LaTroya A. Hester
Social Impact Communicator | Trainer | Founder
Writing Samples
or click here to take a gander at how eloquently I have been quoted (or misquoted) in the paper.
Huffington Post
Black Health Matters: Bring the Revolution Home
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We have been chanting that Black lives matter — that our lives matter — for some time now. To be true, past generations have chanted that Black lives matter since slavery, the Jim Crow era, voting suppression and the civil rights movement.
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Calls from the current generation have ranged from written commentary on the subtle micro-aggressions that lead to oppression, to city riots that cry out so loudly that continued injustice can no longer be ignored. The revival has been as invigorating and as unapologetic as if it were straight out of the west coast’s 1990s. Its sparks have hinted at the revolution that is surely upon us.
The Center​
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The Center's Position on Menthol
The tobacco industry has executed a calculated, menthol-centered strategy to establish a strong presence in African American communities, appropriate African American culture, and create a dependency on tobacco funding. As such, the predominant use of menthols among African American smokers is well documented among public health authorities. However, we have observed the way in which tobacco control advocates have negotiated to exclude menthol as a means to protect other demographics from the harms of candy-flavored tobacco. We consider this to be counterproductive and an affront to the integrity of public health efforts. Further, we consider this to be reflective of historical racism.
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COVID-19 & Quarantining this Christmas
Holiday music is already playing in the background, and we’ll soon prepare for a short vacation and a permanent break from 2020. But as daily updates about the COVID-19 vaccine flutter through the crisp, cool air, we all know we’ve still got a distance to go before we can truly celebrate a return to normalcy. That means most of us will have to offer our season’s greetings at a distance. The good news is that this Grinch-like guidance doesn’t have to steal our holiday spirits. In fact, it presents a wonderful opportunity for us to demonstrate our love for humanity and our faith-filled hope for a healthy tomorrow. Here is your short list for wrapping a bit of merriment in this socially distant holiday.
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BlackDoctor.org
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We Asked 10 College Women About Their HIV Status & Here's What They Said
Women and girls deserve the knowledge and power they need to live their best lives—and we’re not going back and forth with you on this one. But when it comes to HIV, it turns out that many women still don’t have the information they need to make healthy decisions. One out of seven people living with HIV have no idea that they have it. This is a big deal for young women in college.
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On campuses where students are knowledgeable, fearless and judgment-free, young women are still not including HIV as a part of their sexual health routine. We asked 10 college women if they have been tested for HIV, and we’re sharing their thoughts and our feedback right here.
UGA
2008-09
UGA Scholarship of Engagement Grants | Unlocking the Secrets of the Earth
The devastating impact of the 2007 Southeast Asia tsunami on Thailand and neighboring countries raised Thai science teachers’ awareness of the need for earth science and natural disaster education. Immediately following the tsunami, interviews with community members in Phucket and in surrounding areas revealed the beliefs many people held regarding the cause of the tsunami.
Awards Program with Awardee Biographies | V. Nazarea Biography
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Virginia Nazarea, professor and Director of the Ethnoecology and Biodiversity Lab, has made unique contributions to UGA’s Department of Anthropology since 1994. She demonstrates her commitment to service-learning by developing classrooms without walls for students, the community, and the world.
HOG | 2008
Hemophilia of Georgia Newsletter | Educational Options
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High school seniors run into significant life crossroads each spring. The question echoing down locker-lined halls is the same for every graduate: What next? Some begin preparing as soon as possible for college or university options. Others may not be as interested in spending another four years in school. If you fall into this category, you may feel that your only choice is to head straight into the workforce after graduation. But if a traditional four-year college doesn't interest you, don't head off to work at the Chicken Hut too quickly. There are plenty of technical school options available to you.
Blog | 2011
Personal blog: My Natural Hair Journey | The Kitchen
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The kitchen. The part that must carefully be hidden lest the truth about our hair texture be told: that beneath the shiny, carefully crafted Shirley Temple spirals resting on your shoulders, lurk knotted naps growing wickedly in the dark....This is the kitchen. The place behind the perfect facade that no one is ever meant to see.
YES! | 2010
Youth Empowered Solutions | Press Release
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While the issue of health care is expected to dominate the conversations on CNN and in office break rooms, it may be surprising to know that health care is also a hot topic across high school cafeteria tables. A Wake County group of high school youth called Action Now! is leading the conversation, and advocating for school-based health centers.