Pump up your heart with Central State University at the 23rd annual African American Wellness Walk

Above: Representatives of Central State University at the 2023 African American Wellness Walk kickoff with Premier Health in Dayton.

Grab a friend, lace up those tennis shoes, and join Central State University for Premier Health’s 23rd annual African American Wellness Walk (AAWW) with a theme of “Moving Hearts & Soles.”  

The 5K run/walk will be a hybrid event with virtual and in-person options. The in-person 5K will take place at Island MetroPark, 101 E. Helena St., Dayton, on Aug. 12 with a program at 7:30 a.m. followed by the walk at 8 a.m. 

Central State University and its neighboring university, Wilberforce University, benefit from the walk, which last year raised an incredible $50,000 with over 2,000 participants. Most joined the efforts online, and over 600 people attended the in-person event. The goal for this year is to meet or beat that amount. 

Central State is Ohio’s only public Historically Black College or University (HBCU), while WU is the state’s only private HBCU. 

Adrian Taylor, director of diversity at Premier Health and a 1995 graduate of Central State, said Premier Health is grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the success of today’s budding workforce. He is also personally excited to support is alma mater. “I was in the band, and I loved my time at Central State.” 

The health system is “like a small city,” he said, in that it does not only hire healthcare workers but also accountants, marketing specialists, administrators, and much more. 

“There’s something for everyone at Premier Health,” he added. 

The AAWW was launched in 2000 to raise awareness and combat heart health disparities for African Americans, according to Premier Health’s registration website. During the past two decades, the walk has grown to highlight alarming underlying health conditions in minority communities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“Across the nation and in our own backyard, we continue to see stories of inequitable treatment of African Americans,” Premier Health says on its website. “The AAWW seeks to highlight these inequities, ranging from social justice to healthcare access, and raise awareness on how we can work together to combat them.” 

A 2019 assessment by Public Health — Dayton & Montgomery County found Black babies die at four times the rate as white babies. Black women are less likely to receive adequate prenatal care and are twice as likely to have a low-birth weight baby compared to white women.  

Black men have higher rates of heart disease, stroke, prostate cancer, and diabetes across Montgomery County when compared to the county average. The average lifespan for a Black man in Montgomery County is 65.5 years, so they are on average dying six years earlier than white men and 13 years earlier than white women. 

Experts agree the pandemic disproportionately impacted African Americans. According to Premier Health, Black Ohioans make up about 14% of the state’s population, yet account for larger percentages of COVID-19 cases (22.8%), hospitalizations (30.6%), and deaths (18.7%). Although Black people are only 21.5% of the county population, they account for 35.5% of COVID-19 cases in Montgomery County.  

According to the Ohio Department of Health's statistics from June 14, only 30.11% of Black Ohioans have been fully vaccinated. 

Registration for the walk is free, and participants can select Central State University from a list of the event’s official teams. The University invites students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends, and supporters to join the team.  

To register, visit www.premierhealth.com/news-and-events/classes-and-events/african-american-wellness-walk. Funds will be raised through personal donations and corporate sponsorships. Participants can donate online after registering. Funds will also be raised the day of the event.  

Sponsorships are still available, and sponsors signing up prior to the event will be announced on stage on Aug. 12.