority stress,” discrimination, and experiences of physical or emotional harm, or bullying, including cyberbullying, according to Onusko.

“When you recognize that there are disparities in terms of need, I think it’s important to let the population know what resources are already out there,” Onusko told the Capital Journal.

For Emily McConville and the Licking County Suicide Prevention Coalition, finding a new way to engage with young people could be the link the county needs to be able to prevent youth suicide.

So when applying for their grant, they pledged to develop an app tailored to that demographic, “providing immediate access to local prevention resources.”

“Recognizing the influential role teachers, coaches and community leaders play in the lives of young people, we intend to enhance current gatekeeper efforts, enabling them to identify at-risk youths and provide the necessary support or referrals so parents are equipped with the tools to recognize and respond to the signs of distress in their children,” the application read.

While the app is still a work in progress, McConville said as specific groups or specific needs for resources become apparent, the app could be updated to reflect what’s needed.

“What we should all agree on is that we should be protecting the livelihood of children,” McConville said.

On-campus entertainment to enjoy this month

As the academic calendar flips to spring, it can be easy for students to forget just how much USC still has to offer to entertain and enrich their lives. To start, here’s a selection of entertainment that should keep students energized during the first few weeks of classes.


Daily headlines, sent straight to your inbox.

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with the latest at and around USC.

Get artistic inspiration from an expert

The Roski School of Art and Design has held its illuminating “Roski Talks” lecture series for more than 15 years now, and the lineup of free events for this semester kicks off Jan. 16 with a visit from artist and educator William Camargo. When he’s not delivering lectures at UC San Diego or California State University, Fullerton, Camargo creates his photography-based art in order to bluntly comment on social issues such as gentrification and police brutality.

Camargo’s work has been displayed in locations ranging from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to Harvard University’s Cooper Gallery of African and African American Art. Though Camargo’s body of work may be impressive, the talk will maintain the low-pressure environment of the lecture series, where audience participation is common and group discussions or Q&A sessions follow each presentation. Students and the public can enjoy the talk at the Roski Graduate Building in Los Angeles’ Arts District.

Embark on an all-day movie marathon

Students should check their schedule closely on Jan. 16, because the School of Cinematic Arts will screen a whopping five films, all for free. The day begins at the Zemeckis Center for the Digital Arts with a 9 a.m. screening of “The Sky Is Falling” (1975). The film, directed by director Silvio Narizzano, is a darkly comedic thriller set in a small Spanish village. Immediately afterward, an 11 a.m. screening of the action film “The Dragon Lives Again” (1977) features the spirit of Bruce Lee played by “Bruce” Leung Siu-Lung.Want a lunch break? Too bad. Supernatural tale “The Haunting of Julia” (1977) plays at 1 p.m., followed by “The Happiness of the Katakuris” (2001) at 3 p.m., which the School of Cinematic Arts curiously describes as “‘The Sound of Music’ meets ‘Dawn Of The Dead.’”

Finally, the action moves to Norris Cinema Theatre, which will show “The Last Repair Shop” (2023) at 7 p.m., followed by a Q&A with the documentary’s Oscar-nominated co-directors. “The Last Repair Shop” is a short documentary focusing on a small team in L.A. who take care of more than 80,000 student musical instruments.

Attend a massive celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday

The product of a collaboration between professor of music Ronald McCurdy and professor of theatre practice Anita Dashiell-Sparks, arts collective Visions and Voices will present a slightly belated celebration of Dr. King’s birthday, titled “Nobody Knows: Un(Muted Voices).” The slate of carefully curated student performances includes music, dance, video and poetry, and will be held in the School of Dramatic Arts’ Bing Theatre.

Naturally, the student performers have pretty impressive mentors to learn from before they step on stage. Dashiell-Sparks has acted on Broadway opposite Matthew Broderick, and McCurdy has worked as director for the National Grammy Vocal Jazz Ensemble. The event will give a spotlight to marginalized communities — those now-unmuted voices — with the same spirit and dedication as the man whose birthday it honors. “Nobody Knows: (Un)Muted Voices” kicks off at 7 p.m. on Jan. 19.

Spend a Night at the (GRAMMY) Museum

The “Late Night ‘SC” program, an event series operated by USC’s Campus Activities department, offers a wide range of events to ring in the spring semester, which includes their trip Jan. 20 to the GRAMMY Museum in Downtown L.A. The museum closes to the public at 6 p.m. that day, but students are exclusively offered the chance to explore the music museum’s third and fourth floors starting at 7 p.m. While students are unable to access the second floor’s temporary exhibits, the two open floors are packed with interactive exhibits and L.A.’s first gallery dedicated wholly to Latin music.

Students will get a full three hours to enjoy most of what the museum has to offer, though the GRAMMY Museum also has a lengthy event calendar packed full of workshops and the occasional surprise artist showcase — Olivia Rodrigo visited for an intimate event last fall to promote her album “GUTS.” But this initial visit to the Museum should be a good start for USC music fans.

