The risks for both heart disease — the nation’s No. 1 killer among all Americans — and stroke are even higher for Black Americans, according to the American Heart Association.
Black Americans, the American Cancer Society adds, have the highest death rate and shortest survival of any racial or ethnic group in the United States when it comes to most types of cancer.
Those stats, and others just as concerning, are the driving force behind this weekend’s third annual free Black Family Wellness Expo, presented by the Brevard chapter of The Links, Incorporated. They’ll join other chapters across the country in working to save and improve lives in the Black community as part of The Links National Wellness Expos’ continuing effort to bring awareness of health and economic disparities.
Health care professionals will share critical info on diabetes awareness. They’ll also cover kidney disease, mental health, Alzheimer’s, dental health, health, vision screening, organ/tissue donation and more, with STEM activities for children planned, too. They’re all part of the expo, set from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Dr. Joe Lee Smith Recreation Center, 415 Stone St., Cocoa.
“All these things impact the African American community greatly, but sometimes people just don’t know where to go to get the resources they need,” said Ena Leiba, chapter president.
“We black Americans are more than three times likely to be impacted by kidney failure, due to hypertension and obesity, So, that’s one of the major areas that we want to emphasize. We also want to provide information to the community about mental health — it’s a taboo. People don’t like to talk about it, but it impacts everyone.
“What we’re trying to do is bring the resources to them to educate them on how they can better manage their health care situations.”
March 2023 was the first time that chapters and Links members worked on the same day, coast to coast, to address health disparities and general wellness within their communities. That year, and in 2024, the Brevard chapter teamed with the Volusia one for a Daytona expo.
That makes this year the first Black Wellness Expo in Brevard, though members have participated in the effort since its inception.
“Once we learned what the expectations were and what we can offer, we decided to do our own so we can service the need, the great need, that’s here in the Brevard County community,” said Leiba.
The Links, Incorporated, an international not-for-profit established in 1946 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations
Who are members of The Links, both locally and nationwide?
Among them are more than 17,000 professional women of African descent as members, in 299 chapters located in 41 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and the United Kingdom. Notable names who’ve joined their ranks include former Vice President Kamala Harris and former U.S. Rep. Val Demings.
They’ve come from every imaginable walk of life and career path across the country over the years: teachers. College presidents. Health care professionals. Attorneys. Doctors. Bankers.
Leiba and Edna Lawson, programming chair, said the organization has worked for decades to battle health disparities in communities their members serve.
Between networking and personal contacts, Lawson said, they were able to put together a stable of exhibitors and vendors and community partners fairly quickly.
“Fortunately for us, many of us are in the health care industry, so we have contacts and networks in the community,” said Lawson.
“One of our co-chairs is an orthodontist, so she has a huge reach within the community. I think within a day or two, she had reached out to maybe 30 to 40 vendors. We were truly blessed to have those connections in our community, because it was probably one of the easier tasks for us.”
At least six mental health providers were interested in attending the expo, said Lawson.
“So that, again, you know, kind of gives you an idea as to the mental health crisis right here in Brevard County,” she said. “Our chapter has partnered for two years now with the Suntree United Baptist Church, and they have a health fair … we attended the event, and it was very impactful. It also gave us the opportunity as Links to gather information and tap into some of those mental health providers.”
The expo dovetails with their core values — friendship, integrity, honesty, service, commitment, family relationships, courage, respect for self and others, responsibility and accountability, Leiba said.
“You know, the main purpose for the organization is to serve our community,” she said. “We are friends who serve, and the Black Wellness Expo provides the service component … we embrace civil and voting rights. Equal pay, economic empowerment for women. Social justice, public safety, education and so forth. And so, we’ll come together, in the United States, the Bahamas and the United Kingdom, to offer Black Wellness Expos on this very important day.”
Britt Kennerly is education/breaking news editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Kennerly at 321-917-4744 or bkennerly@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @bybrittkennerly Facebook: /bybrittkennerly
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