Black Barbershops Reach Out For Men's Health

Edward Brantley, owner of Uncle Ron’s Barbershop in Redlands is the Black Barbershop Team Captain for the San Bernardino Area. He coordinated the program at Da Spot in San Bernardino.






 Phyllis Clark, CEO of the Healthy Heritage Movement, Inc. is the coordinator for the Southern Inland Region for the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program. She is standing with John Jefferson, owner of Cold Cutz Barbershop in Riverside.

 (RIVERSIDE, Calif.)  Black men throughout southern California learned how to maintain good health while making a trip to their local barbershop on Saturday, Nov. 7.

The men and their barbershops, including 10 in the Inland Empire, took part in the Black Barbershop Los Angeles Area Health Outreach Program, a nationwide effort to help Black men take control of their health.

Working directly in participating barbershops, a team of nurses, physicians and volunteers provide health information, diabetes and hypertension screenings and referrals to no or low-cost primary care providers.

 “I am thrilled with the results of this event,” said Phyllis Clark, founder and president of the Healthy Heritage Movement, which helped the 10 Inland Empire barbershops participate in this event. My goal was to screen 100 Black men in the Inland Empire, and I believe I more than reached my goal.”

Clark made a quick survey of two of the participating barbershops, Cold Cutz in Riverside and DaSpot in San Bernardino, and found almost 50 men had taken part at those two shops alone.

The other eight shops were in the West San Bernardino Valley and High Desert areas of San Bernardino County.

Clark added she hopes more barbershops will participate in what is expected to become an annual event.

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BLACK BARBERSHOPS REACHING OUT FOR MEN’S HEALTH

Phyllis Clark, who as the founder of Healthy Heritage Wellness Movement, is working with owners of Inland Empire Black barbershops to provide this outreach effort. “The program will use these barbershops as platforms to disseminate health education information and give screenings to Black men, who exhibit poorer health outcomes than any other racial group in America.”

(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) The Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program (BBHOP) will launch its Los Angeles Initiative in more than 100 barbershops across southern California on Saturday, Nov. 7.

The Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program, a nationwide initiative, highlights the need for African American men to adopt healthier lifestyles, and promotes awareness and early detection of diabetes, hypertension and prostate cancer. It was founded by and Charles Drew University Associate Professor Dr. Bill J. Releford, DPM.

“The program grew out of recognizing the barbershop as a centralized gathering place for Black men, and that barbers can link other men to health resources,” said Phyllis Clark, who as the founder of Healthy Heritage Wellness Movement, is working with owners of Inland Empire Black barbershops to provide this outreach effort. “The program will use these barbershops as platforms to disseminate health education information and give screenings to Black men, who exhibit poorer health outcomes than any other racial group in America.”

Working directly in participating barbershops, a team of nurses, physicians and volunteers provide health information, diabetes and hypertension screenings and referrals to no or low-cost primary care providers. The southern California outreach efforts beginning Saturday will also include Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program’s new initiative, “PEP Talk,” the Prostate Education Project, designed to help African American men discuss the subject of prostate cancer.

To learn more about the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program, visit http://www.blackbarbershop.org

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Wellness Conference Gives Tips For Staying Healthy

Mai Brooks, who runs Jump Rope Boot Camp in Inglewood as part of her family’s business, demonstrates proper jump roping technique in a workshop at the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference.


The Rev. Bronica Martindale leads Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference participants in a dance routine that simulates planting, sowing and harvesting healthy fruits and vegetables.


Dr. Romeo Brooks, one of the main speakers for the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference, tells guests more about how to eat well at the booth for Roots Nutrition, a business he and wife Mai own in Inglewood.

Phyllis Clark, dressed in a svelte evening gown to show how the principles of healthy living have helped her, welcomes guests to the Fifth Annual Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference.

(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) A conference jam-packed with advice for staying healthy took place Saturday, Aug. 1 at California Baptist University.

The Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference especially targeted African-Americans, but the advice presented works for all races. It is, first of all, to avoid stressing out about things. Secondarily, it is to make healthy lifestyle choices – that means eating well, exercising and avoiding tobacco.

Keynote speaker Dr. Ruth Tanyi, a certified preventive health care specialist in Loma Linda, shared the effects of stress on one’s body.

“Stress is the number one killer,” she said. “The human body works best when there is a balance in the mind, body and spirit.”

Dr. Tanyi defines stress as what an individual perceives as above or beyond their ability to cope. She also defines two types of stress – acute stress lasting from a moment to no more than two weeks, and chronic stress, which lasts more than two weeks.

Stress doesn’t have to reach chronic stages, she says.

“Depending on what we choose to believe, we can override our emotions,” she said. “We can have control over our heart rate and our blood pressure.”

For instance, if someone receives a traffic ticket, it will most likely be stressful at the time, she said. But, a person can then continue to worry about it, or say “It’s OK, I can go to traffic school, this will all work out.”

Physiologically, what often happens in an acutely stressful incidence such as the traffic ticket is an adrenalin rush, which in turn causes a person’s heart rate and respiration to increase. The adrenalin also sends a signal to one’s pituitary gland, which in turn sends a signal throughout the body to release hormones, which causes an adverse reaction to the body’s immune system.

“If you choose to get over it, the adrenalin will go away,” she said. “But if you keep worrying, your immune system is now suppressed. The immune system is supposed to ward off disease, but if it is suppressed, we become susceptible to all kinds of chronic diseases. The list is endless.”

Besides worrying, along with feelings of anger or jealousy, other causes of chronic stress are poor diets, physical inactivity and lack of sleep. Illnesses it can lead to include depression, insomnia, chronic fatigue, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and osteoporosis.

Dr. Tanyi also shared some tips for managing stress, such as taking control of situations, obtaining knowledge about situations and focusing on your strengths, rather than weaknesses. She also advocates creating “good stress” through positive thoughts and enjoyable activities.

Another important way of reducing stress, according to Dr. Tanyi, is to forgive people who have offended you.

“A lack of forgiveness causes you stress, which can cause cancer, diabetes and heart disease,” she said. “It’s about you. The people who have hurt you have moved on, they aren’t there anymore. So for you to move on, you have to forgive.”

The second speaker, Dr. Romeo Brooks, focused on reducing stress through a positive attitude. He calls this “languaging your life.”

Dr. Brooks began his presentation by asking the audience to stand up, jump up and down and wave their arms around. He then noted that the participants had willed their body into this exercise, and likewise could will their bodies into many other healthy lifestyle choices.

“The words we speak are symbolic of how we think and feel,” he said. “Life is ours to experience as we say it is.”

Dr. Brooks used the analogy of a hurdler racing around a track.

