EmPOWERED Women

Four-part collaborative series between EmPOWERED to Serve™ and Go Red for Women®
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Heart Health for Moms and Every Woman | EmPOWERED Women’s Roundtable | Motherhood and heart health go together. The American Heart Association’s EmPOWERED Women’s Roundtable in May will focus on how the disparities Black, Indigenous and Latina women experience during and after pregnancy affect heart health.

Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of new moms, especially black moms. This has to change now. Join us for an important conversation that every woman should hear as experts discuss maternal health and the risks of cardiovascular diseases before, during and after pregnancy – particularly in communities of color.
EmPOWERED Black Women and Well-Being Roundtable: This virtual experience is the first in a collaborative series between EmPOWERED to Serve™ and Go Red for Women. Amy Dubois Barnett, senior vice president and general manager of digital for BET, moderated, and Sorority Presidents from the Divine Nine (D9) and The Links, Incorporated led the discussion.

The conversation explored health equity and how the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines relate to the heart health of Black women — because we know one life lost due to heart disease is one too many.

EmPOWERED Women – Building Mental Resilience for Women of Color in the Midst of COVID-19 | Watch this panel discussion about how racism, cultural stereotypes, economic insecurity, stigma and shame all impact the mental health of women of color.

Black women suffer disproportionately from adverse life experiences that can lead to depression, anxiety disorders and toxic levels of chronic stress.

CPR and Opioid Use in Communities of Color: In honor of Women’s History Month, the American Heart Association held the EmPOWERED Women CPR and Opioid Use in Communities of Color roundtable.

The event focused on CPR, as studies have shown significant disparities in bystander CPR rates for people of color and women, as well as opioid misuse among women of color.

The roundtable was moderated by Lydia T. Blanco, journalist, host, producer and digital media personality. Distinguished panelists included Paula Blackwell,  Executive director, Central Maryland Area Health Education Center; Brandon Holt, minister, motivator, LCDC counselor, and author; Abigail Kohler, Co-founder Resuscitech and 2020 AHA EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator awardee; and Kathryn Cates-Wessel, Chief Executive Officer, American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.