Celebrate National Minority Health Month!

(L-R) Tamika Hurley-Carr, Lauryn Giada, Stephanie Stinson, Kimberly Hooks, Vikki Sims, Donna Etheridge, Marchelle Woolridge, Syneikia Brittian, Shauntae Moss, Debora Woolridge, and Ashley Hardy

April is National Minority Health Month (NMHM), a time to raise awareness about health disparities that continue to affect racial and ethnic minority populations and encourage action through health education, early detection, and control of disease complications.

Meet, Melanin Poppin Coalition, an amazing group of Black women who are patients living with IBD ranging from newly diagnosed to thirty plus years on the IBD journey. While experiencing various IBD complications and symptoms, these strong women looked for someone that looks like them for support. 

And although they have the ever-present love and support of amazing family and friends, they just could not relate to the extreme weight that IBD placed on their lives. This is where their pain and prayers had a divine collision forming Melanin Poppin Coalition. These women vowed to share their stories and journey and help anyone they could. Melanin Poppin Coalition has already supported patients with IBD and other chronic illnesses.  They have messaged and even visited complete strangers just to let them know that they are there and will walk this journey with them. This group shares of themselves in hopes that others know they, too, have someone to turn to that looks, talks and walks like them.

Melanin Poppin Coalition aims to support through debunking myths, empowering others to share their stories and speaking up as advocates for themselves and the IBD community.  This group began united by the drive to participate in the Atlanta Steps Walk by forming their own teams.

Support these women and their Take Steps fundraising by donating at cctakesteps.org/Atlanta2021.