“He doesn’t say ‘who put this hurdle in my way, I’m trying to accomplish something. He jumps over it. We all have adversities we have to jump over. Life without conflict is impossible, but if you say conflict is here to make you a better person, it will.

Dr. Brooks also encourages people to live life with purpose and goals.

“You have to say this is what I want, this is where I am going, this is what I am going to do to get there,” he said. “When you live your life without a purpose, it’s listless. It’s lifeless. We need life in our body. We don’t need toxins and chemotherapy. You cannot poison the body into health. You have to deliberately start changing your language.”

In the afternoon sessions of the conference, participants were able to choose two of four workshops to attend. These included exercise demonstrations and sessions on financial health, nutrition and preventing child abuse/teen violence.

A panel of fitness experts hosted the workshop on exercise. They were:

• The Rev. Bronica Martindale of San Bernardino, who leads children’s ministries and a health ministry at The Masters’ Plan Nazarene Church. She guided the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference participants through an interpretive dance that symbolized gathering, sowing and harvesting healthy fruits and vegetables.

• Breanne Houston, owner of Stroller Strides in Riverside. With the help of several female audience volunteers ranging from a college student to grandmothers, she demonstrated a cardio workout that she normally offers to pregnant and new mothers who perform these exercises while pushing pregnancy weight or baby jogging strollers through three Riverside-area parks.

• Mai Brooks (wife of Dr. Romeo Brooks), who runs the Extreme Jump Rope Boot Camp as part of the couple’s business, Roots Nutrition in Inglewood. With the help of male and female audience volunteers, she demonstrated how jumping rope is one of the best exercises for the cardiovascular system.

The other speakers were Gwendolyn Moore, a registered dietician and nutrition consultant in Riverside (nutrition); Deborah Monroe-Heaps of the Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center (child abuse/teen violence prevention) and Denice A. Young, CPA and owner of Brighter DAY Enterprises in Torrance (financial health.)

The Healthy Heritage Movement (www.healthyheritagemovement.com) mission is to eliminate health disparities in the Black community by providing cultural relevant resources, peer navigation, and advocacy training,” said conference founder and organizer Phyllis Clark. This was the fifth year she put on this conference.

Besides hearing the speakers and workshops, participants were able to obtain information from local health care providers, and receive basic health screenings and referrals for other free or low-cost preventive health care services.

Sponsors include The American Cancer Society, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), The Purpose Center International Ministries, City of Hope, the Riverside Community Health Foundation, Inland Agency, Abbott Vascular, and Dameron Communications.

For more information about sponsoring or participating in the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference in 2010, go to www.healthyheritagemovement.com or email Phyllis Clark at hhwcmovement@yahoo.com, or call her at (951) 288-4375.

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Ride Praise Party Bus to Stop Cancer

Dr. Gerald T. Hightower, senior pastor of Purpose Center International Ministries in Perris, is passionate about cancer prevention. He is shown here emceeing the 2008 Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference, a job he will have again when the conference returns to California Baptist University on Aug. 1. This year, Purpose Center International Ministries is also sponsoring a “Praise Party Bus” to take Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference participants to the Chino Relay for Life, where they can enroll in a long-term study conducted by the American Cancer Society, to find ways of preventing cancer. Photo by Chris Sloan

(CHINO Calif.) Immediately following the fifth annual Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference in Riverside, participants can join sponsor Purpose Center International Ministries on their next step to good health.

After the conference ends, Purpose Center International Ministries will provide round trip transportation by the Praise Party Bus to the Chino Relay for Life at Ayala Park, 14201 Central Ave. Chino. At this event, conference participants have an opportunity to enroll in the American Cancer Society’s CPS-3 (Cancer Prevention Study #3).

To reserve a seat on the Praise Party Bus, call (951) 300-1223. Music and free refreshments will be provided.

The Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference, which helps African-Americans and others develop strategies for healthier living, takes place at California Baptist University, from 8 a.m. to approximately 4 p.m. The bus leaves the California Baptist University parking lot for Chino at 5 p.m. and returns to Riverside at approximately 8 p.m.

For Dr. Gerald T. Hightower, senior pastor of Purpose Center International Ministries, preventing cancer is personal. His mom is a cancer survivor.

“My mom had a very serious bout with cancer two years ago, and required a mastectomy,” he said. “Fortunately, after her mastectomy and a lot of prayer, she recovered and is healed! Cancer prevention is my passion now, and that’s why I want to encourage all the pastors to have their congregations come and participate in the CPS -3 Enrollment Event at the Chino Relay for Life.”

“CPS-3 is a research study to help bring about a cancer-free tomorrow,” said Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference founder and organizer Phyllis Clark. “The American Cancer Society needs more African-Americans to participate. The Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference and Purpose Center International Ministries, both of which serve primarily African-Americans, are supporting by recruiting participants and providing transportation.”

Since otherwise willing participants can enroll immediately following the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference, by providing transportation, it takes away the excuses conference participants might have of not having transportation outside the area served by Riverside County’s bus service, or not wanting to drive their own cars to and from a city more than 20 miles away.

“The Chino Relay for Life is the only opportunity in our area for people to enroll in this study. It is really important for African-Americans to enroll, so I don’t want them to use transportation as an excuse,” Clark said. “If African-Americans cannot participate, we cannot study the links between their lifestyle and cancer. I encourage all the community leaders and pastors to reach out and challenge African-Americans to join in this study and save lives.”

For CPS-3, the American Cancer Society seeks 500,000 adults from the United States and Puerto Rico. They should be between 30 and 65 years old, and have never been diagnosed with cancer. They also must be willing to make a long-term commitment, as participation requires follow-up studies every few years for the next 10 to 20 years.

At the Chino Relay for Life, they will read and sign a consent form, complete a brief written survey, provide a waist measurement and a small blood sample drawn by a certified phlebotomist. In about four weeks, they will receive an in-depth survey in the mail. Upon completion and return of this survey, Clark said, they are officially enrolled in the CPS-3 study, and should expect to receive more in-depth surveys over the years.

The American Cancer Society has conducted two previous cancer prevention studies, the first in 1950.

“These studies have played a major role in cancer prevention and legislation since then,” Clark said. “The first study showed the link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer. This prompted the U.S. Surgeon General’s warning on cigarette package. These studies also showed a link between obesity and cancer, which has helped us develop prevention strategies.”

Relays for Life are events the American Cancer Society holds throughout the nation to raise money for cancer research. Teams of eight to 15 members participate by raising a minimum of $10 per team member in donations, then run or walk laps on a track throughout the 24-hour duration of the Relay for Life event.

While the American Cancer Society holds relays in hundreds of other cities throughout each year, only a few of them include an opportunity to enroll in the CPS-3 study. The only other opportunity to register in the Inland Empire was at a relay that took place in April in Yucca Valley.

