Lucha to host event for health screening, reform

According to Columbia social justice group Lucha, health should not depend on wealth.

This Saturday, Lucha—which means “struggle” in Spanish—will host a community health fair for residents of Harlem and Washington Heights. The event will take place in Roone Arledge auditorium from noon to 4 p.m. The fair, which is free for participants, will offer various screenings, services, and medical information, ranging from vision care to HIV testing. In addition, it will feature speakers from activist groups that promote large-scale health-care reform.

By supplying immediate services along with information about a broader vision for health reform, Lucha hopes to bridge the gap between the immediate impact of community service and the long-term benefits of social activism. “We are trying to put out a message for political change, but we do see the importance and the immediacy of providing services,” Lucha Chair Johanna Ocaña, CC ’10, said.

The fair’s organizers hope that attendees will use the fair as an opportunity to inform themselves and get involved in health-care reform. “A lot of people acknowledge the flaws,” Ocaña said of the country’s health-care system, “but it’s like it’s this giant thing that can’t be fixed, and so to at least start a dialogue is the first step. Health care is a basic human right, not a privilege, and we really want people to engage with that idea.”

Lucha chose to target Harlem and Washington Heights residents because of the communities’ geographic proximity to Columbia. In addition, out of all of Manhattan, both neighborhoods rank near the bottom in terms of access to medical care. Members of Lucha have been publicizing the event by posting flyers, advertising on community Web sites, and by distributing leaflets on the subway. According to Public Relations Coordinator Iliana Feliz, CC ’09, spreading awareness in the community is key. “We hope for people to be aware of the issues surrounding health care, and to push for some health-care reform in the future,” she said.

Rudi Batzell, CC ’09 and a Spectator columnist, participated in the event’s outreach. “It’s really unfortunate, the degree of separation between Columbia University and Harlem and Washington Heights.” With this event, “we’re treating them as partners in a political struggle” he said of Harlem and Washington Heights residents.

This type of community outreach is a central aim of Lucha, according to Ocaña. “We think it’s important to engage with members that are not just the Columbia community,” she said. While the group has screened films and hosted lectures for the campus community, many of its initiatives are intended to make change beyond Columbia’s gates.

Members of the organization first began talking about the health fair over the summer, though most of the planning occurred this semester. The health fair is the first event of its kind organized by Lucha and, for this reason, the group has faced some challenges. “It is a leap of faith for organizations that have agreed to come because we haven’t put this event on before,” Ocaña said. Additionally, this has made planning unpredictable. “It could go great and a lot of people could come, or no one could,” she said of the event, adding “we’re pretty optimistic about it.”

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