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Martin Center celebrates 50 years of service to sickle cell patients

INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 100,000 Americans have sickle cell disease. The disease occurs in one out of every 365 Black or African American births, and about 1 in 13 Black or African American babies is born with sickle cell trait, meaning the baby inherited the gene from one parent and likely won’t have any of the symptoms of sickle cell disease.

Published

7 years ago

September 25, 2019

Oakland Post

The Martin Center Sickle Cell Initiative, 3545 N. College Ave., sits in what used to be a duplex. The center, which provides support for people who have sickle cell disease, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. (Photo by: Tyler Fenwick)

By Tyler Fenwick

Julie Daniels lucked out when her mother took her to the pediatrician when she all of the sudden couldn’t bear any weight as a 1-year-old, even after learning how to walk. The pediatrician was a hematologist and recognized the signs he saw. He tested Daniels, and sure enough, she was diagnosed with sickle cell disease.

Daniels has Hemoglobin SB+ (beta) thalassemia, to be exact. It’s one of the four main types of sickle cell disease. The disease affects hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to different parts of the body. Symptoms can include anemia, repeated infections and chronic pain.

It’s the pain that has affected Daniels’ life the most. She stopped working in 2015 because the pain was so bad. She’s on disability now, but she said the pain seems to come more often. The worst days — when the pain becomes overpowering and she can’t do anything — can happen as often as three times a week.

Couple that with fatigue, and it’s like your body “just shuts down on you,” Daniels said, and a nap isn’t going to make it any better.

Growing up in Fort Wayne, said she felt “very alone.” She had a cousin with the same disease, but he lived in Maryland. Daniels, who went to Purdue University and got her master’s degree in Indianapolis, started going to the Martin Center Sickle Cell Initiative in 2010. She had never heard of what was then a 41-year-old organization. There wasn’t anything like it around the state.

This year, the Martin Center is celebrating its 50th anniversary. That’s 50 years of supporting a community that for so long has been ignored and stigmatized. There will be a celebration with dinner, music and a silent auction at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 20 at the Willows on Westfield. Tickets are $75 at themartincenter.org.

Go back to 1969, when Father Boniface Hardin and Dr. Raymond Pierce founded the center, and it’s clear why this organization was needed.

“You would find that there really wasn’t much information at all and hardly any interest in sickle cell disease,” said Gary Gibson, president and CEO of the Martin Center, “because it was a disease that seems to affect only Black people, and people of color didn’t matter. It didn’t get the attention that it should get.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 100,000 Americans have sickle cell disease. The disease occurs in one out of every 365 Black or African American births, and about 1 in 13 Black or African American babies is born with sickle cell trait, meaning the baby inherited the gene from one parent and likely won’t have any of the symptoms of sickle cell disease.

Daniels knew her husband didn’t have the gene, so they could only pass along the trait to their daughter. Daniels said they talk with her about the possibility of having a partner who also has the trait and potentially passing the disease to her child. When both parents have the trait, there’s a 25% chance their child will have the disease, according to the CDC.

This is part of what the Martin Center has been doing: educating people who have the disease and trait. The organization has programs that not only teach patients about the disease, but also provide services and support such as a food pantry, support groups and financial assistance.

Frank Lloyd, a Martin Center board member and retired physician, understands why it’s important for African Americans to have this kind of intimate meeting space to talk about a disease that many others know so little about.

During his time at IU Health Methodist Hospital, Lloyd saw sickle cell patients whose pain was discounted by other physicians. It’s a well-documented phenomenon in medicine, where white doctors have false beliefs about biological differences between their white and Black patients, leading them to think their Black patients don’t feel as much pain.

The Martin Center is a place where patients can drop that guard and be with others who are also dealing with an invisible disease that doesn’t get as much attention — or funding — as other conditions that are less common.

Gibson, whose wife died from complications with sickle cell disease in 1989, said the next step for the Martin Center hopefully involves expanding. He would like to get up to Gary and Fort Wayne, places that need these kinds of services but don’t have them to the same scale.

He saw what sickle cell disease did to his wife and sees what it’s doing to patients now every day.

“It’s not fair,” Gibson said. “Those who have it didn’t ask for it, and they didn’t do anything to cause it. To me, that’s just not fair.”

Contact staff writer Tyler Fenwick at 317-762-7853. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick.

This article originally appeared in The Indianapolis Recorder.

