Roslyn Young-Daniels started Black Health Matters in 2012. The former senior executive in broadcast and publishing, and ovarian cancer survivor, is a nationally respected health strategist with more than 20 years designing and
implementing cross-cultural health education programs.
Young-Daniels joined WBGO Journal host Doug Doyle to talk about BHM's upcoming summit in Newark and her career.
"The impetus for me to launch Black Health Matters (the leading health promotion and disease management online platform serving the needs of consumers, patients and physicians) was the Affordable Care Act. I loved my grandparents. They were my world. I adored them. They died too soon of preventable causes. My grandmother didn't live to be 70-something. My grandfather might have made it to 71 or 72. Their deaths were just kind of like this mystery. To this day, I can't tell you definitively what was the cause of their death. I saw and felt the grief of losing loved ones without understanding what happened. So, literally, my grandmother went to the hospital. She lasted for three days and died. She lived in pain. She lived in silence with the pain. She didn't come to us. She didn't tell her friends and she didn't tell her community. She lived in silence, pain and fear."
Young-Daniels didn't want that to happen to anyone else.
"When I understood that access was real because you have to show up. You can't talk about it, you got to be about it. If something is wrong, you need to seek medical care. We understand that there are some gaps in our knowledge about how to access healthy behaviors and what we could be doing to support ourselves. So Black Health Matters was created to be the "north star for thousands of African Americans who would start to truly embark upon a health journey and needed the resources, the courage and the information and the community to make that happen."
For the first time in its decade-long history, Black Health Matters (BHM) is bringing its award-winning health summit series to the city of Newark.
On Saturday, May 20, the Black Health Matters Spring Health Summit & Expo will take place at the Essex County Donald M. Payne Sr. School of Technology on 498-544 W. Market St. in Newark, NJ from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM.
The theme for the free event is “Elevating Patient and Community Voices for Better Outcomes,” and people can attend either virtually or in person. The day is dedicated to inspiring attendees to be “the CEOs of their health” by offering engaging educational panels, workshops, music, fitness sessions, and free health screenings and immunizations. Medical clinicians will join specialists in health, wellness and chronic illness and celebrity guests who are passionate about bringing health awareness to the community. Attendees will be offered a complimentary breakfast and lunch and FREE giveaways and prizes will also be distributed throughout the day.
Roslyn Young-Daniels says it will be an incredible day.
"You will actually feel that you are in a combination of a symposia, a conference and an expo but it will still have the slickness like a BET Awards event. We really fashion health to be accessible, to be fun and for people to get their health taken care of."
She stresses there will be enlightening 30-minute presentations by leading experts on women’s health, kidney disease, shingles, mental health and well-being, prostate health, lung cancer, rare disease, multiple myeloma, physical fitness, and more.
The stellar roster of hosts, presenters, and panelists, includes Malik Yoba, Actor, Activist, Founder, Yoba Development and Summit Co-Host; Rolonda Watts, Actress, Producer, Award-Winning Journalist and Summit Co-Host; Dupre’ Kelly, City Councilman, West Ward, Newark NJ, Hip Hop Icon, and Summit Advisory Board President; Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr, 10th District of New Jersey; and Elijah Westbrook, Emmy-Award Winning Reporter, CBS2News New York and Summit Moderator.
There will also be a special musical performance by Mark Gross, Sr., Grammy® Award-Winning Saxophonist, and the TD Jazz for Teens from the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. DaShaun Johnson, aka “The Guru of Abs” fitness expert will jump start the day by leading 30-minute workout session.
Debra Fraser-Howze, Founder and CEO of Choose Healthy Life, will be presented with the BHM Champion Advocate Award, and Akbar H. Cook, Westside High School Principal and Amazon Best Selling Author, will be presented with the BHM Champion Impact Award.
To register and learn more about the topics and speakers, go to www.bhmspringsummit2023.com.
You can SEE the entire interview with Roslyn Young-Daniels here.
