The extended Lehigh University community is invited to attend a screening of Toxic: A Black Woman’s Story on Thursday, November 7, to launch the university’s new Equality & Justice on Screen film series.
The short film explores how racism contributes to toxic stress, which negatively impacts physical and mental health, particularly during pregnancy. This stress can lead to adverse birth outcomes, such as low birth weight and preterm birth. The intergenerational effects of these factors, compounded by socioeconomic inequalities, perpetuate cycles of disadvantage and health disparities.
The event will take place in the Black Box Theatre at Zoellner Arts Center (420 E Packer Ave, Bethlehem), with doors opening at 5 p.m. for networking prior to the 5:45 p.m. showtime (run time: 26 minutes).
In May 2024, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee at Lehigh invited proposals for the inaugural Equality & Justice on Screen film series. Two Lehigh Future Makers—Dr. Taneka Jones, a first-year research assistant professor in the Department of Bioengineering in the Rossin College, and Aika Aluc, a PhD student in the Department of Community and Population Health in Lehigh’s College of Health, collaborated to answer the call.
Aluc is co-founder of the Lehigh Maternal Child and Health Network and holds a Master of Public Health. Jones conducts research on uterine tissue engineering and has a passion for addressing health disparities, which, she says, gels nicely with Aluc’s perinatal and postpartum research and passion for maternal health equity.
A post-screening film discussion, moderated by Aluc, will feature Jones and physicians and practitioners from the Lehigh Valley to increase local awareness of black infant mortality and investigate the factors contributing to current trends by exploring root causes and continued challenges for systems change. In alignment with the university’s institutional strategy, Jones says, the long-term goals of this innovative film event will lead to interdisciplinary research and creative work to understand conflict and change.
“We hope our colleagues will join us to experience the powerful story in Toxic and learn more about how these health challenges affect our communities,” says Jones. “This screening marks an important step toward raising awareness and inspiring much-needed conversations. We’re excited to welcome everyone into this journey for understanding and change.”
Photos courtesy of TOXIC: A Black Woman's Story, toxicshortfilm.com