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Study: Waiting Lists for Child Care Assistance Nearly Doubled

BLACKPRESS USA NEWSWIRE — “Since the expiration of tens of billions of dollars in federal child care funding in 2023 and 2024, an already fragile child care system has been pushed even closer to the brink.”
The post Study: Waiting Lists for Child Care Assistance Nearly Doubled appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 day ago

June 8, 2026

Oakland Post

By National Women’s Law Center

The National Women’s Law Center released its annual State Child Care Assistance Policies report, finding that the number of children placed on waiting lists for federally funded child care assistance nearly doubled between 2024 and 2025 — and that number has only continued to grow.

The report serves as a key resource for state lawmakers, advocates, and policymakers by tracking state child care assistance policies and identifying where states are strengthening support for families and early educators — or falling behind.

“This deeply troubling increase in the number of children on child care waiting lists is the result of a failure to invest in this crucial sector,” said Karen Schulman, senior director of state child care policy and author of the report. “Since the expiration of tens of billions of dollars in federal child care funding in 2023 and 2024, an already fragile child care system has been pushed even closer to the brink.”

Key findings in the report related to waiting lists for child care assistance include:

• 17 states had waiting lists or a freeze on intake for child care assistance in February 2025, up from 13 states in February 2024.

• Approximately 106,700 children nationwide were added to waiting lists between February 2024 and February 2025, bringing the total to 225,500 children in February 2025 — a 90 percent increase compared to February 2024.

• The numbers climbed even further between February 2025 and summer/fall 2025, with more than 175,000 additional children added to state waiting lists in just a few months — a 78 percent increase.

• At least seven states newly began placing families on waiting lists or freezing intake, while at least 10 additional states saw their waiting lists grow, after February 2025.

The report also includes state-by-state data on key child care assistance policies, including income eligibility limits, parent copayments, provider payment rates, and eligibility policies for parents searching for work.

Click the link to learn more: Warning Signs: State Child Care Assistance Policies 2025.

The post Study: Waiting Lists for Child Care Assistance Nearly Doubled appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Venus Williams Calls a Sabalenka Exit a Tragedy

ROLLING OUT — Crucially, Williams did not read the comment as a real farewell. She said she did not believe Sabalenka truly wanted to leave, calling such an outcome a loss for both the player and the sport.
The post Venus Williams Calls a Sabalenka Exit a Tragedy appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 days ago

June 7, 2026

Oakland Post

The seven-time major champion read frustration, not a real goodbye, in the world No. 1’s words

By David Kesiena | Rolling Out

When the world’s top-ranked player said she wanted to walk away from the sport, Venus Williams chose empathy over alarm.

Aryna Sabalenka’s blunt remark after her French Open quarterfinal collapse rattled plenty of fans, but Williams heard something different in it. The seven-time Grand Slam champion treated the comment as the raw reaction of a hurting athlete rather than a serious signal about her future.

The collapse that triggered the comment

Sabalenka looked headed for a routine win over Diana Shnaider. She took the opening set 6-3 and built a commanding lead in the second, climbing to 4-1 and later serving for the match at 5-4 while sitting just two points from victory.

Then everything unraveled. Shnaider stormed back to steal the second set 7-5 and bageled the world No. 1 in the third, with Sabalenka dropping 12 of the final 13 games in gusty conditions that reached around 26 mph. The 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 result sent Shnaider into her first Grand Slam semifinal and extended Sabalenka’s long wait for a maiden Roland Garros title.

In the aftermath, Sabalenka did not soften her feelings. She told reporters she had no thoughts and no emotions left and felt like quitting on the spot. She described being stuck in a deep, dark mental hole during the match, unable to find her way back.

What Venus Williams said about Sabalenka

Williams reacted with understanding. She admitted the moment made her sad and said she had been swept up in Sabalenka’s emotions, feeling a surge of empathy for her. She praised the Belarusian for laying everything bare on court, where every feeling shows.

Crucially, Williams did not read the comment as a real farewell. She said she did not believe Sabalenka truly wanted to leave, calling such an outcome a loss for both the player and the sport. Rather than scold her, Williams offered a gentle observation about the rhythm of professional tennis. She suggested players might benefit from a little more time to gather themselves before stepping in front of the cameras, a quiet acknowledgment that athletes are routinely asked to dissect painful defeats before the sting has faded.

Sabalenka walks it back

The story did not end on that bleak note. Within days, Sabalenka signaled she was not actually quitting, framing the press-conference outburst as heat-of-the-moment honesty rather than a plan. At the time of the loss she had also left the door open, saying she would see how she felt in a few days and hoped to get back on track mentally. The walk-back lined up with how Williams had read the situation from the start.

It is not the first time a Paris quarterfinal has pushed Sabalenka to her limit. In 2024 she exited at the same stage and skipped her press conference entirely because of illness, with the tour later releasing her quotes on her behalf. The pattern underscores how heavily this particular tournament has weighed on her despite deep runs in recent years.

