By Julie Appleby, By KFF Health News For millions of Americans who buy their own health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, the end of the year brings a day of reckoning: It’s time to compare benefits and prices and change to a new plan or enroll for the first time. Open enrollment starts […]
Category: Health
Posted inWord In Black
The EPA almost did something to help Cancer Alley. But then they didn’t
By Willy Blackmore, Word in Black Last fall, the Environmental Protection Agency said something that many have long suspected to be true: an investigation of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality found “significant evidence suggesting that the Departments’ actions or inactions” have harmed the majority-Black communities in Cancer Alley, as the refinery- and petrochemical factory-laden […]
Posted in!Front Page
Breakthrough research sheds light on aggressive breast cancers in Black women
By Stacy M. BrownNNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent (NNPA NEWSWIRE) – Researchers at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center are spearheading a pioneering study to unravel the biological underpinnings of aggressive breast cancers in Black women. Led by Dr. Harikrishna Nakshatri, a breast cancer researcher at the Indiana University School of […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Three forms of healing you can try today
By Shaela Foster, Special to the AFRO Therapy in the Black community is a taboo and rarely spoken about within different generations. For some, breaking this generational cycle is key. More and more people are engaging in various forms of healing– that don’t hinge on talk therapy– as a way of normalizing self-care in the […]
Posted inHealth
A time to reflect: Black men weigh in on how they healed their heart, minds and souls
By Maurice Carroll, Special to the AFRO As the seasons change, reflection is a key. This week, the AFRO asked local Black men two questions to get insight on stressors that were affecting their mental health and how they got on their paths to healing. Keston De Coteau Entrepreneur, Photographer/ Video Producer What was affecting […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Supporting employee well-being: A look into corporate wellness programs
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), an independent health care nonprofit, 54 percent of small companies and 85 percent of large companies offered health and wellness programs to their employees in 2022. The offered programs included smoking cessation, weight management and behavioral and lifestyle coaching. Many people […]
Posted inHBCU
Howard’s Homecoming is “self-care” for many alumni
By Ariyana Griffin WASHINGTON D.C.- Thousands of Howard alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and supporters filled the streets and Howard’s campus this weekend, showing their HBCU pride as they prepared to close out their Homecoming festivities. Every year, Homecoming welcomes alumni back with welcome arms, and it becomes something to look forward to. “I have […]
Posted inReligion
The best of both worlds: Meet Bishop C. Guy Robinson, the Mental Health Theologian
By Marnita ColemanSpecial to the AFRO Bishop C. Guy Robinson, pastor of The Tabernacle of the Lord Church and Ministries in West Baltimore, is on a journey to normalize mental wellness from his pulpit. Known as a “mental health theologian,” he believes partnerships between pastors and mental health professionals in service to the African-American community […]
Posted inLiving
The business of self-care and how to budget for it
By Megan SaylesAFRO Business Writermsayles@afro.com Although reducing stress and promoting well-being go hand in hand for many, it’s easy to confuse the act of “self-soothing” with what is called “self-care.” The former is typically reactive and occurs when a person engages in an activity to provide instant relief for emotional, mental or physical distress. The […]
Posted inHealth
Black advocates address social determinants of health
By Tashi McQueenAFRO Political Writertmcqueen@afro.com Experts have long considered how racial disparities can play a part in the success or failure of achieving your best self. While Black people, like many Americans, make resolutions at the top of the year to address emotional, mental and physical health– they must also take into account the social […]
Posted inMusic
AFRO inside look: The benefits of sound healing
By Aria Brent AFRO Staff Writer abrent@afro.com Regardless of the genre, music plays a special role in the human experience by providing us with sounds that help define certain moments, feelings and occasions. Everyone seems to have a soundtrack to their life. Certain sounds can connect with and impact different parts of the body–even everyday noises can […]
Posted inHealth
A time to explore: Tapping into alternative forms of therapy
By Mennatalla IbrahimSpecial to the AFRO Whether it’s work, school, money or the daily hassles of life, stressors are all around us. While there’s no denying the need to integrate self-care into our lives, many have found that traditional forms of therapy don’t work for them. As a result, these individuals have instead turned to […]