For more information about the CPS-3 study, visit www.cancer.org/cps3 or call (888) 604-5888.

Besides speakers, workshops and Praise Party Bus transportation to Chino Relay for Life, participants in the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference will be able to obtain information from local health care providers, and receive basic health screenings and referrals for other free or low-cost preventive health care services.

The 2009 conference is limited to 200 people, so advance registration is necessary. For more information or make a reservation to attend the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference call (951) 288-4375 or e-mail hhwcmovement@yahoo.com

Sponsorships for this year’s conference are still available. They include The American Cancer Society, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), Purpose Center International Ministries, City of Hope, the Riverside Community Health Foundation, Inland Agency, Abbott Vascular, and Dameron Communications.

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Free mammograms offered to women over 40

In 2008, the keynote speaker for the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference, Nikia Hammonds-Blakely, then 29, told her story of surviving breast cancer as a teenager. During the 2009 conference, taking place Aug. 1 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at California Baptist University in Riverside, low-income, uninsured women over 40 can receive free mammograms, even if they do not attend the conference itself. Photo by Chris Sloan


(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) Women 40 years of age and older, who are low income and have no medical coverage, can obtain free mammograms on Saturday, Aug. 1.

The Southern California Witness Project has arranged to provide mammogram screening in a specially equipped mobile clinic at the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference at California Baptist University, 8432 Magnolia Ave. in Riverside.

“Many women who are over 40 and uninsured are not getting mammogram screening,” said Edith Nevins, Southern California Witness Project program coordinator. “We press on to educate and offer this program. Our motto is breast cancer is not a death sentence.”

Screening is also available for women younger than 40 who already have a history of breast cancer, but lack resources to pay for medical care.

To avoid long lines, women should register in advance by calling The Witness Project, (951) 485-9334. Ask for Helen, Mrs. Nevins or Deborah. Spanish speakers should ask for Susanna List, the program coordinator for Esperanza Y Vida.

Nevins, who is a retired nurse, and a team of volunteers take information to wherever attentive groups of women may be gathered. Their organization is part of the Quinn Community Outreach Corp in Moreno Valley, which also sponsors a similar Spanish-language program called Esperanza Y Vida.

“We have had community presentations in English and Spanish, at churches and schools, wherever we could speak to more than five people,” Nevins said. “We work to educate women seven days a week, in the evenings and on weekends. We attend health fairs, wherever we can go.”

Although the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference itself is geared primarily to African-Americans, women of all ethnicities are encouraged to register for the mammogram screenings. It is not necessary to attend the conference to receive a mammogram screening.

Southern California Witness Project especially targets African-Americans, and Esperanza Y Vida targets all Latinas. Studies have found these two ethnic groups are 70 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than Caucasians.

One reason is because a type of tumor known as triple negative is much more prevalent among Blacks and Hispanic than among white women, according to information from the American Cancer Society.

In fact, 39 percent of Black women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer before reaching menopause have this type of tumor, which is harder to cure than other forms of breast cancer. In the general population, only 14 percent of all breast cancer patients have this type of tumor. New medications have been developed this year that show promise to increase survival rates for women with this type of cancer, but as with all forms of breast cancer, early detection is crucial.

Clark encourages Black women who qualify for the free mammograms to register for both events. She also noted that since many African-American women have health insurance and do not meet the guidelines for “low income,” they may prefer to make arrangements with their own physicians to schedule a mammogram.

However, low-income Spanish-speaking women are often not insured, so this may be an ideal opportunity for them to have this potentially life-saving screening.

Another reason for Spanish-speaking women to participate, Nevins said, is they will not face a language barrier at this screening. The Esperanza Y Vida program will provide bilingual women to assist with the exam, tell their own stories of breast cancer survival and provide Spanish-language information about breast self-exams.

Quinn Community Outreach Corporation is an affiliate ministry of Quinn African Methodist Episcopal Church in Moreno Valley. The Riverside Community Health Foundation, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure of the Inland Empire and the Avon Foundation, also sponsor the Witness Project and Esperanza Y Vida.

The Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference, designed to help African-Americans and others develop strategies for healthier living, takes place at California Baptist University, from 8 a.m. to approximately 4 p.m. Participants in the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference will be able to obtain information from local health care providers, and receive basic health screenings and referrals for other free or low-cost preventive health care services.

The 2009 conference is limited to 200 people, so advance registration is necessary. For more information or make a reservation to attend the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference call (951) 288-4375 or e-mail hhwcmovement@yahoo.com

Sponsorships for this year’s conference are still available. They include The American Cancer Society, Pharmaceutical and Research Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), The Purpose Center, City of Hope, the Riverside Community Health Foundation, Inland Agency, Abbott, and Dameron Communications.



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Learn How To Prevent Disease At Fifth Annual Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference

Preventive Care specialist, Dr. Ruth Tanyi, is the keynote speaker for the fifth annual Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference, Aug. 1 at California Baptist University in Riverside.


(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) Preventing disease through positive attitude and healthy living is the focus of the fifth annual Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference August 1 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. at California Baptist University in Riverside.

“The Healthy Heritage Movement (www.healthyheritagemovement.com) mission is to eliminate health disparities in the Black community by providing cultural relevant resources, peer navigation, and advocacy training,” said conference founder and organizer Phyllis Clark. “Now that we have a federal administration that supports wellness, we as a community must be proactive and diligent about accessing the prevention resources and opportunities that will be available.

Keynote speaker is Dr. Ruth Tanyi, who produces a weekly television show “Lifestyle and Preventive Care,” and is a lifestyle consultant for people who wish to learn skills to prevent disease and stay healthy.

“I will address the role of preventive care, positive emotions, nutrition and overall lifestyle in preventing and maintaining diseases,” she said.

“Dr. Ruth is a lifestyle and preventive care expert,” Clark said. “She will focus on how to manage stress so it does not affect our organs negatively, so it causes disease. Disease means dis-ease, because stress puts your body into dis-ease.

According to Clark, Dr, Tanyi’s presentation illustrates the physiological effects of stress, explaining how stress leads to not sleeping or eating right, and how that leads to disease.”

Dr. Tanyi lives in Loma Linda, where she is a doctoral program graduate of the Loma Linda University School of Public Health, with a specialization in preventive health care. She has Master’s and bachelor’s degrees in nursing, as well as a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

She developed an interest in health care and medical journalism while working as a health care aide while studying journalism in college.

Tanyi is also a certified family nurse practitioner, a certified health and fitness specialist and a certified nutrition specialist. She has written scientific papers for internationally known academic and medical journals, such as Journal of Advanced Nursing and American Journal of Nephrology Nursing.