Learn “The Importance of Being Earnest”

The School of Dramatic Arts will open its semester with Oscar Wilde’s 1895 play “The Importance of Being Earnest.” The writer behind “The Picture of Dorian Gray” also penned this chaotic satire starring two bachelors and their quest for true love. SDA faculty member Finola Hughes, best known for her performances in “General Hospital” and in the musical “Cats,” helms this production.

Unlike a typical SDA production, this play won’t be performed in the school’s flagship Bing Theatre. Instead, the action will take place at Boston Court Pasadena. The venue specializes in innovation in plays both old and new, the perfect venue for a collegiate take on a play that will turn 129 this year.  Performances of “The Importance of Being Earnest” begin Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. and continue daily through Jan. 30, including matinees that Saturday and Sunday.

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

These Patients Had to Lobby for Correct Diabetes Diagnoses. Was Their Race a Reason?

When Phyllisa Deroze was told she had diabetes in a Fayetteville, North Carolina, emergency department years ago, she was handed pamphlets with information on two types of the disease. One had pictures of children on it, she recalled, while the other had pictures of seniors.

Deroze, a 31-year-old English professor at the time, was confused about which images were meant to depict her. Initially, she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, as shown on the pamphlet with older adults. It would be eight years before she learned she had a different form of diabetes — one that didn’t fit neatly on either pamphlet.

The condition is often called latent autoimmune diabetes of adults, or LADA for short. Patients with it can be misdiagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and spend months or years trying to manage the wrong condition. As many as 10% of patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes might actually have LADA, said Jason Gaglia, an endocrinologist at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston.

Deroze and three other LADA patients who spoke with KFF Health News, all Black women, are among those who were initially misdiagnosed. Without the correct diagnosis — which can be confirmed through blood tests — they described being denied the medicines, technology, and tests to properly treat their diabetes. Three of them wonder if their race played a role.

Phyllisa Deroze stand on an outdoor balcony in a warm climate. Palm trees are visible behind her as she smiles at the camera.
Phyllisa Deroze first asked to have her blood tested for antibodies associated with Type 1 diabetes six years after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Two years later, after two endocrinologists denied her requests, she persuaded her gynecologist to run a test. The results came back positive, showing she indeed had diabetes, but not Type 2.(Kathryn Pitts)

“That does seem to happen more frequently for African American patients and for other minoritized groups,” said Rochelle Naylor, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of Chicago who researches atypical forms of diabetes. “Doctors, like any other person walking this planet, we all have implicit biases that impact our patient experiences and our patient care delivery.”

Black patients have long struggled with bias across the U.S. health care system. In a recent KFF survey, for example, 55% of Black adults said they believed they needed to be careful at least some of the time about their appearances to be treated fairly during medical visits. Hospital software used to treat patients has been investigated for discrimination. Even a common test used to manage diabetes can underestimate blood sugar levels for patients who have sickle cell trait, which is present in nearly 1 in 10 African Americans.

LADA ostensibly has nothing to do with race, but misconceptions about race, weight, and age can all lead doctors to misdiagnose LADA patients with Type 2 diabetes, said Kathleen Wyne, an endocrinologist who leads the adult Type 1 diabetes program at Ohio State University.

Type 2 diabetes develops in people, often over age 45, whose bodies cannot properly regulate their blood sugar levels. Type 2 accounts for at least 90% of diabetes cases in the U.S. and has a high prevalence among African Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanic populations. It can often be managed with lifestyle changes and oral medications.

LADA is more akin to, or even thought to be another form of, Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune condition once dubbed “juvenile diabetes” because it was most often diagnosed in children. Type 1 occurs when the body attacks its cells that produce insulin — the naturally occurring hormone that regulates blood sugar by helping turn food into energy. Without insulin, humans can’t survive.

LADA is difficult to diagnose because it progresses slowly, Gaglia said. Typical LADA patients are over 30 and don’t require injectable insulin for at least six months after diagnosis. But, like Type 1 patients, most will eventually depend on injections of pharmaceutical insulin for the rest of their lives. That delay can lead physicians to believe their patients have Type 2 diabetes even as treatment becomes less effective.

“If you have someone who comes into your office who is obese and/or overweight and may have a family history of Type 2 diabetes — if you’re a betting person, you bet on them having Type 2 diabetes,” Gaglia said. “But that’s the thing with LADA: It unmasks itself over time.”

Mila Clarke stands in her home. She wears a pale blue dress and looks towards the camera. A couch and houseplant are faintly visible in the background.
“In the health care system, it’s really hard to vocalize your needs when you are a woman of color because you come off as aggressive, or you come off as a know-it-all, or you come off as disrespectful,” Mila Clarke says. “My intuition was right this whole time, but nobody believed me.” (Brandon Thibodeaux for KFF Health News)

Mila Clarke, who lives in Houston, finally saw an endocrinologist in November 2020, more than four years after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. During that visit, she recounted her struggles to manage her blood sugar despite taking oral medications and making significant changes to her diet and exercise regimens.

“‘What you just explained to me, I believe, is a classic case of LADA,’” Clarke recalled being told. “‘Has anybody ever tested you for Type 1 antibodies?’”

