Whether it is diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, breast cancer or stroke, Black women are more likely to suffer from these ailments and die from them – early. All of these illnesses are linked to obesity and lack of physical activity. As a community, we are illiterate – illiterate about what it takes to maintain our health and wellness.
Many colleges will do just about anything to get a bigger share of the ever-increasing revenue and recognition brought from participation in intercollegiate athletics. Spelman College is doing the exact opposite. The historically black liberal arts women’s college in Atlanta will announce today that it is completely eliminating intercollegiate athletics at the end of this academic year.
“Health and wellness happened first after losing my mom to cancer, and it escalated after the death of my dad,” Johnson shared. “I believe we all get deeply affected by a health scare or losing a loved one. I just decided to put my mourning into action.”
"I’m not ever interested in someone being a size 6 or a size 2 – what I’m interested in is someone having the energy and the confidence to change the world," said Dr. Rice
The college's president Beverly Daniel Tatum told the BBC that African-American women are among the least healthy demographic groups in the US, with high rates of obesity and type two diabetes. She hopes the wellness programme will improve her students' lives in the long term.
The campus was literally overrun with women engaged in important conversations about health and wellness during Spelman’s Wellness Revolution Roundtable: A Gathering of Experts, Advocates and Influencers on Women’s Health and Wellness. Students, faculty, staff and special guests took deep dives into various topics in a day of activities that were part of the College’s ongoing wellness initiative.
Over 700 individuals registered to participate in Spelman's first annual 5K run/walk.
Sara Redd was a captain of the tennis team in 2006, when it won its only conference title. Now she is its coach, the last still active at Spelman. She called Dr. Tatum’s original announcement “kind of devastating and sad,” but now says, “I think it’s a good idea,” provided that students take advantage of the expanded opportunities for physical activities, from Zumba to kickboxing.
In the beginning, Danyelle Carter had only one thought: I'm going to die. The 7 a.m. boot camp workout class at Spelman College is a muscle-testing, lung-battering trial for even the fittest. And Carter feels no shame in admitting that for most of her young life, she has been far from fit.
Whether it's diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease, black women are more likely to suffer from these ailments -- and die from them -- at young ages. All are linked to obesity and lack of physical activity.
On Thursday, June 13, in New York, Spelman College received a Silver Anvil Award of Excellence from the Public Relations Society of America for its "Saving Our Sisters: Spelman College Launches Wellness Revolution Campaign" in the Integrated Communications category.
Spelman Wellness is doing its part to help first-year students avoid the dreaded "freshman 15" weight gain. Beginning Monday, Aug. 19, members of the class of 2017 will learn fun and innovative strategies to get and stay healthy while also earning cool prizes.
"The more you get involved in the wellness program, you start to realize, you get more educated about the health disparities of African-American women," said Steinmann. "You start to take in what you are eating. My diet has changed since I learned about this wellness program."
President Beverly Daniel Tatum and Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, dean and executive vice president, Morehouse School of Medicine, participated in a live web chat on "Advancing the Health of Black Women." Moderated by V-103 on-air personality Mo Ivory, C'91, the conversation explored health disparities plaguing Black women and solutions for getting them to eat better, move more and sleep well.
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