by Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware
Often in church, the color red represents the blood that Christ shed on the cross to absolve humankind of its sins. It’s most often seen in choir robes, or in the vestments of the minister at the pulpit.
This Sunday, however, expect to see the pulpits awash in red dresses, as the color’s symbolism temporarily shifts from earthly salvation to the health of Black women.
The occasion is National Wear Red Day, an American Heart Association event designed to bring attention to heart disease in women. The designated day was Feb. 7, but churches have decided to participate all month long.
Black parishioners nationwide are encouraged to don the color because Black women have a substantially higher risk of cardiovascular disease than white women. But it also honors a pioneering Baltimore doctor who was among the first to identify the Black-white health gap — and addressed it in part by working with churches.
“Together, we are stronger than heart disease and stroke,” the Go Red for Women website declares. “Wear red to be seen, to be counted, to be heard, to make an impact.”
There’s not much good news about Black women and heart health.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the lifetime risk of developing cardiovascular disease is far higher for Black women (85%) compared to white women (69%), More than 50,000 Black women die from heart disease each year, the leading cause of death for that demographic.
While the American Heart Association is behind Wear Red Day, taking the heart health message to the Black church was effective back in the day because so many in the Black community didn’t have health insurance. As a result, they were more likely to go to church every Sunday than visit their doctors on a regular basis.
At least one of those Sundays, however, was designated for regular heart rate and blood pressure screening. Trained nurses who were also church members would set up stations, take the measurements and provide health information.
In Baltimore, the late Dr. Elijah Saunders, an esteemed Black cardiologist, took the idea — conduct health screenings and disseminate information in culturally Black spaces — to the next level.
An expert on high blood pressure, Saunders was Intent on addressing health inequities in the African-American community. He pushed for partnerships with the community and arranged to conduct screenings and outreach in barbershops and churches.
In 1978, as a cofounder of the Association of Black Cardiologists, he and Dr. B. Wayne Kong began organizing Black churches as blood pressure control centers. In 2006, he developed the Hair, Heart and Health program, an innovative public health approach that trained barbers and hairstylists to pre-screen customers for hypertension and then make referrals for medical care.
High blood pressure is prevalent among Black women, with nearly 58% affected; however, only about 20% have their blood pressure under control.
At the same time, awareness of heart attack symptoms is relatively low: just 39% of Black women recognize chest pain as a sign, and around 1 in 3 understand that heart attack symptoms can include pain spreading to the shoulder, neck or arms.
In addition to instructions and merchandise, Wear Red Day has suggestions for every age group who wants to volunteer. They range from hosting a fundraiser, learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation training for a marathon road race and how to support patients dealing with cardiovascular disease.
Those interested in getting involved can email volunteers@heart.org for assistance.
Source: Seattle Medium
