Oprah Winfrey Network Launches Health Initiative To Empower Black Women

Alexandra Del Rosario
·2 min read

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network has launched its first-ever initiative focused on providing tools and resources to empower Black women to own their health in 2021 and beyond. The network’s OWN Your Health campaign seeks to bring awareness, education, resources, and a sense of community to address the unique health concerns facing Black women today, encouraging them to put their health and well-being first.

A multi-platform campaign, Own Your Health explores the full range of mental, physical and emotional/social health with quarterly initiatives that feature messaging and with up to date and relevant health and wellness tools. The campaign also provides opportunities for OWN brand partners to support with resources and options for healthier lifestyles.

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Insight from the National Institute of Health and Johns Hopkins School of Public Health reveal that Black women have higher rates of illnesses including hypertension, diabetes, breast cancer, stroke, and lupus. Additionally, Black health disparities often exist as a result of systemic racism within the United States healthcare system, racial segregation of neighborhoods, and racism-related chronic stress. With such issues in mind, the campaign focuses on three key pillars affecting Black women’s health:

  • Proactive Prevention – including routine screenings, nutrition, health education and accountability.

  • The Unspoken – including fertility, motherhood, sexual and relationship health, trauma financial health and treatments.

  • Superwoman – source of pressure many Black women regularly experience – the obligation to project an image of strength and to suppress emotions, to resist accepting help or admitting vulnerability and prioritizing caregiving to others

“At OWN, we are always striving to meet our audience where she is and to serve her needs. This important initiative supports and empowers Black women, and it has never been more critical to use our wide-reaching platform to ensure they have the tools and resources needed to improve their health and well-being.” said Tina Perry, president OWN. “COVID-19 and the racial justice movement have also highlighted the need for urgent policy reform to balance disparities that exist in healthcare for Black women and we look forward to working with our distinguished advisory council on this campaign that will support and uplift our community.”

You can watch a spot announcing the launch of the initiative below. It features the song “Stand Up For Something” by Grammy and Oscar winner Common and Oscar-nominated The United States vs. Billie Holiday star Andra Day and voice-over by Day.

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