Blog Archive
August 2026
Really Irene?
08/15/2026
There Is A Risk
08/09/2026
2026 Year in Review
08/03/2026
A Message From Your Newly Elected President
08/03/2026
Neighborhoods Within the Village
08/03/2026
Treasurer’s Report
08/03/2026
An Even Exchange
08/01/2026
July 2026
The 3:00 AM Trip to the Bathroom
07/30/2026
A New Year, A New Board of Directors
07/01/2026
Home Sweet Home...No Moving Required
07/01/2026
How Did You Get Here?
07/01/2026
Scams, Frauds, AI…Oh No, Not Again
07/01/2026
Two's Company!
07/01/2026
Village Magic
07/01/2026
June 2026
Ability Resource Fair - A.R.F.!
06/01/2026
Goals, Priorities and Tasks. Oh, My!
06/01/2026
Jabber-Walkies
06/01/2026
LGBTQ+ Bars: A Book-talk
06/01/2026
Ladies Who Lunch
06/01/2026
President’s Message
06/01/2026
April 2026
Altadena’s Coyote Comeback
04/29/2026
Catch it Before it's Gone!
04/29/2026
Legacy Project
04/29/2026
Not Too Old To Get Carded
04/29/2026
President's Message
04/29/2026
Stuck in Milwaukee - Airplane Travel 2026
04/29/2026
The Art Journaling Workshop
04/29/2026
Think You're Losing Your Mind?
04/29/2026
Visiting The Getty
04/29/2026
March 2026
My Home For Now
03/30/2026
My Home for Now
03/30/2026
Do I Really Need a Will and/or a Trust?
03/26/2026
Everybody Needs a Blankie
03/26/2026
Kickoff: Prepared 50+ Emergency Preparedness
03/26/2026
The Birth of an Archive for Pasadena Village
03/26/2026
Too Smart to be Scammed?
03/26/2026
“I DIDN’T KNOW THAT!” A Refresher Course
03/26/2026
Across the Waiting Room
03/11/2026
February 2026
Status - February 28, 2026
02/28/2026
AI Presentation
02/26/2026
Exploring the “Cheech”
02/26/2026
Mary Mejia is Here to Make a Difference
02/26/2026
One Year On
02/26/2026
President’s Message – March 2026
02/26/2026
January 2026
Hearts & Limbs in Zambia
01/28/2026
Lost Trees of Altadena Return Home
01/28/2026
President's Message: WHY the Village Works
01/28/2026
TV: Behind the Scenes
01/28/2026
Trauma to Triumph
01/28/2026
Melba Swafford Guest Speaker, Vital Signs
By Blog Master · Posted 03/08/2021
Notes thanks to Sharon Jarrett.
The group discussed an article from the Los Angeles Times about a recent decision by the LA Police Commission to reinstate an African American Police Officer who was terminated from the department in 1900 after he was accused of an assault. The case went to court and the officer was exonerated but never returned to the force. The incident was brought to the attention of Chief Michael Moore who took the matter to the Commission for review. The historical facts were noted, he was reinstated and an apology issued.
A brief discussion followed about repairing past actions in the current time. It was noted that at a recent Pasadena City Council meeting about the General Plan for city development, Council Member Kennedy asked the Mayor to include historical information in decision making documents. Council Member Kennedy noted the harm caused by the 710 easement and requested the impact on the African American and Japanese American communities be noted in written documents as determinations were made about the property.
It was noted that the Glendale and Brand Libraries produced a multi episode series on racial inequity in the city called "Reckoning". it is available on the library web site. Also recommended was a Netflix series "Amend:The Fight for America".
The participants were reminded that there is a reference list of articles on the Group's blog.
The next meeting will be on March 19th at Noon.
Dr. Melba Swafford will discuss her book, "Vital Signs Are Stable".
Dr. Melba Swafford will discuss her book, "Vital Signs Are Stable".
Here is a brief synopsis and biography:
Young Negro girls born into the poverty of 1940's Smokey City weren't supposed to attain success in any endeavor. When you're born into a world stunted by the isolating forces of racial and socioeconomic oppression, what's possible is supposed to be limited. In Vital Signs are Stable, Ruth guides us through her improbable journey, forged in the harsh realities of the Jim Crow South, but triumphant as she applies grit and determination in her rise into the rarefied air of academic medicine. The journey is a breathtaking story of Ruth's triumph over the seemingly insurmountable challenges life placed in her way.
Young Negro girls born into the poverty of 1940's Smokey City weren't supposed to attain success in any endeavor. When you're born into a world stunted by the isolating forces of racial and socioeconomic oppression, what's possible is supposed to be limited. In Vital Signs are Stable, Ruth guides us through her improbable journey, forged in the harsh realities of the Jim Crow South, but triumphant as she applies grit and determination in her rise into the rarefied air of academic medicine. The journey is a breathtaking story of Ruth's triumph over the seemingly insurmountable challenges life placed in her way.
Dr. Melba Swafford, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at Baylor College of Medicine (retired) is a native of Memphis, Tennessee. She received her BA and MD degrees from Howard University in Washington, D.C. where she also completed her anesthesiology residency. She completed a fellowship in Cardiovascular Anesthesiology at Baylor College of Medicine after which she joined the Baylor College of Medicine faculty at the Fondren Brown Cardiovascular Unit of The Methodist Hospital.
Dr. Swafford's book, "Vital Signs Are Stable", is available on Amazon.