Because both Type 1 diabetes and LADA are autoimmune conditions, patients will have antibodies that Type 2 patients typically don’t. But, as Clarke recounted, getting tested for those various antibodies isn’t always easy.

Clarke, now 34, had leaned into her Type 2 diagnosis when she received it in 2016 at age 26. She started a blog with nutrition and lifestyle tips for people with diabetes called “Hangry Woman,” and garnered tens of thousands of followers on Instagram. Clarke said she wanted to fight the stigma around Type 2 diabetes, which stereotypes often associate with being overweight.

“Some of the harshest comments that I had gotten were from people with Type 1 who were like, ‘We’re not the same. I didn’t cause this. I didn’t do this to myself,’” Clarke said. “Well, neither did I.”

Clarke also felt her initial doctor thought she just wasn’t working hard enough.

When she learned about continuous glucose monitors, wearable electronic devices that allow patients to track their blood sugar around the clock, she asked her primary care doctor to prescribe one. The monitors are recommended for patients with Type 1 and, more recently, some with Type 2. “He flat-out told me, ‘No. It’s going to be too much information, too much data for you,’” she recalled.

Clarke switched to a different primary care doctor who she felt listened better and who prescribed a continuous glucose monitor. (Clarke later became a paid ambassador for the company that manufactures her device.) The new doctor eventually referred Clarke to the endocrinologist who asked if she’d been tested for antibodies. The test came back positive. Clarke had LADA.

“In the health care system, it’s really hard to vocalize your needs when you are a woman of color because you come off as aggressive, or you come off as a know-it-all, or you come off as disrespectful,” Clarke said. “My intuition was right this whole time, but nobody believed me.”

Mila Clarke inserts a syringe into a vial of insulin.
Mila Clarke inserts a syringe into a vial of insulin, which she uses to treat her diabetes.(Brandon Thibodeaux for KFF Health News)

Immediately, Clarke noticed an “eye-opening” difference in how she was treated. She started insulin injections and was referred to a dietitian and a diabetes educator. She wondered: Why wasn’t it easier to get tested for antibodies?

Those tests are imperfect and can have false positives, said Gaglia of the Joslin center. Still, Ohio State’s Wyne argued that every diabetes patient should be tested for at least the most common antibody associated with Type 1.

“Aren’t you saving lives if you’re identifying the Type 1 before they come in with DKA and die?” Wyne asked, referring to diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious complication of diabetes most commonly associated with Type 1.

Deroze started asking her doctor for antibodies tests in 2017 after reading about a Type 2 blogger’s experience being newly diagnosed with LADA.

Her endocrinologist denied her requests. She thinks the doctor thought it was impossible for her to have an autoimmune form of diabetes because of her race and weight. She sought a second opinion from a different endocrinologist, who also refused to test her.

“I just felt unseen,” Deroze said.

After a bout with diabetic ketoacidosis in 2019, Deroze finally persuaded her gynecologist to test her for antibodies. The results came back positive. One of the endocrinologists apologetically prescribed insulin and, later, an insulin pump, another ubiquitous piece of technology for people with Type 1.

And for the first time, she encountered the words “diabetes is not your fault” while reading about Type 1 diabetes. It felt like society was caring for her in a way it hadn’t when she was misdiagnosed with Type 2. That’s troubling, she said, and so is how long it took to get what she needed.

“My PhD didn’t save me,” said Deroze, who now lives in the Miami area. “You just see the color of my skin, the size of my body, and it negates all of that.”

Minnesota Mesothelioma Victims Center Appeals to A Plumber-Skilled trades Worker with Mesothelioma in Minneapolis-Saint Paul-Duluth or Anywhere in Minnesota to Call Attorney Erik Karst-Get Better Compensation Results

Minnesota Mesothelioma Victims Center Appeals to A Plumber-Skilled trades Worker with Mesothelioma in Minneapolis-Saint Paul-Duluth or Anywhere in Minnesota to Call Attorney Erik Karst-Get Better Compensation Results – African American News Today – EIN Presswire

Trusted News Since 1995

A service for global professionals · Tuesday, January 9, 2024 · 680,019,367 Articles · 3+ Million Readers

News Monitoring and Press Release Distribution Tools

News Topics

Newsletters

Press Releases

Events & Conferences

RSS Feeds

Other Services

Questions?

Democrats and the Left: A Mutual Dependency

… supremacist order. The young African American radical A. Philip Randolph … the new federation welcomed African Americans as equal members; most … take a stand against racism and poverty and mobilized … for preaching to young African Americans in poor communities a … RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News

Los Angeles Trial Lawyers’ Charities Welcomes New Leadership for 2024

Los Angeles Trial Lawyers’ Charities Welcomes New Leadership for 2024 – African American News Today – EIN Presswire

Trusted News Since 1995

A service for global professionals · Tuesday, January 9, 2024 · 680,009,354 Articles · 3+ Million Readers

News Monitoring and Press Release Distribution Tools

News Topics

Newsletters

Press Releases

Events & Conferences

RSS Feeds

Other Services

Questions?

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment