Hayat Mohamed
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From Parent Dish: 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' found my family through a connection at the Cancer Wellness Center in suburban Chicago, a place where we had received amazing support. The producers were putting together a segment on death and dying and we -- my father, 11-year-old sister Kate and I -- were asked to share the story of our recent loss with renowned psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and a then-unknown author on death and dying, Mitch Albom. And, oh, about 7.4 million others.
It's hard to say, given Oprah's massive celebrity, whether the subsequent dozen or so airings of our story over the years was truly a product of Oprah herself being profoundly moved or some opportunistic producers who knew good material when they saw it. But the truth remains that my younger sister's smiley, confident disposition in the face of our loss, coupled with my raw vulnerability, made for some pretty fantastic television. (Read more)
It's hard to say, given Oprah's massive celebrity, whether the subsequent dozen or so airings of our story over the years was truly a product of Oprah herself being profoundly moved or some opportunistic producers who knew good material when they saw it. But the truth remains that my younger sister's smiley, confident disposition in the face of our loss, coupled with my raw vulnerability, made for some pretty fantastic television. (Read more)
Community service is not a foreign concept to 'America's Got Talent' host Nick Cannon. As founder of the organization HALO (Helping and Leading Others) and an avid participant of the youth organization 'Do Something,' the TV mogul takes pride in being able to give back to the community.
This year, Cannon, along with 100 PepsiCo employees, came together in New York City to help the nonprofit organization City Harvest in the fight against hunger. Volunteers worked together to pack 40,000 pounds of fresh apples into bags, which were then delivered to emergency feeding programs throughout the metro area. The day of service helped more than 2 million people in New York City struggling with hunger.
Black Voices had the opportunity to catch up with Mariah Carey's hubby to talk about giving back, his upcoming projects and the fate of his hit show 'Wild 'n Out.'
By Hayat Mohamed, BlackVoices.com
In 1995, Maria Davis was a successful New York hip hop promoter (featured prominently on Jay-Z's first album 'Reasonable Doubt') when her world was turned upside down. An HIV test she had taken as part of an application for a life insurance policy came back positive. She had unknowingly contracted the disease from her soon-to-be husband, and three years later she was diagnosed with full-blown AIDS.
That same year, in 1998, Davis became an activist to help others learn about the dangers of HIV/AIDS. Davis represents a group that has been disproportionately affected by the AIDS epidemic in the U.S. and abroad.
According to the CDC, African-American and Hispanic women account for 80 percent of AIDS cases in the U.S., even though they represent less than a quarter of all American women. Nearly 70% of these women contracted the disease through heterosexual relations. Davis hopes to inspire others to find out their HIV status and learn safe-sex practices through her non-profit organization, Can't Be Silenced.
In honor of World AIDS Day, for which Davis is a national spokesperson, she shared her story with Black Voices.
By Hayat Mohamed, BlackVoices.com
Obesity has been declared a national epidemic in America. What was once considered an issue among adults has sadly transcended to our youth. African-Americans have the highest obesity rates (fat determined by a high Body Mass Index) in the nation and the same is true for our children.
According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, one out of every six children is obese in America and blacks and Hispanics are at the greatest risk. Among Hispanics, boys are more likely to be obese than girls, while black girls are more likely to be obese than black boys. The U.S. Department of Health contends that an obese child has a 70% chance in becoming an obese adult.
Recently the National Institute of Health and the National Council of Negro Women teamed up in Maryland for a day-long training for children ages 11-13 along with their parents called We Can! The program's mission was to educate children and their parents about fast food media messages and improve their daily nutrition. Black Voices spoke with the President of the National Council of Negro Women, Dr. Dorothy Height, about the importance of nutritional awareness in the black community.
Why is obesity a problem in the US?
It's a problem because parents are not looking at the diets that they have for their children. Children eat a great many of these fast foods as well as a lot of fried foods. What we hope to do is to help them get a picture of the reality of what it adds up to. The media often has good advertising and makes people follow the advertising. We're trying to help, through our program, people to become media smart so that they will look to see what's included in whatever is being projected.
