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What Black Health and Wellness Means to Me

What Black Health and Wellness Means to Me

By Lisle Cole, Breastfeeding Counselor

Growing up, I remember how my two grandmothers would feed their family and friends as a way to share food, love, time, and memories. No matter how little we may have had, no one would ever know because both of my grandmothers could stretch a little food to feed many. The time that we spent together during the preparation of the food included playing music, talking, and sharing stories all while cleaning, cooking, and getting the table ready for the family, neighbors, and friends to eat. This quality time played a pivotal role in our emotional and mental wellness.

My maternal grandmother was the owner and director of Turner’s Beauty Academy, which was located one block from the historic Howard Theater in Washington, DC, and she had a refrigerator and hot stove in the beauty school. She would prepare meals for whomever was in the school, before driving to pick up my grandfather from the Pentagon. My grandfather was the co-owner of the beauty school and a decorated Marine veteran who served in three major world wars. They are now deceased and buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

My paternal grandmother played piano and did knitting and crochet. She would teach all the grandchildren and children in the neighborhood her talents. My father loved to skate and was a professional roller skater, and he taught all his children, grandchildren, and friends how to skate. On weekends we would have fun at the Kalorama Skate Rink, which is now the Harris Teeter grocery store right down the street from Mary’s Center’s Adams Morgan location.

In their later years, my grandparents experienced a few health challenges, and family stepped in to assist with their health care; Black families, as in many cultures, help to care for the elder members. However, we often have gaps in our neighborhoods and communities when it comes to receiving health care and holistic well-being. We deal with economics, the high cost of health care, medical issues that arise, transportation, family needs, lack of affordable housing, childcare, food desserts, and nutrition. Just think about the mother who has two small children and no childcare. How does she make it to a doctor’s appointment for herself, with no one available to care for her children?

People say that it takes a village to survive. Black health and wellness means having a unified community that listens to, cares for, advocates for, and helps the least resourced among us get the necessary care to live the best holistic and fulfilling lives possible while we share our time in the world. We need each other to survive, and we need to look out for one another to thrive.

To achieve Black health and wellness, we need to recognize cultural diversity. Within a race there are subcultures, and we must be sensitive to the human needs of people. There is a history of classifying people as Black based on skin color whether their families are from the Northeast DC, Africa, Central or South America, or the Caribbean. However, being Black encompasses generations of culture, diversity, and history.

The work that I do at Mary’s Center as a Nutritionist and Certified Lactation Specialist allows me to help participants to get healthy food, provide breast milk for their babies, and connect families to valuable resources that will help to enhance their lives. I enjoy working with families and helping them realize the importance of making decisions that will provide the best and healthiest lives for themselves and their loved ones. It is through helping one that I can help many. I learned that very early on from my grandparents, and I apply it every day as my token of contribution for health and wellness in our community.