Dear Closing the Health Gap Community:

I’m excited to share two incredible events that celebrate Black excellence, culture and community right here in our city. Tomorrow, July 26 at 12 noon, join us for the 2025 Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Andrew J. Brady Music Center (25 Race St. Downtown). With performances by Regina Belle, Bigg Robb, Dottie Peoples and 2nd Wind Band, this free, family-friendly event honors our region’s musical legends. Wear white and RSVP at the link below!

Then, on Friday, August 1 from 12–4 PM, the African American Chamber Founders Day Celebration will take place at Cincinnati Public Radio (2117 Dana Ave.) Celebrate the leaders who sparked economic empowerment—with live music, food trucks, raffle prizes, games, and meaningful connections. All are welcome—register below!

These events are reminders of the power of unity, culture and neighborhood. Let’s show up, celebrate and continue the work—together. Blessings to all of you for a safe and healthy week ahead.

Renee Mahaffey Harris

President & CEO

Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame 2025 Induction Ceremony on July 26

The 2025 Induction Ceremony for the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame will be held tomorrow, July 26 at 12 noon, featuring live performances by Grammy Award-winning vocalist Regina Belle, Mr. Southern Soul Bigg Robb, gospel music legend Dottie Peoples and the iconic 2nd Wind Band.

The ceremony will take place at the award-winning Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame and the Andrew J. Brady Music Center, located at 25 Race Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. All attendees are asked to wear white attire.

Please RSVP for yourself and your guest (+1) by clicking HERE.

This event is free and open to the public. There will be open seating on a first-come, first-served basis for all general admission attendees.

AACC Founders Day Celebration on 8/1/25

The African American Chamber of Commerce Founders Day Celebration takes place Friday, August 1 from 12-4pm at Cincinnati Public Radio (2117 Dana Avenue, Cincinnati 45207). The event honors the visionaries who laid the foundation for economic empowerment and community advancement. This special event is more than a celebration—it's a tribute to resilience, collaboration and the vibrant future we continue to build together.

What’s in Store

🎶 Live Music & Entertainment

🍔 Food Trucks & Sweet Treats

🏆 Epic Raffle Prizes

🎯 Lawn Games & Summer Vibes

🤝 Networking with Cincy’s Best

✨ ALL ARE WELCOME – Bring a friend, a colleague, or just yourself. Let’s celebrate together!

Please Register by clicking HERE.

JOIN US for the only educational program in the Midwest focused on sex- and gender-specific cardiovascular differences, Friday, October 3, 2025, at The Summit Hotel in Cincinnati!

This year’s Symposium is brought to you by The Women’s Heart Center at The Christ Hospital, in collaboration with Mass General Brigham Women’s Heart Health Program. This collaboration will further expand the symposium’s impact and reinforce our mission to transform women’s heart health.

Key Highlights of the Symposium:

1. Each Session has been thoughtfully crafted to offer you thought provoking presentations from Nationally Renowned Guest Speakers. Upon completion you will be both equipped and empowered to start implementing change right away.
2. Focused on advancing sex-specific risk assessments and evidence-based strategies to improve clinical outcomes and bridge the care gap for women with or at risk of CVD.
3. Unique Case Presentations and a provocative debate around GLP1 Pros and Cons for all obese cardiac patients.
4. With Two-Keynote Speakers, we will delve into the importance of Sex Differences and Disparities in Women’s Cardiovascular Disease. Morning Keynote Dr. Modele Ogunniyi of Grady Hospital and Afternoon Keynote Dr. Rita Redberg of UCSF.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: September 13, 2025

* Physicians: $175

* Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, & Pharmacists: $135

* Nurses, First Responders, Technicians, Retired or other Healthcare Professionals: $100

CME Offering & Target Audience:

This event offers 6.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ of continuing medical education for physicians and healthcare professionals managing cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women. Visit our Symposium Website for a complete agenda and even more information.

Local health experts address health disparities affecting minority women in the community

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- With research continuing to show alarming health disparities that put Black women at greater risk, from childbirth to cancer, local health experts gathered Saturday to talk solutions. Among those sharing their stories was Dr. Marquita Taylor, whose personal battle with cancer now fuels her mission to save lives.



“I honestly did not hear anything outside of, ‘You have cancer,’” Taylor said.

She was just 23 years old when she was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. “It’s like my ears went blank. I remember leaving the room and walking into the bathroom and just crying,” she said. But despite the grim diagnosis, Taylor never lost hope.

“I felt sad, but I did not feel hopeless. I have a lot of faith in science and in medicine,” she said.

Now, she is not only a survivor, she's a leader.

Physician Workforce Diversity by Race and Ethnicity

Racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes remain persistent in the United States, driven by inequitable access to and utilization of health care services and broader social and economic factors that reflect historical and ongoing racism. One factor that can mitigate these disparities is racial concordance between physicians and patients, that is, when providers and patients share the same racial or ethnic background. Research suggests that patient and provider racial concordance may be linked to increased visits for preventative care, greater treatment adherence, and lower emergency department use.

One study found that greater representation of Black primary care physicians was associated with increased life expectancy and lower mortality among Black people. KFF 2023 survey data show Black, Hispanic, and Asian adults who have more health care visits with providers who share their racial and ethnic background more frequently report having positive and respectful interactions. Despite these benefits, many people of color face challenges accessing racially concordant providers. KFF survey data show that most Hispanic, Black, Asian, and American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) adults say that fewer than half of their health care visits in the past three years were with a provider who shared their racial or ethnic background.

New ACS Study Finds Racially and Economically Segregated Communities Increase Advanced-Stage Breast and Cervical Diagnoses

In a new study led by the American Cancer Society (ACS), scientists found that people living in racially and economically segregated neighborhoods in New York City (NYC) were more likely to be diagnosed with advanced-stage breast and cervical cancer. Colorectal cancer was studied, but no disparities were found. This study is the first to use census-tract data—the most granular geographic level available from cancer registries—to examine how racialized economic segregation influences advanced-stage diagnoses of all three major screenable cancers at once. The findings are published today in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI).

“Our research shows that structural barriers in segregated neighborhoods continue to delay diagnosis for breast and cervical cancers—even among individuals eligible for screening,” said Dr. Qinran Liu, post-doctoral fellow, cancer disparities research at the American Cancer Society, and lead author of the study. 

Racial disparities related to the perception of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness among parents of children aged 0-12 years old in Canada

Vaccine hesitancy, particularly among racialized communities, persists due to misinformation, medical mistrust, and systemic barriers. This study examines racial disparities and key determinants related to perceptions of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness in Canadian parents from Arab, Asian, Black, Indigenous, White and mixed-race communities. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a representative sample of 2,528 Canadian parents of children aged 0-12 years (57.5% women). Participants completed a survey assessing conspiracy beliefs, health literacy, major experiences of racial discrimination, and perceptions of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness.