Before the American Heart Association existed, people with heart disease were often doomed to complete bed rest — or worse. But a handful of pioneering physicians believed it didn’t have to be that way.
They founded the American Heart Association in 1924 and conducted studies in Boston to learn more about heart disease.
Since that time, the Association’s work has increasingly focused on the relentless pursuit of longer, healthier lives for all Americans in all communities. That work is happening in Boston right now.
On Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 6 p.m., you’re invited to join a Zoom webinar that will highlight the work being done to address ongoing, systemic inequalities that affect the lived experience and health of people of color in Greater Boston.
The forum – Community Partner Conversation: Building a Healthier Boston Through a Racial Equity Lens – will feature conversations with government and non-profit leaders who are leading these local efforts.
You’ll get to hear from State Rep. Danielle Gregoire, a Democrat from Marlboro; Josh Trautwein, CEO of the mobile food market About Fresh; and Charles Daniels, CEO of Fathers’ Uplift, an outpatient mental health clinic in Dorchester that helps fathers reconnect with their children.
Whether it’s investing in social entrepreneurs to confront the challenge of food deserts in Roxbury, Mattapan and Dorchester, or advocating on Beacon Hill for public policies that ensure all Massachusetts residents can live their healthiest lives, the American Heart Association is more determined than ever to do everything possible to eliminate racial and class disparities that still exist.
Did you know that in parts of the Back Bay, residents live to 92, on average, while in areas of Roxbury, the average lifespan is only 59? Factors that lead to disparities like this have only been exacerbated in recent months, as COVID-19 disproportionately affects communities of color. As the American Heart Association prepares to turn 100 in 2024, we are building a movement to improve life expectancy for everyone in our city.
Join us for our webinar on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 6 p.m., for an inside look at the legislation, projects and organizations that are seeking to transform under-resourced neighborhoods and improving the lives of everyone there.