Blog Posts Related to the African American Community

  • Prevention at the Heart of Keeping Women Healthy

    Posted by Kathleen Sebelius on August 3, 2011 at 5:55 PM EDT

    Everyone wants their family to be healthy. And a key component of this is making sure that mothers, daughters, and sisters have access to the preventive services they need.

    Currently, Americans use preventive services at only about half the recommended rate. All too often, the combination of women’s lower incomes and higher out-of-pocket health costs means that women are particularly likely to forgo needed preventive services, such as annual well-woman visits and breastfeeding supplies.

    Today we are moving one step closer to knocking down the barriers to the services that can help keep American women healthy. In accordance with the Affordable Care Act, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced historic new guidelines that will ensure millions of women receive preventive health services with no cost sharing, including:

    • well-woman visits
    • screening for gestational diabetes
    • human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing for women 30 and older
    • sexually-transmitted infection counseling
    • human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening and counseling
    • FDA-approved contraception methods and contraceptive counseling
    • breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling
    • domestic violence screening and counseling

    By eliminating barriers like copays, co-insurance, and deductibles, these guidelines will help improve access to affordable, quality health care for all women. New private health plans must cover the guidelines on women’s preventive services with no cost sharing in plan years starting on or after August 1, 2012. Call your insurer for more information.

    Learn more about the new women's prevention guidelines.

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  • Tyler Perry and Ofelia de La Valette keynote the Atlanta Urban Entrepreneurship Forum

    Posted by Nicole Young on July 28, 2011 at 11:50 AM EDT

    On June 6, 2011, the White House co-hosted its first Urban Entrepreneurship Summit in Newark, NJ. Last week, the White House launched its series of Urban Entrepreneurship Forums in cities around the country. The first event, held at Xavier University in New Orleans, LA on Wednesday, July 20, was a huge success.

    Tomorrow, Friday, July 29, 2001, Tyler Perry, founder of Tyler Perry Studios, and Ofelia de la Valette, founder and owner of Dance 101, will serve as the keynote speakers at the Atlanta Urban Entrepreneurship Forum at the Woodruff Art Center in Atlanta, GA. The purpose of this event is to discuss best practices with urban entrepreneurs and hear their feedback on how the Obama Administration and the private sector can best support their growth and success in the global economy. The event will include a live pitch competition hosted by 100 Urban Entrepreneurs in which the winner will receive $10,000 in startup financing and eight weeks of business mentoring.

    The next Urban Entrepreneurship Forum will be held in New York City on Monday, August 1, 2011.

    Join the conversation on twitter #WHUrbanJobsForum

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  • First Lady Michelle Obama Announces Commitments to Expand Access to Healthy, Affordable Food

    Posted by Nikki Sutton on July 20, 2011 at 6:24 PM EDT

    Watch the First Lady's full remarks here.

    Today, First Lady Michelle Obama announced nationwide commitments from major food retailers to open or expand over 1,500 stores to help provide healthy, affordable food to millions of people in areas that do not currently have easy access to fresh, nutritious food. Across the country, 23.5 million Americans – including 6.5 million children – live in underserved communities that do not have readily available fresh foods for reasonable prices.

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  • Sharing Experiences as African-American Farmers

    Posted by Philip Johnson Haynie, III on July 20, 2011 at 11:13 AM EDT

    Ed. Note: Champions of Change is a weekly initiative to highlight Americans who are making an impact in their communities and helping our country rise to meet the many challenges of the 21st century.

    On July 6, 2011,  I was recognized as a “Champion of Change" by the Obama Administration.  This allowed me the opportunity to have a roundtable discussion with rural leaders from around the country and government officials to discuss the progress happening in rural America. 

    It was quite an experience to be on my combine harvesting wheat on Tuesday and sitting around a table in the White House with President Obama on Wednesday. I must say, this was an experience for an ol' country boy!

    As I sat listening to President Obama, I remembered how as a child I would listen to my grandfather and father talk about their experiences as African-American farmers. Their triumphs and pitfalls inspired me to return to the family farm when I completed my education in Agricultural Economics at Virginia Tech. Now I am able to share my experiences with the next generation through my participation with the National Black Growers Council (NBGC) by advocating to increase the efficiency, sustainability and productivity of black row crop farmers.

    Philip Johnson Haynie, III serves on USDA's Plant Variety Protection Act Board and on the Agricultural Advisory Council for Virginia's first congressional district. P.J. is also a member of the National Black Growers Council, a coalition of African American commodity growers who advocate for the 21st century policy needs of Black growers and the future of Black growers.

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  • NOLA Urban Entrepreneurship Forum

    Posted by Nicole Young on July 19, 2011 at 2:45 PM EDT

    On June 6, 2011, the White House co-hosted its first Urban Entrepreneurship Summit in Newark, NJ. Due to the overwhelming success of that first event, the White House has announced a series of Urban Entrepreneurship Forums in cities around the country, the next of which will be held in New Orleans, LA. The purpose of this event is to discuss best practices with urban entrepreneurs and hear their feedback on how the Obama Administration and the private sector can best support their growth and success in the global economy.

    On Wednesday, July 20, 2011, Xavier University in New Orleans, LA will host a White House Urban Entrepreneurship Forum. In addition to the White House, the summit features a wide array of partners including The City of New Orleans, Xavier University of Louisiana, Urban League of Greater New Orleans, New Orleans Business Alliance, 100 Urban Entrepreneurs, Operation HOPE, and multiple federal agencies.

    The next Urban Entrepreneurship Forum will be held in Atlanta, GA on Friday, July 29, 2011.

    Join the conversation on twitter #WHUrbanJobsForum

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  • Making History: $142.3 Million for 155 Communities Nationwide

    Posted by Sandra Salstrom on July 19, 2011 at 2:30 PM EDT

    In the single largest round of awards in the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund's history, Treasury will distribute a total of $142,302,667 to 155 financial institutions serving economically distressed communities across the United States. CDFI Fund Director Donna Gambrell joined Senator Dick Durbin and Representative Danny Davis in Chicago yesterday to make the historic announcement.

    Danny Davis speaks CDFI

    CDFI Director Donna Gambrell and Senator Dick Durbin look on as Rep. Danny Davis speaks at the event in Chicago. [Photo credit: Steve Becker, beckermedia.com]

    The 2011 awards were given to organizations headquartered in 40 states and the District of Columbia through the CDFI Fund’s cornerstone program, the Community Development Financial Institutions Program, and touch both rural and urban communities.

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