Her television show airs is broadcast through Loma Linda Broadcast Network (www.llbn.tv), which is available on the internet and through Dish Network.

The other speakers also will emphasize ways a healthy lifestyle can prevent the onset of disease, Clark said.

The featured speaker Dr. Romeo Brooks, PhD., will present “Transform Your Language, Transform Your Life,” which focuses on the impact of the emotional language we have internalized. He will illustrate how thoughts affect our health.

Dr. Brooks owns Roots Nutrition and is a holistic healing practitioner. He believes one of the best places to attain and sustain good health is in churches, and has helped many churches create health ministries.

The other speakers will lead workshops during the conference.

• Marcy Duncan of the Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center will present a child abuse prevention workshop

• Denise Young of Brighter DAY Enterprises will present a financial health workshop. Young is a certified public accountant and a licensed California real estate broker.

• Gwendolyn Moore, a registered dietician who owns Nutrition by Gwen, will present a nutrition workshop. She offers consultation on nutrition, fitness and healthy attitudes.

• The Rev. Bronica Martindale, who is also a community health leader with the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, Breanna Houston of Stroller Strides and Mai Brooks of Roots Nutrition’s Jump Rope Boot Camp. form a fitness panel, to present information and demonstrations on the topic of fitness.

The Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference, founded in 2005 by Phyllis Clark, addresses health care issues, especially those affecting African-Americans. However, the conference will present relevant information for all ethnicities.

The 2009 conference Master of Ceremony is Pastor Gerald T. Hightower, and focuses on preventive health care, in keeping with President Barack Obama’s goal for the national health care system.

“President Obama’s plan emphasizes that wellness is a shared responsibility,” Clark said. “It will empower Americans by providing resources and making prevention services accessible to all, and we are trying to do that in the Inland Empire”

Besides the keynote speaker and workshops, participants will be able to obtain information from local health care providers, and receive basic health screenings and referrals for other free or low-cost preventive health care services.

The 2009 conference is limited to 200 people, so advance registration is necessary. For more information or make a reservation to attend the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference call (951) 288-4375 or e-mail hhwcmovement@yahoo.com

Sponsorships for this year’s conference are still available. They include The American Cancer Society, Pharmaceutical and Research Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), The Purpose Center, City of Hope, the Riverside Community Health Foundation, Inland Agency, Abbott, and Dameron Communications.

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Preventing Sickness Focus of 2009 Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference

Phyllis Clark announces the Fifth Annual Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference will be held Aug. 1 at California Baptist University. Chris Sloan photo.

(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) The fifth annual Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference (www.healthyheritagemovement.com) has set the date of the 2009 conference for August 1 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. at California Baptist University in Riverside.

“This year we will focus on prevention,” said Phyllis Clark, founder and president of the Healthy Heritage Movement. “We now have a sick care system, not a health care system. If something’s wrong, we patch it up. We don’t address the problems before they start, which is so much more effective.”

Clark added that prevention is especially key this year because President Barack Obama is making healthcare reform a priority. His comprehensive healthcare plan will modernize the system by investing in prevention initiatives.

“I am thrilled to know that the President’s plan is promoting health and wellness,” she said. “His plan emphasize that wellness is a shared responsibility and will empower Americans by providing resources and making prevention services accessible to all.”

As a member of African-American Health Initiative team and surviving daughter of a mother lost to colon cancer, Clark committed herself to help Black people live longer. The Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference will teach the community how to find the resources and how to take control of their healthcare.

“The Healthy Heritage Movement mission is to eliminate health disparities in the Black community by providing cultural relevant resources, peer navigation, and advocacy training,” Clark said. “Now that we have a federal administration that supports wellness, we as a community must be proactive and diligent about accessing the prevention resources and opportunities that will be available.

The 2009 conference will offer seminars from the nation’s leading healthcare professionals together with free screenings for mammograms, HIV/AIDS, prostate cancer and blood sugar levels, Clark said.

The free Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference is organized by a committee, which includes community members, Inland Agency, the American Cancer Society, the Southern California Witness Project, Dameron Communications and many volunteers.

Sponsorships for this year’s conference are still available. They include The American Cancer Society, Pharmaceutical and Research Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), , The Purpose Center, City of Hope, the Riverside Community Health Foundation, Inland Agency, Abbott, Novartis, Southern California Edison and Dameron Communications.

For more information or make a reservation to attend the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference call (951) 288-4375 or e-mail info@healthyheritagemovement.org

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FREE CONFERENCE SHOWS WAYS TO STAY HEALTHY

Dr. E. M. Abdulmumin (standing at right), one of the speakers at the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference held Saturday, July 26, talks with Leura Valeriano, Health Education Assistant Elida Drachenberg and Clarese Hill at the American Cancer Society’s information booth before the conference began.

Nikia Hammonds-Blakely, keynote speaker for the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference held Saturday, July 26, told of her experience with breast cancer when she was just 16 years old.

(Riverside, Calif.) –Cancer, cardiovascular disease and bad relationships.

These are serious health problems, but they can be avoided. And for those who already face these and other problems affecting their body, mind and spirit, help is available.

That’s the message the organizers of the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference believe more than 350 participants took home with them after the all-day event Saturday, July 26.

“I was humbled and overjoyed by the turnout,” said organizer Phyllis Clark, who created the event four years ago. “Some of these people have come all four years. We truly have a following. I am grateful for them, and for the sponsors. They have consistently believed in the multicultural community that attends this conference.”

To inspire others to take charge of their own health, the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference brought in as its keynote speaker Nikia Hammonds-Blakely, a representative of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The 30-year-old Hammonds-Blakely told about her experience with breast cancer 14 years ago, when she was in high school.

“To say that diagnosis changed my life is an understatement,” Hammonds-Blakely said. “It changed my life forever.”

Like most girls, Hammonds-Blakely didn’t think much beyond boys, clothes, and who she would go with to the junior prom when she was 16 years old. But when both her own self-exam and her doctor’s clinical breast exam revealed a suspicious lump, things changed.

“My doctor said ‘It’s probably nothing,’ but wanted me to have a biopsy just in case,” Hammonds-Blakely said. “When we got the results of the biopsy back, it showed I not only had cancer, but a rare and extremely aggressive type.”

“It was too much to wrap my mind around,” she said. “I went home daily feeling like a monster. I wondered who would ever love me? Would I ever get married? Would I ever have children? And if so, would I be able to nurse them?”

Hammonds-Blakely had a strong Christian faith before she contracted breast cancer, and it was by relying on this faith she got through this most difficult time in her life, she said. Faith was also what motivated her to use the difficulties she had gone through to help others.

