ATLANTA, Ga, August 31, 2020 -The Center for Black Women’s Wellness (CBWW) was recently awarded a $375,000 grant over three years from the Cedar Tree Foundation to implement The Black Women’s Environmental Wellness Project. This initiative is aimed at protecting African American women and children from toxic exposures through enhanced environmental health literacy and is being conducted in partnership with the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University.
The Cedar Tree Foundation was created by Dr. David H. Smith, a pediatrician and entrepreneur. Dr. Smith believed in the power of individuals and organizations to make significant changes in the world and Cedar Tree’s grantmaking continues to reflect that belief.
Reducing Exposure to Harmful Toxins
The Black Women’s Environmental Wellness Project was developed to listen to Black Women’s environmental health concerns, share information on everyday environmental health risks, and collaborate on ways to reduce risk for them and their children. Environmental exposures to substances like lead, BPA, and pesticides can cause harm to mothers and babies. These exposures can come from everyday household cleaning products, indoor and outdoor air, water, soil, and even dust. Exposures can lead to negative health outcomes such as certain cancers, developmental delays, attention deficit disorder, and obesity.
Over the next two and a half years, this award will allow CBWW to train staff, healthcare providers, and community champions to educate community members on ways to reduce their exposures and protect their health. The Center for Black Women’s Wellness has a longstanding history of providing a broad range of health services and health programs to address women’s physical, mental and economic health. This award and partnership will expand CBWW’s existing programming by supporting services that focus on the environmental health of women and their families. Led by Jemea Dorsey, CEO of the CBWW, in partnership with Dr. Abby Mutic, PhD, CNM, Assistant Professor at the NHWSN, and Director of the Southeast Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, the Black Women’s Environmental Wellness Project will also leverage the reach and resources of a network of partner organizations and launch a social media campaign to relay its messaging. “Given that environmental exposures disproportionately affect Black communities, we want to offer women practical ways to decrease environmental exposures among themselves and their children. We also want to embrace environmental health as a vital aspect of one’s health and build broad support for environmental justice for Black communities. ” said Jemea Dorsey.
To learn more about the Black Women’s Environmental Wellness Project, contact April Reid areid@cbww.org at the Center for Black Women’s Wellness or Nathan Mutic nathan.mutic@emory.edu at the Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. Follow their work on social media by searching #KBLBATL.
About the Center for Black Women’s Wellness
The Center for Black Women’s Wellness is a community-based, nonprofit organization in Atlanta with the mission to improve the health and well-being of underserved Black women and their families. Its core services are aimed at eliminating inequities across a range of health areas and include accessible healthcare, prenatal home visiting for pregnant women and their infants; and financial literacy and micro-business training. To learn more about CBWW go to www.cbww.org.