In celebration of Black History Month, the theme for this year is “Black Health and Wellness”. This year’s theme serves the purpose of awareness in terms of the long history of disparities experienced by the African American community in healthcare. In the midst of a pandemic, it is even more crucial to give importance to the well-being of each individual.
Aside from the COVID-19 pandemic, long-term health disparities affecting the African American community has led to the susceptibility of African Americans for diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Collectively, nearly 50% of all African American adults have some form of cardiovascular disease. Like cardiovascular diseases, the occurrence of cancer and stroke can be prevented through healthy practices that can be implemented into one’s lifestyle which may include:
- Eating a healthy diet
- Exercise
- No smoking
- Limiting alcohol use
- Manage existing medical conditions
Black History Month should emphasize the importance of health and wellness in the black community but also recognize the issues of health disparities experienced by the community. Recognition of these issues is the first step of improvement for a better tomorrow. Below are resources that focus of African American wellness:
Health and Wellness:
African American History: https://asalh.org/festival/
Outdoor Afro: https://outdoorafro.com/
Mental Wellness:
Therapy for Black Men: https://therapyforblackmen.org/therapists/
Therapy for Black Girls: https://providers.therapyforblackgirls.com/
https://asalh.org/festival/ https://www.cdc.gov/healthequity/features/african-american-history/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/11/us/iyw-black-history-month-health-wellness/index.html