“I realized no one ever knows when we will leave this earth,” she said. “Our responsibility while we are here is to manage our life and let it have purpose to help someone else. For as long as I am going to be here, I am going to use my life to the maximum.”

With this newfound motivation, Hammonds-Blakely went from an average student to fifth in her graduating class in high school. She has now obtained a Master’s Degree in marketing, and is working on her Ph.D. in organizational management.

This young woman also is a member of the Susan G. Komen’s Young Woman’s Advisory Council, a position that gives her numerous opportunities to let women know that breast cancer can happen at a young age. It also gave her the opportunity to travel to Nigeria, where she and her mother were able to bless many teen-age girls who had recently survived breast cancer with 750 prosthetic bras, and encouragement from a “sister” who had been there.

“That was one of the most profound experiences of my life,” she said.

Another speaker for the event was Dr. E.M. Abdulmumin, professor, youth advocate, and karate instructor. He urged the largely African-American audience to consider the African lifestyle as one that is healthier and more balanced than that of Americans, and to make changes

“Our parents fought hard to get us out of slavery,” he said. “Now we have a new kind of slavery. As our children have moved away from their values, and their culture, they have become slaves to peer pressure.”

In the afternoon, a panel of experts gave their advice for a healthier lifestyle. These included Dr. Steven Barag, who presented information about preventing and curing hypertension and other cardiovascular disease; Dr. David Williams, who gave information about his specialty, preventative medicine and how it can help people stay healthy; marriage and family counselor Tiombe Preston, who taught 12 Commandments for Emotional Health; author and college professor Charles Fossett, who offered his sage advice on relationships and Pastor Gerald Hightower of Purpose Center International, who provided the audience a spiritual perspective on finding one’s purpose in life.

The free Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference was organized by a committee which includes staff members from Riverside County Public Health Department; the American Cancer Society; the Southern California Witness Project, a breast cancer awareness group; Inland Agency; Dameron Communications and many volunteers.

Sponsors for the 2008 Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference included The American Cancer Society, Pharmaceutical and Research Manufacturers of America (PhARMA), Southern California Edison, the Riverside Community Health Foundation, Inland Agency, Dameron Communications, Black Voice News, Brothers and Sisters in Action (BASIA), Abbott Vascular and Novartis.

These sponsorships allow the conference organizers to put the event on at no charge.

For more information about the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference call (951) 565-4431 or e-mail hhwcmovement@yahoo.com.

FREE CONFERENCE SHOWS BLACKS WAYS TO STAY HEALTHY

Members of the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference Planning Committee listen to Chairman Phyllis Clark present information about this July 26 event that will empower everyone, especially Blacks, to take charge of their physical, spiritual and emotional health.

(Riverside, Calif.) – Statistics show Black men in the Inland Empire live, on average, to be only 56 years old, and Black women live to an average of 63 years.

That’s about 13 years less than white people in the area.

When the African-American Health Initiative publicized these statistics a few years ago, some agencies decided to do something about it. In 2005, a coalition formed to put on the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference.

The Fourth Annual Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference is set for Saturday, July 26 at California Baptist University, 8432 Magnolia Ave., Riverside.

“This is the premier wellness conference in this area,” said Phyllis Clark, chairman of the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference planning committee. “It is well-established and well-sponsored.”

Sponsorships for this year’s conference are still available. They include The American Cancer Society, Pharmaceutical and Research Manufacturers of America (PhARMA), Southern California Edison, the Riverside Community Health Foundation, Inland Agency, Dameron Communications, Brothers and Sisters in Action (BASIA), Abbott Vascular and Novartis.

These sponsorships allow the conference organizers to put the event on at no charge.

The conference features some top-notch speakers, both local experts and those from outside the Inland Empire. But participants also can learn more about taking charge of their health in at least 40 information booths that will be set up in or near a courtyard by Cal Baptist’s Wallace Theater.
“This is a solutions-based conference,” Clark said. “People walk away with information they can apply.”

For instance, in one booth – actually a mobile medical clinic – doctors working with the University of California, Irvine Medical School will conduct clinical breast exams for women, and prostate cancer screenings for men.

In another booth, the American Cancer Society will give people a Colon Awareness Questionnaire, a survey designed to promote awareness of the benefits of colonoscopies in detecting early forms of colon cancer. Colonoscopies, and other types of screenings such as mammograms are performed in medical clinics with specialized equipment, but like the more basic breast and prostate exams, are vital tools in keeping people healthy.

“We want to make sure people know colon cancer is preventable and curable,” Clark said.

Most people should start having colonoscopies when they are 50 years old, Clark said. Since Blacks are more genetically predisposed to colon cancer, doctors often urge them to begin these screenings at age 40 or 45, and people with a close relative who contracted colon cancer early in life are often urged to have their first colonoscopy in their 20s or 30s.

Yet another American Cancer Society booth will feature “Ask the Experts.” Three specially trained health care workers will be on hand in this booth to answer questions. They can’t discuss specific cases, but can provide general knowledge about many health care subjects, especially those involving cancer.

And if you get there early, you can take a class in healthy eating at the Riverside County Nutrition Services booth. This is information you can pass on to others who would like to make healthy changes to their diet.

This 30-minute class, offered from 7:15 a.m. to 7:45 a.m., and again from 8:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m., is designed for both health care professionals and others, said Diane Wayne, a senior nutritionist with Riverside County Nutrition Services. It will address how to lower cholesterol and fats, and skills needed to select heart-healthy foods.

“And you will get a free cook book,” Wayne said.

The course is free, but participants must register Riverside County Nutrition Services before the day of the event. Call (951) 358-5880 to register or for more information about this course.
In a nearby booth, Chef Tony Stemley of French Quarter Catering will have his healthy sweet potato pie for sale. During the afternoon portion of the conference, Stemley will explain healthy cooking as part of a panel discussion on wellness.

From 7:30 a.m. through 9:30 a.m. Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference participants are encouraged to walk about the booths on the Cal Baptist campus, availing themselves of all the resources provided.

The conference itself begins at 9:30 a.m. with presentations until noon by guest speakers. Conference participants will then enjoy a healthy and complementary lunch, and may continue to visit the booths to learn more about being healthy.

The keynote speaker Nikia Hammonds Blakely, represents the Susan G. Komen Foundation as a member of both its Young Women’s Advisory Council and its Circle of Promise speakers’ bureau, which targets Black women. Hammonds Blakely will not only give a motivational speech which explains how she became a breast cancer survivor when she was just 16 years old, but also will provide musical entertainment.

