A series of twelve conversations with noted Black American authors and health experts will examine both historical and contemporary causes of our deeply embedded inequities and offer roadmaps for solutions
EAGAN, Minn., May 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is collaborating with Black Market Reads, a podcast series produced by The Givens Foundation for African American Literature, which will impact the mainstream health narrative and address health inequities within Minnesota communities. The collaboration will feature a series of conversations led by podcast co-hosts, Lissa Jones, renowned media presenter, creator and cultural coach, and Bukata Hayes, vice president of racial and health equity and chief equity officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.
Black Market Reads: On Health will shine a spotlight on the critical health inequities that Black Americans face. Episode one featured Pulitzer Prize Finalist and contributor to the New York Times 1619 Project Linda Villarosa, who authored ‘Under the Skin – The Hidden Toll of Racism on Health in America’ as its guest. The newly released episode two features Dolen Perkins-Valdez, pre-eminent chronicler of American historical life and First Novelist Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association winner. This episode will look at her book ‘Take My Hand’ that was inspired by a real case in which two sisters, Minnie Lee and Mary Alice Relf aged 12 and 14, were sterilized against their will in 1973.
Each episode in the series will explore the Black American experience and dive deeper into finding healthcare strategies and programs that can positively impact inequities. Providing space to have these needed conversations, and amplifying them to broader community audiences is essential for the narrative change needed to break down ingrained mainstream narratives and biases that continue to perpetuate structural racism and inequities.
“As leaders and key stakeholders in our communities’ health, it is imperative that we address the systemic barriers contributing to health inequities within historically and contemporarily underrepresented communities,” said Bukata Hayes, vice president of racial and health equity and chief equity officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. “The significance of this collaboration with Black Market Reads is that it allows us to amplify voices, foster dialogue, advocate for healthcare and equity, and drive much needed meaningful change.”
Episode 2 is on iTunes, Spotify, Libsyn, and with bonus content providing discussion context and GO DEEPER content here. The final podcast episode will be broadcast live in a community setting with the goal of receiving feedback from community representatives as to how to best address these health care inequities.
About Black Market Reads
Black Market Reads, a program of The Givens Foundation for African American Literature, is produced in partnership with iDream.TV, a multimedia production company serving educational and non-profit clients. Lissa Jones has served as the podcast’s Host and co-producer for seven seasons. Since 2016, the podcast has received over 40,000 unique Downloads across 112 countries.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
For more than 90 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (bluecrossmn.com) has supported the health, wellbeing and peace of mind of our members by striving to ensure equitable access to high quality care at an affordable price. We are on a mission to inspire change, transform care and improve health for the people and communities we serve by reinventing both ourselves and the broader system. Our more than 2.5 million members can be found in every Minnesota county, all 50 states and on four continents. As a proud nonprofit organization, we believe working to advance wellness for all Minnesotans is the greatest investment we can make. Our goal is nothing less than for everyone to be able to achieve their full health potential, regardless of race or other socially defined circumstances. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, which serves more than 107 million members across the U.S.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Christian Knights | 651.662.4058
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
christian.knights@bluecrossmn.com
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