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Ahinoam and David Israel Bring Total Wellness Hub to Bessemer

BIRMINGHAM TIMES — Israel and her husband David operate Good Health to be Hail, a total-wellness center that features a café and juice bar serving fresh-squeezed juices, smoothies, organic fruits, herbal teas, organic coffees, raw foods, and cooked vegan food, such as pulled jackfruit burgers and gluten-free dishes. Additionally, they offer fitness classes, health consultations, and a variety of other services.

Published

5 years ago

August 31, 2019

Oakland Post

(l-r) David and Ahinoam Israel (Photo by: birminghamtimes.com)

By Ameera Steward

Last fall, Ahinoam Israel opened a café in Bessemer to provide herbal supplements that have helped her and can help others.

“It’s something that’s close to my heart because … it helped me get through a lot of stuff, [like] having my daughter at the age [41],” she said. “I was able to have her, [and] I had to do a lot of cleansing, do a lot of holistic work. I was like, ‘I want to share this with other people because this could help people, especially African American women.’”

Israel and her husband David operate Good Health to be Hail, a total-wellness center that features a café and juice bar serving fresh-squeezed juices, smoothies, organic fruits, herbal teas, organic coffees, raw foods, and cooked vegan food, such as pulled jackfruit burgers and gluten-free dishes. Additionally, they offer fitness classes, health consultations, and a variety of other services.

“I kind of consider myself a hub for holistic healers and fitness people because … I [work with] a lot of people and use their services,” said Ahinoam, adding that she has a love for trying to help people see other lifestyle alternatives.

“It’s about giving people an example of how to live a plant-based, raw, vegan lifestyle,” she said. “I really just want to be of service and help people with [their] issues because I know how it is.”

The center’s other holistic offerings include modalities like Pilates and yoga, although Ahinoam doesn’t teach the workout classes.

“I take it, or I have somebody in here [to teach it],” she said. “That’s part of it: trying to have someone who can [teach] classes.”

The Good Health to be Hail holistic wellness center was opened to help people address their health issues in a holistic way, but mainly through diet.

“We opened the café in September [2018], and I started counseling people, [showing them ways] to eat a holistic, vegan, plant-based diet.”

Some of the people Ahinoam would counsel were reluctant to change their diets, “so we just said, … ‘We should open a café … so people can have the food I talk about.”

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Shared Interests

Ahinoam, 51, is originally from Jackson, Miss. She attended Tougaloo College, outside of Jackson, from 1986 until 1988, and then she transferred to Southern Mississippi University. After graduating in 1991 with a degree in speech communication and a radio-television-and-film minor, she worked at a television station in Jackson. In 1996, she moved to Birmingham to work in the same field. David grew up in Bessemer and attended Jacksonville State University; he graduated in 1989 with a communications degree.

The couple met while both worked at a Birmingham television station. At the time, David was a vegetarian.

“I was a regular meat eater, … then I went to the far left. I’m a vegan now,” said Ahinoam, who has been vegan for approximately 10 years.

The couple opened their first business in Bessemer: Four Winds Communications, which builds websites and does documentaries, as well as commercial and multimedia productions. Because their building has two sides, David suggested that his wife consider the café. Four Winds is on the right and Good Health to be Hail is on the left; each has a separate entrance, but they are connected by a room that is used both for Good Health classes and as a Four Winds studio.

Four Winds

David initially bought the building to follow in the footsteps of entertainment giants. His dad was a DJ, and his mother played piano for a choir.

“Music was always with me. I saw [BET television network co-founder] Bob Johnson come on the scene, and I said, ‘Yeah, that’s what I want to do. I want to do TV, radio, newspapers. … I want to [do] communications. I want to own stuff,’” said David, who also was inspired by the success of film directors Spike Lee, Tyler Perry, and the late John Singleton.

David did music videos for local artists, such as Ace Da Future and MVP The King, as well as commercials for Jazzy’s Hair Salon on Third Avenue and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Those opportunities led him to acquire the Bessemer building, so he would have a physical location for his work.

“I had been to white production units, which had [pool tables] and catered food. … I liked that concept,” said David, adding that a lot of his attention is currently geared toward the café.

“I like what I’m doing now,” he said. “[The café] reaches more people and [allows me to] reach more people. More people are satisfied.”

As for Four Winds, its activities are more “high-end,” or on the pricier side. The café, however, is about helping people improve their health: “More people are open to that,” David said.

“Here to Help”

The Good Health to be Hail is café is open Monday through Friday, and Ahinoam and David have equal responsibilities, cooking and taking orders.

“We’re here to provide service,” said Ahinoam. “It’s really about serving people. We’re not a fad or trying to be a part of the fashion. We’re here to help, and good health really is to be hailed. … If you want to make it yours, it comes in different forms and fashions. Usually, it’s through reforming your food habits. It’s about good health, … [and] you have to choose it.”

Good Health to be Hail and Four Winds are located at 1920 8th Ave. N., Bessemer, AL 35020. For more information about the wellness center and café, call 205-277-2810; visit goodhealthtobehail.com; or follow on Instagram @goodhealthtobehail and Facebook @Good Health To Be Hail Holistic Wellness and Culture Learning Center. To find out more about communications services, call 205-760-5551; visit fourwindscommunications.com; or follow on Instagram @fourwindstv, Twitter @FourWindsTV, and Facebook @FourWindsTV.

This article originally appeared in The Birmingham Times.

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.