Other speakers are:

· Dr. E.M. Abdlulmumin, a psychologist at the University of California – Riverside Counseling Center and psychology professor for the Thomas Haider UCR/UCLA Program in Biomedical Sciences at UCR. Dr. Abdulmumin is also the founder and executive director of the DuBois Institute, a recreational and educational program for youth at the Bobby Bonds Sports Complex in Riverside.

· Charles Fossett III of Montclair, a sociology professor and author of Heartbrokers and Marriagebrokers, two books that explore personal relationships.

In the afternoon, from 1:10 p.m. to 4 p.m., a wellness panel is facilitated by Pastor Gerald T. Hightower, founder and senior pastor of Purpose Center International in Perris. It also features Dr. Stephen H. Barag, a physician at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, speaking on hypertension and the doctor-patient relationship, Dr. Dave Williams, coordinator of the Riverside County Wellness Program, speaking on the holistic approach to wellness, Chef Anthony Stemley, sharing his techniques to prepare healthy meals and Tiombe Preston, a marriage and family therapist from othe Black Women’s Health Project, speaking on emotional health.

The free Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference is organized by a committee which includes staff members from Riverside County Public Health Department; the American Cancer Society; the Southern California Witness Project, a breast cancer awareness group; Inland Agency; Dameron Communications and many volunteers.

For more information or to attend the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference call (951) 565-4431 or e-mail hhwcmovement@yahoo.com

Healthy Relationships, A Healthier You

(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) – A young Black woman who survived breast cancer at an early age will highlight a conference that will motivate other African-Americans to take charge of their health.
Nikia Hammonds Blakely is the keynote speaker for the free Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference, taking place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 26 at California Baptist University, 8432 Magnolia St., Riverside. The conference offers speakers, information booths and interactive sessions aimed at improving the overall health and well being of the Black community.
The theme of this year’s conference is “Healthy Relationships, A Healthier You.”
“Good relationships are essential to our happiness and emotional well-being,” said Phyllis Clark, event organizer. They influence everything from hypertension to age-related health issues.”
Hammonds Blakely was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer when she was just 16 years old. She spent that summer undergoing radiation treatments and several surgical procedures, but after several months the cancer went away and has not returned.
“I was terrified when I learned I had cancer,” she said. “After God delivered me from this, motivating other people to take care of their health became my passion.”
Now 29, Hammonds Blakely is a member of the Susan J. Komen Foundation’s Young Women’s Advisory Council and speaks throughout the world on the issue of women’s health and African-American health. She also serves as a national ambassador for Circle of Promise, a division of the Susan J. Komen foundation working to improve the high incidences of and poor survival rates for Black women with breast cancer.
And she does this all while serving as an assistant director for marketing and alumni relations at Ivy Tech Community College in Crown, Point, Indiana and pursuing her Ph.D. in organizational management.

“Maintaining healthy relationships is not easy, but it can be done,” Clark said. “The Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference 2008 will provide tools and resources to help develop and maintain these relationships.”
According to a San Bernardino County Department of Health report, African
Americans in San Bernardino County die 13 years younger than whites. Many African American lives are shortened by illness such as diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), heart disease, HIV/AIDS and cancer.
The Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference features speakers who bring a wealth of
knowledge from the medical, emotional health, faith, and Afrocentric worlds.
Other speakers are:
• Dr. E.M. Abdlulmumin, a psychologist at the University of California – Riverside Counseling Center and psychology professor for the Thomas Haider UCR/UCLA Program in Biomedical Sciences at UCR. Dr. Abdulmumin is also the founder and executive director of the DuBois Institute, a recreational and educational program for youth at the Bobby Bonds Sports Complex in Riverside.
• Charles Fossett III of Montclair, a sociology professor and author of Heartbrokers and Marriagebrokers, two books that explore personal relationships.
A wellness panel includes Dr. Stephen H. Barag, a physician at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, speaking on hypertension and the doctor-patient relationship, Dr. Dave Williams, coordinator of the Riverside County Wellness Program, speaking on the holistic approach to wellness, Chef Anthony Stemley, owner of French Quarter Catering, sharing his techniques to prepare healthy meals and a representative of the Black Women’s Health Project, speaking on Twelve Commandments for Mental Health.
There are also free screenings for HIV/AIDS, prostate cancer and blood sugar levels, clinical breast examinations and more Clark said.
The free Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference is organized by a committee, which includes staff members from Riverside County Public Health Department, the American Cancer Society, the Southern California Witness Project, a breast cancer awareness group, Inland Agency, Dameron Communications and many volunteers.
Sponsorships for this year’s conference are still available. They will include The American Cancer Society, Pharmaceutical and Research Manufacturers of America, Southern California Edison, the Riverside County Health Foundation, Inland Agency, Dameron Communications and Novartis.
For more information or to attend the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference call (951) 565-4431 or e-mail hhwcmovement@yahoo.com.

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HEALTHY HERITAGE WELLNESS CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON BLACK HEALTH

Pictured from left are Phyllis Clark, founder of the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference; San Bernardino County Supervisor, Fifth District Josie Gonzales and Lisha Smith, field representative for Gonzales. Gonzales was one of several elected officials who attended the conference and presented certificates of recognition to Clark and the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference.

(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) The fourth annual Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference (www.healthyheritagemovement.com) has set the date of the 2008 conference for July 26 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. at California Baptist University in Riverside. “This conference is dedicated to improving the overall health and well being of the African American community,” said Phyllis Clark, conference founder and president.

“Many of the diseases that African Americans suffer from are lifestyle related,” Clark said. “If we change our behavior, and change the behavior of the next generation, we can prevent many of these life-shortening health problems. The goal of this conference is to provide African Americans with the tools to make better lifestyles choices.”

A 2005 study of African Americans in San Bernardino County, completed by the African American Health Initiative (AAHI) led by Dr. V. Diane Woods, reported that African Americans in San Bernardino County die 13 years younger than Whites. Many due to lifestyle-preventable diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, HIV/AIDS and cancer.

As a member of the AAHI team and surviving daughter of a mother lost to colon cancer, Clark’s experience led her to commit herself to help Black people live longer.

“The Healthy Heritage Conference focuses on the major health and wellness issues in the African American community such as cancer, heart disease and organ failure,” Clark said. The conference also addresses emotional health issues which are often not discussed in the Black community.

“Mental health advocates are finding there are many emotional health issues in the African American home such as alcohol, drug abuse and depression,” Clark said.

The 2008 conference will offer seminars from the nation's leading healthcare professionals, together with free screenings for HIV/AIDS, prostate cancer and blood sugar levels, Clark added.

The 2007 conference featured presentations from nationally renowned healthcare professionals specializing in minority health issues. The keynote speaker was psychologist Dr. Kimlin Ashing-Giwa, director of City of Hope’s Center of Community Alliance for Research & Education.