For now, attention shifts to the grass. Wimbledon offers Sabalenka a quick chance to reset, and a strong showing there would turn this French Open meltdown into a footnote rather than a turning point.

Originally published by Rolling Out — https://rollingout.com.

The post Venus Williams Calls a Sabalenka Exit a Tragedy appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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COMMENTARY: Using Art, Healing, And Community to Transform Mental Health Dialogue

THE CAROLINIAN — Operating at the intersection of the arts and mental health, Darkness RISING uses music, storytelling, wellness programming, and community engagement to inspire healing while addressing barriers that have historically prevented many Black Americans from accessing mental health support.
The post COMMENTARY: Using Art, Healing, And Community to Transform Mental Health Dialogue appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 days ago

June 7, 2026

Oakland Post

By Judaea Ingram | Special to The Carolinian

RALEIGH, N.C. – Music filled the air as families danced through the crowd, children gathered around activity stations, and community members explored wellness resources from local organizations. Black-owned businesses lined the streets while people stopped for chair massages, conversations, and moments of connection inside the wellness suite.

At the center of the event stood a simple but powerful reminder:

“You Matter.”

For Darkness RISING, those words represent far more than a slogan. They reflect the organization’s mission to break the stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community while creating spaces centered on healing, honesty, and hope.

Operating at the intersection of the arts and mental health, Darkness RISING uses music, storytelling, wellness programming, and community engagement to inspire healing while addressing barriers that have historically prevented many Black Americans from accessing mental health support.

The organization hosts a variety of programs and events throughout the year, including block parties, wellness workshops, mixers, kickoff events, community classes, and Darkness RISING: Live — a free annual arts and wellness festival now celebrating its ninth year.

The festival combines entertainment with healing-centered resources, featuring live music, dancing, singing, food trucks, Black vendors, children’s activities, mental health resources, wellness spaces, and opportunities for open conversations about mental health.

While the events may feel celebratory on the surface, organizers say the deeper purpose is creating safe spaces where people can feel comfortable discussing mental health without fear of judgment.

Darkness RISING also provides free nationwide resources, including a Black Mental Health Resource Packet, a Black Mental Health Provider Database, and its “Find Me a Therapist” initiative, which helps connect individuals with culturally competent care.

The organization’s work is rooted in addressing longstanding inequities that continue impacting mental health access within Black communities.

Historically, segregation, redlining, racial discrimination, incarceration, poverty, and unequal healthcare access have contributed to higher rates of behavioral health challenges while simultaneously limiting access to proper treatment and support. Darkness RISING approaches those issues through what organizers describe as a transformative justice lens, focusing on healing rather than punishment and creating equitable wellness opportunities for marginalized communities.

Its REBUILD program specifically supports justice-involved and formerly incarcerated people of color through free therapy and wellness support, while the REBUILD Youth program focuses on young people impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences, also known as ACEs.

For Rudolph, therapy became life-changing after decades of incarceration and years of rejection after returning home.

“Came home in 2015, started my own computer company, investing in real estate, did the normal thing and got some jobs here and there and was met with rejection after rejection and people telling me I am not a good person,” Rudolph shared. “Even had a rejection in church.”

He said one of the hardest battles became overcoming the mental barriers created during incarceration.

“I got in touch with a couple of friends, and they explained to me how I had to get over the mental hurdles and get rid of the way my prison mindset was in order to survive and become successful,” he said.

Rudolph later moved to North Carolina hoping for a fresh start, but the struggle continued.

“Things were looking bad,” he said. “Could not get a job. The struggle was real.”

Eventually, therapy and support through organizations like Darkness RISING helped begin his healing process. He said working alongside other justice-involved men through therapy gave him the ability to rebuild mentally while finding community with people who understood his experiences.

Stories like Rudolph’s reflect the foundation behind Darkness RISING’s mission: ensuring people feel seen, supported, and worthy of healing regardless of their background or circumstances.

Community members who attend the organization’s events often describe them as emotionally transformative.

Some participants say Darkness RISING encouraged them to seek therapy for the first time, while others say the organization gave them a safe space to openly discuss struggles they previously kept hidden.

“I have been encouraged by the beautiful, generous, brave and open individuals who come together and use their talents to create art, share personal experiences and provide hope to those who may be struggling with mental health,” one participant shared.

By combining art, wellness, education, and community outreach, Darkness RISING continues changing how mental health conversations happen within the Black community.

Not through silence.

But through healing, honesty, connection, and joy.

Originally published by The Carolinian — https://caro.news.

The post COMMENTARY: Using Art, Healing, And Community to Transform Mental Health Dialogue appeared first on BlackPressUSA.