Obesity has been declared a national epidemic in America. What was once considered an issue among adults has sadly transcended to our youth. African-Americans have the highest obesity rates (fat determined by a high Body Mass Index) in the nation and the same is true for our children.
According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, one out of every six children is obese in America and blacks and Hispanics are at the greatest risk. Among Hispanics, boys are more likely to be obese than girls, while black girls are more likely to be obese than black boys. The U.S. Department of Health contends that an obese child has a 70% chance in becoming an obese adult. Recently the National Institute of Health and the National Council of Negro Women teamed up in Maryland for a day-long training for children ages 11-13 along with their parents called We Can! The program's mission was to educate children and their parents about fast food media messages and improve their daily nutrition. Black Voices spoke with the President of the National Council of Negro Women, Dr. Dorothy Height, about the importance of nutritional awareness in the black community.
Why is obesity a problem in the US?
It's a problem because parents are not looking at the diets that they have for their children. Children eat a great many of these fast foods as well as a lot of fried foods. What we hope to do is to help them get a picture of the reality of what it adds up to. The media often has good advertising and makes people follow the advertising. We're trying to help, through our program, people to become media smart so that they will look to see what's included in whatever is being projected.
The College Survival Guide
A Fridge
Regardless of whether you have a wonderful sized meal plan, your fridge may come in handy with leftovers or when you feel like stocking it with bottled drinks.
Computer
The convenience of a computer is essential when sending your kids off to college. Forget the hike to the computer lab across campus students need a computer in the comfort of their room. A printer comes in handy as well. Depending on whether your child plans to carry his laptop around campus, you might opt for a desk top since they're lighter on the pockets.
Snacks
You will surely survive with off of a meal plan but it doesn't hurt to stock up on snacks when you don't feel like leaving your dorm room. Bottled water, pop corn, cereal and Ramen noodles are all low budget snacks to stock up on. Just be weary of the freshman 15.
Things from home
Some college students suffer from homesickness the first year. It's best to surround yourself with things like photos of the family, pillows or even stuffed animals. Anything that reminds your child of home.
MP3 Player
With all the stress that comes from school and exams, sometimes it's nice to block out the chaos in your life and even your roommate with music. It's nearly impossible to find students walking to class who aren't jamming to tunes.
Budget
Students who enter college often come in at the ripening age of 18. A great time for credit cards. Parents beware, your child may end up ruining their credit at a young age
Alarm Clock
When you're in college you don't have the luxury of getting awaken by your parents. It's now your responsibility to get to class on time so alarm clocks are a must. But keep your roommate in mind. You shouldn't wake him up ever morning with a blow horn alarm.
Cleaning supplies
Now you don't necessarily need to bring in the rubber gloves, mop and gas mask but it doesn't hurt to bring along Clorox all purpose wipes for spills or dust. Vacuums and brooms come in handy too depending if you have a carpeted dorm.
Bedding
What most parents aren't aware of is that most college beds are twin sized but extra long and require special sheets. When shopping keep your eye open for sheets that clearly state 'extra long' or else your child may come up short.
Shower shoes
You really don't know what some people do in the shower these days. College showers are known to be creeping with germs so spare yourself the fungus and purchase flip flops for the shower. You'll thank us later!
By Hayat Mohamed, BlackVoices.com
As we end the month of October, we should also know that this month marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Contrary to popular belief, domestic violence is quite common. The recent tragic events involving the death of Jennifer Hudson's immediate family members and the arrest of former 'Soul Train' host, Don Cornelius, just go to show that domestic violence is a widespread issue in this country.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), one in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. The NCADV also reports that a staggering 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by a partner each year. Don't be fooled though, domestic violence also includes verbal, emotional, and psychological abuse as well. Whether someone endures constant put downs, verbal threats or mental domination, this is still considered domestic violence.