The 2008 Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference Committee started planning for 2008 last August. The committee includes staff members from Riverside County Public Health Department, the American Cancer Society, the Southern California Witness Project, Inland Agency, Clark Marketing Group, Dameron Communications and many volunteers.

Sponsors for the 2007 conference were First 5 San Bernardino, Abbott Labs, Riverside Community Health Foundation, Novartis, Blood Bank of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties and Kaiser Permanente.

“Although the information is targeted at the African American community, the conference is open to all nationalities,” Clark said.

San Bernardino County 5th District Supervisor Josie Gonzales attended the 2007 conference to gather information for her constituents. Gonzales was one of several elected officials who presented certificates of recognition to Clark at the conference. Clark was also recognized by U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert, State Assembly Member Wilmer Amina Carter, Riverside Mayor Ronald Loveridge and the Rialto City Council.

As a Supervisor, Gonzales sees the financial effects of mid- to low-income families who do not go to the doctor regularly. Many of these families make frequent trips to the emergency room, which is a huge strain on the government, Gonzales said.

“Many of our residents don’t make the commitment to practice health prevention,” Gonzales said. “This transfers into huge costs for the county.”

She said the conference offered area residents a chance to learn about ways to prevent serious health problems and about different health insurance options.

Gonzales added that it was important that Inland Empire residents monitor their health and pay attention to potential health problems.

“When we’re young we think we are never going to get sick,” Gonzales said. “As years pass it may not seem that our health is deteriorating, but there are signs, and we must train ourselves to recognize the symptoms leading to illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.”

Failure to plan for future health problems can have a disastrous effect on personal finances. “One third of all bankruptcies are because of health care costs,” she said.

To join the planning committee, or become a volunteer, sponsor, presenter or vendor for the 2008 Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference call (951) 565-4431 or e-mail hhwcmovement@yahoo.com .

FILM-MAKERS PROVE SCIENTIST WRONG

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Larry Adleman and Llew Smith are what some would call “A scientist’s nightmare”, which is someone proving them they’re wrong. These two men are film-makers of the PBS Series Unnatural Causes which discusses issues like “Is inequality making us sick?”. On Thursday, March 20th, from noon to 1:00pm, community leaders, business leaders, and media will gather at the Norman F. Feldheym Central Library for the video launch of their highly anticipated four part series presented by the African American Health Institute of San Bernardino County.

The series itself is scheduled to air on Los Angeles PBS affiliate KCET four consecutive Sundays beginning April 6. Times are 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. April 6, 13 and 2, and 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. April 20.

San Bernardino PBS affiliate KVCR has tentatively scheduled the series to begin July 8, and air at 9 p.m. July 8, July 15, July 22 and July 29.

What inspired UNNATURAL CAUSES? Where did the process begin and where did it take you?

Larry Adelman: The seed was planted several years ago when we were making RACE - The Power of an Illusion, a series that explored popular myths and misconceptions about race. We found out that African Americans have one of the highest hypertension rates in the world. The knee-jerk hypothesis among some scientists was that this had something to do with genes, but that idea was exploded by research showing that West Africans (whose ancestors are shared by many African Americans) enjoy one of the lowest hypertension rates in the world. Instead of some mythical genetic variant, the real culprit behind these high blood pressure rates is more likely rooted in the stresses of everyday life particular to the African American experience, i.e., racism. That’s when we first realized how the “outside” – our social and economic environment – could get under our skin and disrupt our biology as surely as germs and viruses.

As the RACE series screened around the country, folks brought to our attention literally hundreds of studies and journal articles describing the many pathways by which class and racism influence health outcomes as surely as diet, smoking and exercise do. And we learned that it isn’t just African Americans or the poor leading sicker, shorter lives because of inequality, but white, middle class Americans, too.

Llew Smith: This series led us to go further than exploding myths. The journey of UNNATURAL CAUSES took us to deconstructing our very ideas about health in society. Many believe that being healthy is as simple as making smart choices: exercising, eating well, taking a vacation every so often to reduce stress, having networks to support us and so on. But behaviors explain only part of the story. When we look at populations and entire communities, you begin to see that there are larger forces at work beyond what an individual can control. That led us to the growing research focused on “social determinants of health” and “health equity.”

One of the most exciting things about making this series has been bringing the data to life through the health experiences of real people and real communities. The stories and individuals our producers have captured on camera are just stunning, remarkable, moving. It’s a much more emotional series than I thought we’d create. While the science is the critical underpinning, UNNATURAL CAUSES is at its core a collection of powerful stories about people and communities struggling to better their health.

Share the meaning of UNNATURAL CAUSES as a title.

LA: We must have argued over a dozen titles before Jean Cheng, our series Website producer, suggested UNNATURAL CAUSES. It fit perfectly. As Nancy Krieger, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, cautions in our film, “It’s not as if we won’t die. We all die. The question is: at what age? With what degree of suffering? With what degree of preventable illness?”

We understand that all our organs eventually wear out. That’s natural. But what’s unnatural? If your heart wears out faster because you work two jobs that don’t pay enough to survive and you always have to worry about being let go; if your kid has asthma because we’ve allowed oil refineries to pollute the air and not forced landlords to keep their premises free of cockroaches and mold; if you get fat because you spend two hours commuting, there are no grocery stores nearby and the easiest meal is fast food; if your blood pressure is high because you don’t feel safe in your neighborhood and are worried about what might happen to your kids but can’t afford to move...none of those are natural causes.

LS: For me, the title underscores an essential theme that runs throughout the entire four hours of the series: that the profound inequalities in health all around us – if we just stop and look – are not accidental or inevitable. As one of our series’ experts David Williams says, “These are not acts of God, and they don’t happen by chance.” They result largely from policy decisions we’ve made, and we can certainly unmake them if we had the political will.

The title also suggests a crime scene-type investigation. That’s what our series does, in an interesting way. It’s an inquiry into the reasons why some neighborhoods have better overall health than others; why some populations live longer than others. For most people, the first solution that comes to mind is better access to health care. This is addressed in the first few minutes of the opening episode, entitled “In Sickness and In Wealth.” The program makes clear that while access to health care is absolutely critical – and it’s shocking that we’re the only industrialized nation without universal health care – the lack of health care in and of itself is not the cause of illness and disease. The answers lie in other factors in society.

Who are your partners and supporters of this project?

