BET Foundation Awards Presented at CDC

The Tom Harkin Global Communications Center, in Atlanta, Ga., was the site, and Stephanie Bailey, MD, MS, chief of the Office of Public Health Practice, served as the hostess for the Community-Based Organization Awards ceremony, sponsored by the BET Foundation in conjunction with CDC. The after-hours event included dinner and tours of the Global Health Odyssey museum. CDC Director Thomas Frieden, MD, MPH, extended a welcome to a VIP audience that included Sonya Lockett, vice present and executive director of the foundation, senior CDC staff, and the 2009 honorees and their guests.

Five Atlanta-area organizations were honored for their efficient and effective outreach efforts to improve the health and quality of life for African-American women:

• Sisterlove, Inc.
• Sisters Action Team, Inc.
• Emory University Winship Cancer Institute
• Center for Black Women's Wellness, Inc.
• Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc.

Community-based organizations in a five-county metropolitan Atlanta service area— Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett—were able to submit applications in five categories:

• Chronic Disease Outreach (Cancer, HIV, Stroke, Tobacco, etc.),
• Obesity Prevention,
• Fitness and Nutrition,
• Mental Health Education, and
• Cardiovascular Disease Prevention.

Each organization had to submit a comprehensive application that included a synopsis of its health outreach track record, health advocacy practices, and health education policies and procedures. Applicants were also required to have programs specifically targeting African-American women to receive full credit during the evaluation process.

BET Foundation Addresses African-American Health Challenges

In 2003, the BET Foundation was created to address these critical concerns by raising public awareness of the myriad of health-related challenges within the African-American community and by promoting healthy lifestyles. With obesity and related health concerns as its primary focus, the foundation is addressing one of the leading behavioral health concerns among African-American women through tailored initiatives and targeted campaigns.

“The BET Foundation was created to marshal resources, improve strategies, and illuminate and rigorously address these primary concerns,” said Lockett. “The BET Foundation aims to insure that African Americans live longer, healthier lives by arming community members with the knowledge and tools necessary to begin Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) for life.”

While the life expectancy and overall health of Americans has improved in recent years, the burden of illness and death in African-American communities remains disproportionately high. Roughly 80 percent of all African-American women are either overweight or obese. Excessive weight places these women at risk for some of the most devastating health problems, including heart disease, depression, hypertension and various cancers.

Black Entertainment Television (BET) has a 25-year history of tailoring television programming and events to African-American audiences. These community members depend on BET to not only bring them television entertainment, but to take the lead as a corporate citizen in providing them with essential information and resources to address the social concerns and health needs of community members.

The BET Foundation and CDC officials reviewed all nominations and selected the award recipients. Pictured left, Bailey is shown being interviewed by a reporter from BET.