By Josephine Reid
Newfound wellness, long term health, and protecting kids’ health during the pandemic were the topics of conversation during the two podcast episodes hosted by the Women’s Missionary Society and the We Can Do This COVID-19 Public Education Campaign. The mission of the podcasts is simple: elevate the trusted voices of Black women in healthcare having real and raw conversations about health within the Black community and how its current state can be improved.
The Women’s Missionary Society of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (WMS-AMEC) is an organization that is committed to leading in health, economic, peace, and justice issues in the Black community.
WMS-AMEC partnered with The Department of Health and Human Services We Can Do This campaign, a COVID-19 public education campaign that connects local trusted messengers with hard-to-reach audiences to convey accurate information about COVID vaccines. This partnership brought the Real Women Talking Real Health podcast to life and allowed Black women to reach audiences through the power of conversation.
The women featured in the podcast came from a range of healthcare backgrounds, including Dr. Charis Chambers, an OBGYN whose mission is to educate young women and girls on topics related to their reproductive health to promote greater self-awareness, self-esteem, and self-advocacy (specifically in interactions with medical providers), and Dr. Melanie Crutchfield Whitten, a board-certified general surgeon specializing in breast cancer.
The podcast’s second episode also honored Black women in the medical field that came, innovated, and paved the way before us, including Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler, born in 1831, who was the first Black American woman to obtain a medical degree and the first Black American to publish a medical book, and Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, born in 1986, who was a scientist at the National Institutes of Health and worked to develop and produce the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Real Women Talking Real Health podcast allows space for women to hear crucial health information and speak with medical professionals who are in their community.
For resources and toolkits to help you build vaccine confidence in your community, visit the We Can Do This website.
Josephine Reid is a member of the Public Relations Team for Creative Marketing Resources, a strategic marketing agency in Milwaukee.