LA: What makes this work exciting to us – and more expansive than content confined
to a television screen - is its value to those already working to improve Americans’ health. The series taps into a vibrant movement of public health advocates, community activists and policy experts who are not only spotlighting the root causes of our health inequities but also advancing solutions. This project is truly collaborative. It did not begin with the production nor will it end with the broadcast. Relationships with key partners were built before the first treatment was even written. The series, a public engagement campaign and accompanying tools have been developed in tandem with health equity initiatives led by the Health Policy Institute of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), the American Public Health Association (APHA), the Praxis Project, PolicyLink, the Prevention Institute and others. Joined by other partners across the country, they will utilize the series and companion tools to reframe the public debate over what we as a nation can and should do to tackle health inequities.

LS: The ultimate value of the series will be determined by how effectively it helps the several hundred partners using it. Our media partnerships are also important because they not only embraced the highest standards of filmmaking and programming excellence, but they brought to the table the racial and ethnic diversity that is a cornerstone of our message. Thanks to the National Minority Consortia of public television, the series was shot with a unique team of Native American, African American, white, Asian American, Pacific Islander and Latino producers.

How have viewers reacted to work-in-progress cuts of the documentary?
How have people reacted to the overall message of the film series?

LA: We screened work-in-progress clips at dozens of meetings and conferences and got invaluable feedback. Reactions fell into three categories: gratification, surprise and sometimes anger. When presenting to the public health community, we usually get a sigh of relief and “Thank goodness. It’s about time!” Public health advocates have applauded our team for helping take this critical issue into a broader “public” space. They know the data, supported by mountains of evidence, so they are heartened that the film helps to advance the social determinants message as it tells human stories. Like them, we question the individual, bio-medical model. Why, for example, are poor smokers more likely to get cancer than wealthy smokers? Why is our health status often determined by where we live, work and play or the color of our skin?

LS: Another set of audiences – perhaps more emblematic of the general public - finds the revelations in the series eye-opening and stunning. They come away with a new grasp of how society matters for health. We’ve been conditioned to believe that if we’re sick it’s because we’ve made unhealthy choices or have “bad” genes, that an ailing soul can pop a magic pill, or that if we just eat right, exercise and quit smoking, all our health problems will evaporate. The reality – that class and race-based inequality affects your health - is hard to wrap your mind around. But it all comes together for viewers in the four hours and seven segments that make up UNNATURAL CAUSES.

Isn’t this mostly a problem of the poor and some people of color? Why should
the rest of us care?

LA: Apart from common decency, there are very practical reasons why we should all care about health inequities. Believe it or not, almost all of us are affected. First, there is a continuous wealth gradient, or pyramid, with health tracking wealth from top to bottom. Those at the top hold the most power and resources and, on average, live longer, healthier lives. The rest of us do worse – some even much worse. But it’s not just the poor who are sick and dying. Those in the middle are still almost twice as likely to die an early death as those at the top. But the real question is, should how much money we have determine how long we live or who gets sick and who doesn’t?

LS: Also, business is losing more than $1 trillion a year in productivity due to chronic illness, and our medical care system is stretched to the breaking point by a sick population and becoming increasingly unaffordable. We’re all paying the price, whether we realize it or not. Health inequities are not about them. It is very much an “us” issue.

How does the research you present in the film series differ from that of previous films?

LA: UNNATURAL CAUSES breaks new ground by sifting through a wide body of existing research on the sources of our socioeconomic and racial inequities in health and putting it on television for the first time. Michael Moore’s Sicko was about our health care system.

UNNATURAL CAUSES looks at what’s making us sick in the first place. Health care is what Robert Evans called “our repair shop,” where we take our bodies when they break down. But what’s wearing down our engines in the first place? And why is that wear and tear so differentially distributed by race and by class? That’s what this film explores. We’ve just scratched the surface. There are many opportunities for investigative, feature and local news reporting, not just coverage by health writers or television critics.

Expound on the phrase repeatedly heard in the series: “Social policy is health policy.”

LA: Americans’ life expectancy increased 30 years over the 20th century. That wasn’t just because of new drugs and medical technology. Arguably, much of that improvement can be attributed to social reforms that raised the standard of living for most everyone. The eight-hour work day, universal schooling, Social Security, collective bargaining rights, building codes, pollution laws, corporate regulation, and civil rights legislation – these all improved living conditions and thus the health status of millions of Americans. Travel overseas to Europe where health and life expectancy are considerably higher than ours, and you also see the links between national social policies and government expenditures. Free universal child care, quality schools, paid parental leave, paid vacation and, of course, guaranteed health care – these things powerfully enhance health for individuals, families and communities. Sweden has a child poverty of 4.2 percent. Ours is 22 percent – more than 5 times higher. But the social spending is reversed: Sweden allocates 18 percent of its GDP to social programs; the U.S. less than 4 percent. Should we be surprised that Swedes live on average four years longer than Americans?

LS: I can answer that question by revisiting our series title. Class and racial inequities and the health disparities they spawn are not “natural.” They are the products of public policies that transfer wealth and power to corporations and the rich. We don’t have to opt for the status quo. Our health outcomes are patterned so unequally because of decisions we as a society have made. We can make a difference if we choose. Besides income, there are all sorts of health benefits — and health threats — that are distributed unequally, ranging from good schools to access to nutritious and affordable food to racial opportunity. Building a more just and equitable society that works for everyone is not simply a PC (politically correct) ideal. It has life and death consequences.

You’ve laid out the problem and challenges. What about solutions?

LA: By demonstrating how inequality and racism are not abstract concepts but hospitalize and kill even more people than cigarettes, UNNATURAL CAUSES hopes to build support for the best medicine of all: economic equality, racial justice and caring communities. There’s a lot we can do. As sociologist David Williams points out in the show , improving equality of opportunity, increasing wages, investing in our schools, reversing regressive tax policies, improving housing, integrating neighborhoods, opening up labor markets and giving people more control over their jobs – these are all public health strategies.

How do you want this film series to be used?

LS: Well, first we want to inject these ideas about health equity into a larger public dialogue, something even the researchers and epidemiologists admit they haven’t been able to do effectively. Michael Moore’s film Sicko vividly depicts one critical dimension of our national health crisis — yes, we should all have good health care, but the question remains: Why are whole populations and communities in such dire need of health care much more often than others? What is creating illness in some communities and healthy living in others? So, at a time when the country is discussing health care solutions, we also need to be discussing these other social and economic factors that have powerful consequences for health.

Second, we hope the series will help change the way we think about health, by making these ideas and research accessible to ordinary viewers, community activists, legislators, policy makers as well as public health teachers and administrators. Very little of this data on the social determinants of health has been presented in ways that are accessible to the general public. Month after month it’s published in peer-reviewed journals that most of us have never heard of and will never see. So our series is breaking new ground, not because we’ve done original research, but because we’ve taken the research and shown how these concepts play out in stories from the lives of real people around the country. For me, that’s the real excitement and power of UNNATURAL CAUSES.