Today (June 1, 2021) marks one year since听 went into effect. The following reflection was written by HRiA staff member Lauren Ansong dePass, a Black woman who leads and contributes to many HRiA programs including the Fight All Flavors/ Campaigns that mobilized communities in support of the ban, as well as the . In this reflection, Ms. Ansong dePass shares the story of a beloved community member. She explores how his experience demonstrates the years-long injustices perpetrated by Big Tobacco against the Black community and how individuals and communities can rally to overcome addiction. 听
My faith is the reason why I pursued a career in public health. It has spoken clear truth into the beauty of my identity as a听Black woman, securing听for me听my inherent value and purpose. It sustains my relentless pursuit of justice听and equity. It gives me a hopeful desire to see the people around me听prosper听in their health and well-being.听As a follower of Jesus, my faith resounds every good thing within听me and compels me to seek redemption for what听isn鈥檛.听听
Belonging to听a local church is听an听important听component of my faith practice. And for me,听that place听is听 (ALC),听a place where 鈥渇aith and life connect.鈥澨齇ver 100 years old, ALC is a multi-ethnic, multi-generational church听nestled in the heart of Central Square听led by Bishop Lawrence Ward and Rev. Dr. Virginia Ward.听As southern transplant living in Boston,听ALC听has become听a space of听home and听community. When I听was听accepted听into graduate school, they celebrated with me. When I was grieving the loss of my brother, they fed me and visited me.听When I approached the leadership about partnering with the No Menthol. Know Why.听Campaign听(NMKW), they were excited for the opportunity to expand their capacity and share important information with their听congregants.听听听
Deacon Valentino Robinson
ALC quickly formed a NMKW team comprised of leaders, youth, and current听menthol听smokers who we met with and trained听virtually.听One of听those听participants听was听Deacon Valentino Robinson.听If there was ever a class clown in church, it听would be听Deacon Valentino Robinson.听Valentino听is the guy听who听is听always cracking jokes, always laughing with the youth, and always well-dressed. A lifelong resident of Cambridge, Valentino moved to the U.S. from Panama as a young child. He lived, went to school,听and has听worked in Cambridge his entire life. But what many folks don鈥檛 know is that Valentino is addicted to menthol tobacco products.听听
Like many听Black, urban youths, Valentino was听on the听receiving end of听the听tobacco industry鈥檚听targeted marketing.听He shared in an interview听that听as a teenager,听he and his friends would spend their days hanging out in Central Square, and not surprisingly, so did tobacco companies. These companies would park in a central location and hand out free menthol cigarettes to youth and their families. It was not long before Valentino found himself smoking the free products he kept receiving. Unfortunately, this听occurrence was听not an anomaly.听In the 1960s, tobacco companies passed out free menthol cigarettes听in Black communities, claiming that the mint flavoring made them听鈥渉ealthier鈥� than traditional cigarettes.听听
鈥淚t鈥檚 not fair,鈥� Valentino continued. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like I didn鈥檛 even get to choose whether I wanted to use them. I was targeted.鈥� Valentino鈥檚 right.听The tobacco industry鈥檚 targeting of Black people is not only unfair,听it鈥檚听racist. Tobacco companies strategically rode the waves of the Civil Rights and听Black Power Movements,听clinging to imagery of Black freedom and empowerment. They exploited the needs of the Black community by buying loyalty from organizations and leaders.听They听sponsored听scholarships and donated听money to historically Black colleges and universities.听They flooded neighborhoods with advertisements and priced cigarettes lower in communities of color.听Today 90% of Black smokers use menthol products in comparison to 29% of white smokers. This is not an听accident, but a direct result of their听racist,听targeted marketing. They,听like many other industries and systems,听have and continue to听quantify and degrade the value of the Black body.听听
The听strength听of听the Fight All Flavors/No Menthol. Know Why听project was its听invitation for听community members to see their stories of tobacco addiction in a greater context of racism and targeting.听They were not individuals听who made unhealthy choices. They听are听a community that has been exploited and targeted.听On 鈥淣o Menthol Sunday,鈥� Valentino bravely shared his story of being targeted by the tobacco industry and his continued attempts to quit using tobacco products.听No Menthol Sunday is an event led by听The Center for Black Health & Equity (formerly NAAPTN, Inc.) to support information sharing about menthol tobacco听products in Black worship spaces.听During this event, Valentino听shared听how听the Fight All Flavors campaign was pivotal in听contextualizing his addiction to menthol tobacco products.听He described how this new understanding empowered him听in听to utilize nicotine replacement therapy and faith practices in his recent (and current)听quit听attempt.听听听
What鈥檚 surprised me the most as Valentino shared his story was the way the ALC community responded to him. His vulnerability, empowered by fresh contextual awareness, shifted how the congregants understood the experiences of the smokers in their lives. Participants shared with us, that they didn鈥檛 realize how the Black community, our community, had been targeted by the tobacco industry for decades. They realized that quitting tobacco products is more than a decision, but a journey that requires patience and caring community. They recognized that they didn鈥檛 want to fuel the cycle of shame that many smokers feel, but support them on their journey to life, life more abundantly.听