Health + Wellness

Power, politics, and policy and the influence they have over African American people Many children win medals for being the fastest runner in their school, yet for two siblings who attended a Crow Wing County school in Minnesota, their fate proved otherwise. Imagine being forced to push the merry-go-round as a six-year-old while being called […]

There are forms of domestic abuse other than being beaten. And women are, by no means, the only victims of emotional and mental abuse. When they pull that old line about “I really appreciate a guy who is sensitive and thoughtful” and so on and so forth, what it often translates into is, “I want […]

“We can’t become what we need to be by remaining what we are.” — Oprah Winfrey Companies spend literally billions of dollars a year trying to convince people to buy their products and change their behavior. It’s a tough sell — people don’t like to change their behavior unless they see a clear reason to […]

The impact of disease on hair Conclusion of a two-part story By Anika Robbins Contributing Writer Disease and illness, and in some cases the treatment of those illnesses, are also implicit in hair loss. Auto-immune diseases like lupus cause hair loss in up to 50 percent of those diagnosed. Diabetes, alopecia areata, and other such […]

What is a healthy relationship? You may think loyalty, trust, respect, honesty, responsibility, etc. All these answers are true. This is a great checklist on what healthy relationships can and should contain. All these answers are elements that produce relationships that flourish into beautiful unions. Now ask yourself when was the last time you have […]

By Rachel Laurie  Contributing Writer Volunteers of America-Minnesota’s RSVP volunteer program has recently launched a Bone Builders exercise initiative that aims to connect adults 55 and older with physical and social benefits. Bone Builders is an RSVP Signature Program, developed based on research from Tufts University.  The class is held twice a week, and participants […]

By Rosa Bogar Contributing Writer October 21, 2012, was declared “Black Fashion History Day” by Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton. When the governor’s Proclamation was read by “fashion enthusiast” Roger Clark to the crowd gathered at the Capri Theater in North Minneapolis that Sunday evening, it brought down the house with thunderous applause. The event was […]

My Black former husband claimed that his rage was the effect of the hostile conditions of his environment and was, therefore, qualified; bona fide. He said, “Blacks are born victims!” In trying to comprehend his world, I read and I pondered: Will American Blacks fail in spite of or because of having been born Black? […]

First of a two-part story By Anika Robbins Contributing Writer Between lifestyle and grooming issues and breast cancer treatments, hair loss affects an estimated 21 million women in the U.S., according to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. Traditionally considered a “men’s issue,” women are debunking that myth at epidemic speed. With scant treatment […]

There is no shortage of sweet treats on Halloween, which can often be a nightmare for parents of constant bargaining with their kids about how much candy they can consume.  Instead of dreading the season, use it as an opportunity to teach your children about leading a healthy lifestyle. Here are some tips to encourage […]

By Vickie Evans-Nash Editor-in-Chief The African American Breast Cancer Alliance (AABCA) was started in October of 1990 by a group of women who had been affected by or diagnosed with breast cancer. This year they will celebrate 22 years of African American women in the Twin Cities who have supported each other in facing and […]

By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Kwasi Nate Russell has studied the corridor on Minneapolis’ North Side from West Broadway Avenue, starting at Washington Avenue and east toward Girard Avenue, and discovered nearly 20 “major and minor fast-food/ junk-food establishments.” LaDonna Redmond, a senior program associate at the Minneapolis- based Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, […]

First of a three part column In my last article, I highlighted culture as a resource for healing, building, and creating financial prosperity among African American people. The central message expressed was the importance of a return to an intellectual heritage and ancient self, which I see as the first step in moving toward community development. Randall Robinson opens […]

Current supply of dental providers  inadequate to meet provisions of  new healthcare law Twelve years after issuing a landmark report that offered a framework for improving access to oral health, former Surgeon General David Satcher said that profound oral health problems still exist for large portions of the population. He issued a renewed call for […]

Years ago, after I delivered my wonderful daughter, I found myself eating out of depression; love of course played a part, but so did broken dreams. I also felt anxious, overwhelmed, and at times hopeless. When my daughter was three months old we would wake up in the middle of the night, and I would […]

In his memoir, The Big Fight: My Life in and out of the Ring, (N.Y.: Viking/Penguin, 2011) former boxer Sugar Ray Leonard says that women were found and lined up for his personal sexual pleasure without regard for his being married. Marriage is a stewardship we’re meant to guard and conserve. We are its trustees […]

Many African Americans use abuse to express love Many of you are aware of the television show Love and Hip Hop Atlanta on VH1. It ended in a dramatic fashion, as usual. However, what stood out the most from the show was abuse. It came from all angles, both the men and women. One character […]

By Charles Hallman Staff Writer Gada Roba of Minneapolis, Gino Nelson of Lakeville and Ibrahim Hussein of Owatonna were among six Minnesotans recently honored by The McKnight Foundation for their community service. Named for the late former chair and president, since 1985 the foundation has given out Virginia McKnight Binger Awards in Human Service to […]

Fifty-nine percent of Americans have limited knowledge about lupus and its destructive impact, yet one in every 200 individuals is estimated to live with lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune condition that is invisible to others but can cause extreme fatigue, painful and swollen joints, unexplained fever and skin rash. These attacks by the immune system […]

There is no doubt that as a people we have come a long way in our struggle to overcome some of the most brutal experiences in the history of humankind; social movements as well as legal and political avenues have given us the means to overcome slavery, Jim Crow, and a host of other oppressive […]