CARLOS T. CARTER
We are so excited to welcome Dr. Baskin to Pittsburgh. As she conducts listening sessions and reaches out to community leaders to assist with raising awareness about cancer prevention and research, what are some of the ways in which collaborating with the Urban League can be helpful?
Given that the Urban League is deeply connected to Black Pittsburgh, we can do our part to educate our clients and community about the importance of cancer prevention.
Many people think that cancer is totally out of our control. That is not true. If we maintain proper diet and exercise and take part in early screenings, it can make a difference. Although there are environmental factors that we may not be able to change, there are things we can do to help prevent cancer!
As we think about cancer prevention in our region, what are some strategies to increase awareness about what we can do in our homes and neighborhoods to promote health and wellness including cancer screenings?
We should leverage social media to share stories where people have been able to change outcomes by having earlier screenings and taking charge of their health.
We also need to leverage any opportunity to demonstrate the importance of diet, exercise, and healthy living.
We can educate barbers, hairstylists, churches, schools, and communities to be community ambassadors to educate our people.
I especially believe that talking to kids in elementary school, while they are young, is important.
Finally, I cannot stress enough the importance of understanding family history and getting early screenings to help us avoid the untimely deaths and health related challenges that can often be prevented. Given that my dad had colon cancer, I make certain (or my wife makes me) to have regular colonoscopy screenings to manage my health.
At the end of the day, Black lives are precious and valuable, as any other group. We must take advantage of every opportunity to take care of our health! I want my fellow Black Pittsburghers to take care of themselves like Black Lives Matter! We cannot control everything, but we can do our part to maintain our health.
Carlos T. Carter is President and CEO of Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh
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