Healthy living, medical accessibility and literacy were topics at the National Minority Health Month Celebration held at the Memorial Student Center Plaza Tuesday, April 21. The celebration included song and poetry performances as well as over 10 vendors from both Marshall and external organizations.
To start the event, LaDawna Walker-Dean, the Minority Health Institute director, emphasized the acknowledgement of the people behind deaths from overdoses, chronic illnesses and other health related issues.
“These are not just statistics; these are our neighbors, our family, our community, and we must not turn our eyes off them,” she said.
Unity in the Community, a choir founded by Marshall alum Teresa Figgins, then performed “He is Marvelous.” Figgins created the choir in 2006 to bring together singers from across the tri-state.
Georgiana Logan, Marshall health science professor, read her original poem, “Be the Source: A Public Health Call to National Minority Health Month.”
The poem covered the importance of health screenings, healthy eating and community partnerships.
“Prevention is practical. Real food over processed convenience, early screenings over delayed care, knowledge shared before risk takes root,” the poem read. “Be the source of better health.”
Some of the vendors at the event included Marshall Internal Medicine, which offered free blood glucose readings and advice from pharmacy students as well as the Men’s Health Equity Institute.
The MHEI is a local non-profit that “focuses exclusively on boys and men’s health in the state of West Virginia and Appalachia as a whole,” Logan said.
The institute offers workshops on health education with topics such as chronic diseases, hypertension, diabetes and prostate colorectal cancer. Another program it offers is the Men’s Leadership Academy, which provides professional development mentoring with resume preparation, mock interviews and a free “Dress4Success” closet with professional attire like suits, ties, dress pants and shoes.
MHEI also has a social movement called, “Fathering Without Limits,” recognizing “the invaluable role that men play in the lives of children and families while aiming to strengthen familial relationships through promoting fatherhood responsibility, accessibility and engagement,” according to their website.
The celebration was part of the Annual Minority Health Observance, with their motto reading, “Eat Smart. Move More. Live Better.”
Marshall’s Wellness Center offers wellness coaching and stress management while the Recreation Center offers nutrition support with dietitians and personalized meal planning.
After three poetry readings and the choir’s performance, background music began to play as celebration attendees continued to explore health resources and information.
Davina Snyder can be contacted at [email protected].
