
If Black people are not alive, they cannot reach their max potential.
BLACK ENTERPRISE’s “Health Is Wealth” Summit took place in Atlanta on Feb 23-24.
The statistics make clear a very simple truth. Black people are not living long enough to earn their maximum potential and create wealth for future generations. Conversely, if Black people live to become elders, poor health will drain any accumulated wealth. The “Health Is Wealth” Summit is BE’s attempt to lead our community into a healthier future.
“We pay a high financial price as black people because, generally speaking, black men die in 53 years, and black women live. But we are so ill that you can’t really maximize what you do, and you gotta pay a lot of money to stay alive because of health care costs.”
Image Credit: BE
“Mr. Graves was like, we’re a small company. We’re not going to get the [insurance] discounts that a major corporation with thousands of people are gonna get. So the healthier we can keep our employee base, the health insurance costs will less for them and for us,”
“Everybody wins if you’re healthier.”
The summit kicked off with an early morning workout to show participants that fitness can be fun and adaptable for anyone at any skill level, followed by a food-prep demonstration by Keon Davis, owner of Smooth N Groove, who gave attendees a blueprint for nutrient-rich meals and proper nutrition.
Image Credit: BE | Halani Lobdell
Image Credit: BE | Keon Davis Smooth N Groove
A series of discussions were held to activate a health and wealth mindset. Notable panels dived into “Health and Longevity as a Wealth-Building Strategy,” and “Recognizing and Addressing Social Determinants of Health,” which were moderated by Alfred Emond Jr. and BE‘s director of digital content, Ida Harris, respectively.
Delmonte Jefferson, Tashique Thomas
Edmond’s panel discussed the financial implications of poor health. In contrast, Harris addressed how people’s health is impacted by the social conditions that surround them including the environment, work, healthcare, housing, access or a lack thereof. Panelist Tashique Thomas, Walmart’s senior director in this area, informed that the easiest way to gain access is to look for existing resources.
Ida Harris, BE director of digital content
Tonya Lewis-Lee spoke about her award-winning documentary, “Aftershock,” highlighting the maternal mortality crisis. Lewis-Lee spoke on motherhood and realizing that mental, physical and spiritual health was a key to her progress.
“It was after my second child was born that I realized I needed to get my compass in order so that I can actually do the things I wanted to do.” Lewis-Lee told BE.
“When my son was about two-years-old, I kind of figured out that I had to pull it together from a mental, physical and spiritual space.”
The Health Is Wealth Summit took a comprehensive look into the Black community’s relationship with health and how wellness impacts our wealth. BE is dedicated to keeping the conversation alive.
Source: Black Enterprise