Stand Up to Stigma

Pernessa's book can make a difference in your life. In a powerful way, it gets to the heart of a complex issue. Many people stigmatize others without realizing it, and Seele helps readers understand what they can do to change their attitudes and actions. --Jeff Pegues, Justice and Homeland Security Correspondent, CBS News, and author of Black and Blue We all dream of living in a world without stigma and bias, but a quick glance at the news proves that this is a dream deferred. Pernessa Seele pulls no punches in identifying the cost of stigma and steps to take away the power of stigma and bias. --Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, Chairman, Conference on National Black Churches, Inc. Dr. Pernessa Seele's tireless efforts to remove disparities in health care--and wherever we need more understanding and acceptance--is nothing short of inspirational. I will gladly share this book with anyone who questions the toll that stigma takes on our human community--or the path we can take to escape it. --John Hope Bryant, Chairman, Operation HOPE In sharing cogent reflections based upon her pioneering experiences as a courageous health advocate, Pernessa Seele squarely identifies the societal toll taken by stigma and stereotyping--and delineates the steps we can take to reaffirm the dignity we each innately possess by virtue of our humanity. --Natalia Kanem, MD, Acting Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund Dr. Seele puts a human face on the consequences of stigma, shows the need to examine our biases, and gives me the uneasy personal reminder that as a public health official and researcher, I must drive outside my lane of numbers and statistics. --Willi McFarland, MD, PhD, MPH&TM, Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, and Director, Center for Public Health Research, San Francisco Department of Public Health The Balm In Gilead founded by Dr. Pernessa Seele has saved lives inthe United States, Africa and beyond. Through education, treatmentand prevention, Pernessa has enabled tens of thousands to walk theearth with health, hope and wholeness. We are blessed to have Dr.Seele's narrative of healthcare and wellness in a wounded world. --Rev. Dr. Otis Moss Jr. International pastor, theologian, speaker, author, and activist