Alright, this one is for those with a darker complexion, but if your skin burns within 20 minutes of being in sunlight please stay, read and subscribe :)
In short, the Black community needs to start taking better care of ourselves.
Black people and other people of color have much higher rates of mortality due to preventable disease than white people. Nearly 37% of adult black men and 50% of adult black women are obese. We have higher rates of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease than any other group! And to put the cherry on top, the leading cause of death among the Black community IS heart disease… which for the most part is a preventable disease!
Asthma is WAY more prevalent in Blacks. Black children have a 500% higher death rate from asthma compared to white children. African American/Canadians experience higher incidence and mortality rates from many cancers that could be controlled at an early diagnosis and treatment (which leads to under representation in statistics and data) but I will save that for my thesis…
‘Joy what about the social determinants of health?? Racism??’ I know about all those things and frankly I do not really care. Well I do, but we can’t keep using these as excuses to justify our poor health choices and lack of physical activity we part take in. We need to get up and MOVE!
I am sick of hearing of someone’s uncle getting diagnosed with hypertension or diabetes and their family and friends asking for prayers. Like ok I am all for that, but can we also make some lifestyle adjustments too? We know God moves in mysterious ways but so does exercise and balanced diet.
We have gone through too much to let a sedentary lifestyle take us out.
All I know is that I didn’t spend nearly $45k on an education to not help my Black brothers and sisters. It may seem that way since I am not emerged in the ‘culture’ but it’s not really my fault. You see, I grew up in a white neighborhood, went to white schools I didn’t know better. I am thankful for Rapsody’s “Eve” and Jidenna’s “85 to Africa” that truly ‘woke’ me up. Don’t give up on me fam… I will work my way back, and this is the start.
Joy
