By Jasmine Leonard, MPH, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield At three years old, I wanted to be a lawyer when I grew up to help my father, who experienced malpractice in healthcare. At four years old, I wanted to become a doctor because I wanted to heal my parents’ disabilities. For most of my adolescence, I ran […]
Category: Health
Posted inHealth
Task Force Recommends Breast Cancer Screening Should Begin at Age 40
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia (NNPA NEWSWIRE) – According to a new draft recommendation statement, the US Preventive Services Task Force proposes that women with an average risk for breast cancer begin screening at age 40 to reduce their risk of death. It is a change from the 2016 recommendation, […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
MTV Entertainment Studios to Host Mental Health Action Day Event Featuring V.P. Kamala Harris at CSUDH
By Black PR Wire (Black PR Wire) Carson, CA – MTV Entertainment Studios (MTVE) today announced it will host a mental health event featuring Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday, May 18, 2023 at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) in Carson, California. This is the second event MTVE has hosted in collaboration with the […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
McDonald’s found liable for hot Chicken McNugget that burned girl
By The Associated Press McDonald’s and a franchise holder are at fault after a hot Chicken McNugget from a Happy Meal fell on a little girl’s leg and caused second-degree burns, a jury in South Florida found in a case reminiscent of the famous hot coffee lawsuit of the 1990s. A second jury will determine […]
Posted inHealth
Black yogis discuss physical and mental health benefits of engaging in ancient practice
By Jared D. Childress, Sacramento Observer First impressions are everything. At first, Kirsten Johnson didn’t like yoga. A doctor said it would help mitigate her arthritis and spinal issues, so she dropped into a class at a big box gym in the Rosemont are of Sacramento, Calif. – but it wasn’t what she’d hoped. Instead […]
Posted inCommentary
The obesity crisis is not a hopeless fight for Black America
By Benjamin F. Chavis, Ph.D Whether we accept it or not, obesity continues to be a complex, chronic disease that kills thousands of Black Americans every year. Indeed, nearly half of Black Americans live with obesity, so we cannot afford to ignore this national emergency any longer. The public discourse around weight loss that has […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Councilwoman Brooke Pinto addresses District’s outdated air conditioning codes as weather is impacted by climate change
By Tashi McQueen, AFRO Political Writer, tmcqueen@afro.com Councilwoman Brooke Pinto, Ward 2, called for the D.C. Construction Codes Coordinating Board (CCCB) to reconsider the time frame on which building owners must turn on communal air conditioning for residents in the District. Pinto argues that the current time frame does not address the temperature irregularities of […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
D.C. council members fight food insecurity in schools as pandemic measures for K-12 students expire
By Hadiya Presswood, Special to the AFRO D.C. Council members introduced a bill to provide “free universal school breakfast, lunch and after-school snacks to students in public, charter and participating private schools in the District of Columbia” earlier this year. The Universal Free School Meals Amendment Act of 2023, or B25-0035, proposes that public charter […]
Posted inHealth
Serena Williams deserves a healthy second birth
By Liz Courquet-Lesaulnier, and Alexa Spencer, Word in Black Glowing in custom Gucci, tennis icon Serena Williams revealed her second pregnancy at the Met Gala in New York City on May 1, sparking well-wishes and congratulations from her fellow celebs and fans worldwide. Yet, behind the joyous news, there’s also worry. Williams’ last journey to […]
Posted inWord In Black
How maternity care deserts put Black moms at risk
By Alexa Spencer, Word in Black “I don’t want to die.” That’s what a pregnant Black woman told Adriana Hawkins-Smith, a doula serving McComb, Miss. during a prenatal visit last year. The two met up over coffee to discuss birth plans when the mother’s fear bubbled to the surface. The expectant mom was afraid of […]
Posted inHealth
How can Black men advocate for themselves in the doctor’s office?
By Torrence Banks, Special to the AFRO Healthcare for Black men is suffering from a curious disconnect between doctor and patient, according to health care experts. African-American men today often wonder what they should do when they feel that their symptoms or pain are not being taken seriously by doctors. A recent Cleveland Clinic study […]
Posted inBUSINESS
As COVID-19 public health emergency expires, Black funeral directors reflect on the pandemic’s toll
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com After three years of living through a global pandemic, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is set to end the U.S. Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19 on May 11. This declaration comes a month after President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan congressional resolution to terminate […]
