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HealthPlus: Black Health and Wellness Publication Launches
THE BURTON WIRE — Arranging its content and information in a practical, easily accessible fashion, HealthPlus brings exciting content about today’s most critical health concerns to digital consumers. “Health Bites,” one of HealthPlus’s key features, will serve quick blurbs on the latest health-related news. Rotating banners will highlight the new content available on the site. Additional topics will focus on all parts of Black health including exercise, medications, media, pop culture, homeopathic remedies, and various organizations and individuals on the ground working everyday to motivate Black people to take their health more seriously.
The post HealthPlus: Black Health and Wellness Publication Launches first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
Legacy media outlet The Atlanta Voice unveils its first-ever health and wellness digital-first magazine
HealthPlus, The Atlanta Voice’s new monthly, digital-first magazine covering topics related to African American health and wellness has officially launched.
At a time when Covid-19 has created an unprecedented global pandemic that has deeply impacted the lives of African Americans, including the politicization of vaccines, and toxic work environments that have spiraled into a record-breaking, actively trending #GreatResignation, HealthPlus is focusing on closing the gaps in awareness, prevention, diagnosis, research, trials, treatment and care that contribute to lingering health disparities affecting people of African descent in the United States.
HealthPlus offers fresh content through engaging, interactive storytelling from a talented ensemble of veteran editors, journalists, photographers and designers. Their collaborative efforts have curated an informative, visually stunning media source that will empower and fully equip African Americans with the tools and resources they need to navigate the challenges of healthcare, self-care, and a complicated healthcare system.
HealthPlus will feature everything from news and updates, feature stories, historical essays, best practices, commentaries and interviews. HealthPlus will engage with a diverse group of stakeholders committed to helping Black and brown communities improve their health and the quality of their lives. HealthPplus will engage doctors, psychologists, celebrities, authors, clinicians, chefs, dieticians, nutritionists, humanitarians, counselors, athletes, personal trainers, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, academicians, and survivors of various illnesses to create content and dialogue about improving Black health.
Arranging its content and information in a practical, easily accessible fashion, HealthPlus brings exciting content about today’s most critical health concerns to digital consumers. “Health Bites,” one of HealthPlus’s key features, will serve quick blurbs on the latest health-related news. Rotating banners will highlight the new content available on the site. Additional topics will focus on all parts of Black health including exercise, medications, media, pop culture, homeopathic remedies, and various organizations and individuals on the ground working everyday to motivate Black people to take their health more seriously.
Twelve years in the making, HealthPlus is the vision of Janis Ware, publisher of The Atlanta Voice and HealthPlus. HealthPlus is a serious effort to inspire the Black community to take control of their physical, mental, spiritual, and financial health in order to improve the quality of life for the community-at-large.
“I am thrilled that the a vision of providing a platform that allows and affords individuals access to information that could influence changes in behavior has finally arrived. Change that could ultimately alter the quality of their lives. HealthPlus is truly a platform whose time has come,“ says Ware.
The Atlanta Voice, launched with the motto,”A People Without a Voice Cannot Be Heard,” elevating the lives, stories and events of Black Atlantans since 1966. HealthPplus is now elevating the voices of Black Atlantans as it relates to health and wellness.
“Building on the tremendous legacy of The Atlanta Voice for elevating Black voices and stories, HealthPlus will unearth the information and stories Black communities need to see and hear in order to have improved health, access, and overall experiences with the healthcare system. Our team is sensitive to the historic challenges that African Americans face due to discrimination, including a lack of access to accurate information, resources, research trials, and abuse and exploitation due to blatant discrimination. Located in a city that houses world leaders in healthcare, research, science and innovation, HealthPlus was created to right those historic wrongs, while providing a road map for better health and wellness for Black Atlantans,” says HealthPlus editor-in-chief Nsenga K. Burton.
Working well over a year on launching the vertical and its ancillary products (e-newsletter and e-magazine), the HealthPlus team features a veteran editorial and business team. The HealthPlus team includes editor-in-chief Nsenga Burton, senior consulting editor Valerie Boyd, editorial director James Washington, creative director Michael Grant, and social media director director Alexis Grace. Unfortunately, Boyd, a former arts editor for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, University of Georgia professor of journalism, and author of “Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston,” lost her battle to pancreatic cancer on February 12, 2022. The inaugural launch of HealthPlus is dedicated to Valerie’s memory.
HealthPlus is the first of the brand’s digital and multimedia properties. Along with the website, e-magazine and e-newsletter, HealthPlus will offer podcasts, livestreams and robust video content in the near future. For more information, visit healthplusmagazine.org.
This post was written by Nsenga K. Burton and Christopher A. Daniel. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual or @Journalistorian.
Follow The Burton Wire on Instagram or Twitter @TheBurtonWire.
This article originally appeared in The Burton Wire.
The post HealthPlus: Black Health and Wellness Publication Launches first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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