by Marlene Brand
I met an amazing young man named Angel Martinez – a seventh grade student who skipped school to lobby for a cause he believed in: the extension of community clinic funding for the residents of South Los Angeles, which is set to expire soon.
The community clinic funding comes from the Affordable Care Act enacted by President Obama, with California being the earliest state to implement health benefit programs state wide. If funding were to be cut, it would affect just about every clinic in South LA. Clinics would no longer be able to provide the vital screenings and assistance that area residents who have no jobs or health insurance need, causing them additional hardship.
Angel was one of 16 Right to Health Committee members who recently marched into the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Office to plead with them to vote for extending community clinic health benefit programs.
Angel is no stranger to community clinic healthcare organizations, such as St. John’s Well Child and Family Center Clinics. He and his mom are patients there. Just like for the majority of the committee members, which is comprised of South LA residents, these clinics are an essential lifeline to receive basic health screenings.
By bringing their personal testimonies before the Board of Supervisors, Angel and the committee members hoped to appeal to their sensibilities and put a face on the issue.
“Don’t forget the little people,” Angel told the legislators. Before they were elected, Angel feels “they were the little people.” He pointed out that if any one of them had fallen ill as a child and had no place to get treatment, they may not be here today. He urged them to keep that in mind, given the great need that currently exists in South LA.
The South LA area, which has a high rate of poor health outcomes for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and asthma, needs community clinics to get preventive care and access to treatment. Even more so, because people in South LA have an estimated life expectancy of 68 years – that’s 10 years below the national average.
These issues are so important to Angel, that he went to all his teachers and told them why he was going to skip school. He asked them for his homework assignments and completed them ahead of time, so he could go to the Board of Supervisors meeting, with his mother’s blessing.
That’s what I call a conscious young man! It makes me feel proud to know that not every child in his generation has been sucked into a video-game abyss, and there are still leaders being born every day.
Among the other prominent speakers during that meeting was Dr. Michael Katz from the L. A. Department of Health Services (DHS), who came to report on Healthy Way L. A. health benefits, and proposed transitional housing programs for mental health patients.
Angel, who faithfully attends the South Los Angeles Right to Health Committee meetings, wants to be in politics when he grows up. He says he wants to be in a position where he can be the most effective for the people of South LA. Everyone can certainly learn from him.
Don’t be afraid to speak your mind, don’t forget where you come from, stand up and fight for your rights, and know your Representatives. We at the Right to Health Committee and the SEIU – UHW are looking for great things from Angel Martinez; Governor Martinez or President Martinez, perhaps. Wow! It has a nice ring to it!
Marlene Brand is a healthcare worker and a resident of South LA.
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