NC Juneteenth Health Fair: Understanding Slavery’s Legacy In Health & Medicine
Durham, NC – In the 18th through early 20th centuries, white physicians studied black slaves and their descendants’ legacy in an attempt to identify characteristics that were distinctive of their race. They believed that all questions about health could be answered in the body; therefore, if blacks had poorer health outcomes than whites, the differences must be due to inherent racial weaknesses, not disparities in economic circumstances. This research played a significant role in constructing a narrative of race in the United States, the repercussions on our legacy are still being felt in the lives and health of African Americans today.
Free blacks after the Civil War were the first advocates for federal health care. They argued that the right to health care should be among the benefits of being a citizen of the United States.
The discriminatory Jim Crow laws enacted in southern and some western states following the Civil War also took a toll on the health of African Americans. Research documents show higher black infant mortality rates in Jim Crow states prior to the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which abolished the laws. Research also shows heightened risk of estrogen-receptor-negative breast cancer (which tends to have worse survival rates than ER-positive breast cancer) among African American women raised in Jim Crow states.
In an effort to bring awareness and to reducing health disparities in the African-American population, the 15th Annual NC Juneteenth Celebration will feature a Health Fair. Powered by Walker Group Health & Wellness and sponsored by Duke Health, the Health Fair will offer basic services and assessments that may not be easily available in the African American community or affordable. All services offered are free to Juneteenth Celebration attendees.
Walker Group Health & Wellness co-founder Santisha Walker, RN and her team of health & wellness professionals will be on-site to provide:
- Vital signs (blood pressure, BMI (weight & height), pulse, oxygen saturation taken by Registered Nurses)
- Well living information (tips for nutrition, meal planning, physical activity, etc.)
- One-on-one mini-wellness consultations
These organizations and others are participating in the Health Fair:
- Durham Chapel Hill Dietetic Association
- Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Duke
- You Good? Inc.
- Alliance Health
- Healing With CAARE, Inc.
- Oberweis Dairy
- GirlTrek: Bull City Walkie Talkies
- Phoenix Health & Wellness Group, LLC
- Community Health Coalition, Inc.
- UNCW Face Aging Group
- VNT Enterprises
Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, festivals, parades, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings to preserve our legacy. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future. Its growing popularity signifies a level of maturity and dignity in America long overdue. In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities, and religions are joining hands to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society and legacy today.
Join us in Durham NC for the 15th Annual NC Juneteenth Celebration on June 15th.
About Walker Group Health & Wellness Group
Walker Group Health & Wellness Group is a boutique consulting company providing tailored services specializing in health & wellness education. They believe in offering companies, groups, and organizations access to effective, quality, and practical health & wellness-related knowledge to aid their group in functioning at its highest level.
Walker Group Health & Wellness provides a platform for licensed, certified and experienced health & wellness professionals to partner with their vision of providing life-changing education via presentations, seminars and workshops to enhance their client’s overall health, wellness and performance. Through their high-quality network of professionals, and with over 20 years of combined healthcare experience, their dynamic team at Walker Group Health & Wellness offers groups access to an immense wealth of expert and evidence-based knowledge.
At Walker Group Health & Wellness, they understand in order for companies, groups, and organizations to perform at their greatest capacity, the individuals who make up the group must operate at their best and full potential. Walker Group Health & Wellness extends the opportunity to collaborate with their dynamic team of health & wellness education experts in providing life-changing seminars and workshops for your organization.
Santisha Walker, RN, is Spectacular Magazine’s Health & Wellness Reporter providing health and wellness knowledge as well as promoting other health professionals in her bi-weekly column “Serving Beyond.” Learn more about Walker Group Health & Wellness, click here.
