Hi everyone! Happy end of Winter! Make sure to click on the links for the youtube documentary and podcast I’ve highlighted below. Some really good content to check out!
February- Black History Month
In 2020 an amazing documentary came out by Mia Donovan titled Dope is Death. It highlighted a history of Acupuncture, previously much unknown, that the Black Panthers and the Young Lords created the first Acupuncture detox program in the United States. In the early 1970’s, Black and Brown communities in the Bronx and Harlem of New York were struggling with a rampant heroin addiction problem. These communities were also extremely undeserved in the quality of health care available to them by their local hospital a condemned facility. Members of the Black Panthers and Young Lords took it into their hands to advocate for better health care and to address the heroin epidemic in their communities. They worked with Acupuncturists to create the 5 point Acupuncture addiction protocol which is still used today to treat addiction. They also founded the Lincoln Detox center and trained themselves and other members of their community to provide Acupuncture to help detox people off heroin without the use of Methadone. This is at a time when Acupuncture was just being introduced to the United States.
Check out Dope is Death on you tube.
March- Women’s History Month
Many of you know, that as of January 2023, the Peoples Acupuncture of Asheville is a woman owned business! I have this privilege due to the countless efforts of generations of women who came before me.
Many of you have read some of the books in our waiting room written by Lisa Rohleder. She is the founder of Community Acupuncture in this country. She owns Working Class Acupuncture in Portland Oregon and has founded Poca-Tech, the only school training students to specifically become community Acupuncturists. She also has a tuition cap for her school dedicated to keeping education affordable. Check out her interview on Qiological podcast where she talks about business ownership and her progression into running her own school.
