Trinity Baptist Church hosting free health forum Saturday, free meals provided | Columbia

“It’s an old African proverb that says ‘A man who hides his disease cannot be cured,’ and so we want to come out to talk about what has been ailing us, as my grandmother would say,” is how Vivian Clark-Armstead, with the Trinity Baptist Church Health and Wellness Ministry, responded when asked why should men along with their families attend the organization’s upcoming health forum.

June is Men’s Health Month, and the Trinity Baptist Church Health and Wellness Ministry, in partnership with Project HOPE, the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center – HIV Vaccine Trial Network, and the Balm In Gilead, are hosting ‘Healthy Men Leading Healthy Families,’ a health forum to address health disparities in the Black community among men of color and its impact on the black family and community.

The health forum will take place Saturday, June 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Trinity Educational Community Center at 2523 Richland St. Columbia.  A panel of various speakers will share and answer questions about being physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy.

The event is free and open to everyone and will feature giveaways, prizes, and refreshments. Breakfast and lunch will be provided, and those interested can register here. 

According to Clark-Amstead, black men die quicker than other racial-ethnic groups from health disparities. African-Americans are disproportionally impacted by every health disparity, and South Carolina has a poor outcome for African Americans.

Rev. Barrien D Henderson, with the Trinity Baptist Church Health and Wellness Ministry, said he understands her statement all too well. 

“Well, personally, my father died when he was 63, so that was relatively young; it is relatively young as a result of stroke, blood pressure not being controlled, which is what we find in the black community. Along with diabetes, heart disease, so our focus is going to be on men’s health. Our mission here at Trinity Baptist Church is for men to be in their rightful place, so that is really going into the health segment now with health being the key component to the man being in his rightful place not only physically but also spiritually.”

This event’s keynote speaker will be the renowned Dr. Thaddeus J. Bell. Dr. Thaddeus J. Bell is a practicing Family Practice Physician in Charleston, South Carolina. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Medicine and the Founder of Closing the Gap in Health Care, Inc. (CGHC), a non-profit organization created to decrease health disparities by providing health education for African Americans and other under-served populations. He has spent decades informing the black community about health issues through his radio talk show, Closing the Gap in Health Care.

The health summit will also feature special guest Bishop J. L. Carter, Pastor of The Ark Church of Baltimore, Maryland. He is also the President of the National Minority Quality Forum Faith Health Alliance, founded in 1998 by Dr. Gary Puckrein, which addresses the critical need for strengthening national and local efforts to use evidence-based, data-driven initiatives. He is also the Presiding Prelate of Kingdom Impact Covenant Fellowship, established in March 2012, where he mentors, encourages, and councils a diverse group of Pastors.

Although the health forum is focused on men, the entire family, and the general public are invited to attend. For additional information, Follow Trinity Baptist Health and Wellness on Facebook.