Domestic Violence Myths Exposed
Myth: Women are the only victims of domestic violence.
jupiterimages
Fact: Although women make up the majority of victims of domestic violence, men are not to be excluded. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics Crime Data Brief, men account for approximately 15% of the victims of reported abuse by an intimate partner. Men often fail to report the abuse because they fear no one will believe them or take them seriously. Children are also victims. In a national survey, 50 percent of the men who frequently assaulted their wives also frequently abused their children.
jupiterimages
Myth: Domestic violence happens only in poor, uneducated, minority households.
jupiterimages
Fact: There is no "typical victim" of domestic violence. It happens in ALL families and relationships. Regardless of age, class, religion, marital status or gender, anyone can be a victim of domestic violence. However, some statistics show that "minority" communities have higher rates of domestic violence. Approximately one in four women are victims of abuse.
jupiterimages
Myth: Domestic violence is only physical abuse.
Corbis
Fact: Domestic violence can come in the form of physical, emotional, psychological, and/or sexual abuse. According to Verbalabuse.com, name-calling is abusive because it says that you are BLANK, instead of a person. Batterers define their mates as objects. It isn't healthy to be in the same room with a person who defines you, and it is harmful to children who witness it. Physical abuse often begins with and is accompanied by verbal battering.
Jupiterimages
Myth: If a woman doesn't leave, it must not be so bad.
Corbis
Fact: Leaving an abusive relationship is easier said than done. Women stay in abusive relationships for many reasons. The victim may:
-Be afraid of what the abuser may do if he finds out
-Have financial dependency on the abuser
-Be in love with the abuser
-Believe the abuse is her fault
-Have no other place to live
-Stay for the 'sake of the children'; the idea being that two parents are better than one.
Alex Mares-Manton, jupiterimages
Myth: Women who are abused often provoke it.
Fact: Abuse is often learned -- more than half of children who witness abuse will go on to be abusers -- and an abuser chooses to abuse. No one deserves to be abused and the abuser is the only one to blame.
In many cases the person being abused is not the only victim. A national survey on domestic violence reported that in 40% of domestic violence cases, children are also victims of abuse. NCADV states that boys who witness violence in the home are twice as likely to abuse their partners and children when they become adults.
By Hayat Mohamed, BlackVoices.com 
According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, only 27% of women diagnosed with breast cancer found it to be hereditary. That means three in four people diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of it. So if breast cancer is on the rise and there's no familial history, what's causing this disease?
The Sister Study Breast Cancer Research is trying to find the answer to that difficult question. The Sister Study is a national effort to learn how environment and genes affect the chances of getting breast cancer. The study looks at women whose sister is diagnosed with breast cancer but they themselves are not. For the past five years the study has been working to recruit 50,000 women.
Recently Black Voices spoke with Sister Study recruiter Carissa Dixon about the low participation rate of African American women in the trial. "We have almost 50,000 women enrolled but only about 4,700 are African-American," said Dixon. "The important thing to remember is that even though women have not been diagnosed with breast cancer we all have a vested interest in finding the cause of this disease because we need to do something to prevent it," she said.
Check out how you or someone you know can get involved with the Sister Study.
Continue reading Sister Study: Help Find the Cause of Breast Cancer
By Hayat Mohamed, BlackVoices.com
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for women of every race! Despite breast cancer's unbiased wrath, racial disparities are considerably unbalanced. Studies show that tumors are more aggressive in blacks than in Caucasians; African-American women also have a significantly higher mortality rate than white women.
Black Voices recently spoke to painter Synthia SAINT JAMES about the disparity of breast cancer deaths in blacks and whites. SAINT JAMES, who is currently an ambassador for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® , created an original work to raise money for the Komen foundation's Circle of Promise campaign.
"Circle of Promise (the painting) is meant to encourage hope, healing, unity and love in our fight against breast cancer," she says. SAINT JAMES lent us some insight on early detection as well as the role her art plays in the fight against breast cancer.
To check out more of Synthia Saint James' artwork or to purchase paintings, visit her website Synthia Saint James.
What is the purpose of the Circle of Promise campaign at the Susan G. Komen?
The Circle of Promise is really re-writing the story of African-Americans and breast cancer. There are three things that we really focus on. The first is: Promise. Make a promise to yourself to take care of your breast health. Practice what we call breast self awareness. Know your body and when changes do occur, talk to your doctor immediately. The key to breast cancer survival is early detection. Second is: Do. Get involved with Circle of Promise. Anyone can go online and become an ambassador for their community; it's not only by invitation. It's really rallying support of your community and also the government. When you go online you can also see the issues and the laws that need to come into effect. Three: Tell your friends. We urge women go out and tell seven of their friends to get them to the website and get them to join.
How did you get involved with the campaign?
I received a letter, sometime back when they were first seeking ambassadors for the national campaign and I was asked to be apart of the program. In addition, they commissioned me to do the painting 'Circle of Promise.' Now I serve on two levels; creating the signature image and being an ambassador. I'm getting ready in a few weeks to do a fundraiser here in Los Angeles for the foundation as well.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for women of every race! Despite breast cancer's unbiased wrath, racial disparities are considerably unbalanced. Studies show that tumors are more aggressive in blacks than in Caucasians; African-American women also have a significantly higher mortality rate than white women. Black Voices recently spoke to painter Synthia SAINT JAMES about the disparity of breast cancer deaths in blacks and whites. SAINT JAMES, who is currently an ambassador for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® , created an original work to raise money for the Komen foundation's Circle of Promise campaign.
"Circle of Promise (the painting) is meant to encourage hope, healing, unity and love in our fight against breast cancer," she says. SAINT JAMES lent us some insight on early detection as well as the role her art plays in the fight against breast cancer.
The College Survival Guide
A Fridge
Regardless of whether you have a wonderful sized meal plan, your fridge may come in handy with leftovers or when you feel like stocking it with bottled drinks.
Computer
The convenience of a computer is essential when sending your kids off to college. Forget the hike to the computer lab across campus students need a computer in the comfort of their room. A printer comes in handy as well. Depending on whether your child plans to carry his laptop around campus, you might opt for a desk top since they're lighter on the pockets.
Snacks
You will surely survive with off of a meal plan but it doesn't hurt to stock up on snacks when you don't feel like leaving your dorm room. Bottled water, pop corn, cereal and Ramen noodles are all low budget snacks to stock up on. Just be weary of the freshman 15.
Things from home
Some college students suffer from homesickness the first year. It's best to surround yourself with things like photos of the family, pillows or even stuffed animals. Anything that reminds your child of home.
MP3 Player
With all the stress that comes from school and exams, sometimes it's nice to block out the chaos in your life and even your roommate with music. It's nearly impossible to find students walking to class who aren't jamming to tunes.
Budget
Students who enter college often come in at the ripening age of 18. A great time for credit cards. Parents beware, your child may end up ruining their credit at a young age
Alarm Clock
When you're in college you don't have the luxury of getting awaken by your parents. It's now your responsibility to get to class on time so alarm clocks are a must. But keep your roommate in mind. You shouldn't wake him up ever morning with a blow horn alarm.
Cleaning supplies
Now you don't necessarily need to bring in the rubber gloves, mop and gas mask but it doesn't hurt to bring along Clorox all purpose wipes for spills or dust. Vacuums and brooms come in handy too depending if you have a carpeted dorm.
Bedding
What most parents aren't aware of is that most college beds are twin sized but extra long and require special sheets. When shopping keep your eye open for sheets that clearly state 'extra long' or else your child may come up short.
Shower shoes
You really don't know what some people do in the shower these days. College showers are known to be creeping with germs so spare yourself the fungus and purchase flip flops for the shower. You'll thank us later!
What is the purpose of the Circle of Promise campaign at the Susan G. Komen?
The Circle of Promise is really re-writing the story of African-Americans and breast cancer. There are three things that we really focus on. The first is: Promise. Make a promise to yourself to take care of your breast health. Practice what we call breast self awareness. Know your body and when changes do occur, talk to your doctor immediately. The key to breast cancer survival is early detection. Second is: Do. Get involved with Circle of Promise. Anyone can go online and become an ambassador for their community; it's not only by invitation. It's really rallying support of your community and also the government. When you go online you can also see
How did you get involved with the campaign?
I received a letter, sometime back when they were first seeking ambassadors for the national campaign and I was asked to be apart of the program. In addition, they commissioned me to do the painting 'Circle of Promise.' Now I serve on two levels; creating the signature image and being an ambassador. I'm getting ready in a few weeks to do a fundraiser here in Los Angeles for the foundation as well.
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