Zenobia Harris believes it all starts with access.
As executive director of the Arkansas Birthing Project, Harris knows that health care is not an equal-footing game. For those in rural areas or underserved communities, access to even the most basic forms of care is not, well, basic.
That’s why Harris and the Arkansas Birthing Project have joined the Little Rock Black Nurses Association and the Arkansas Minority Health Commission to sponsor the first annual Community Health Fair and Baby Shower Saturday, April 26, at the Watershed Human Development Agency in Little Rock.
Along with food, door prizes and special guests, patrons will have access to free blood pressure screenings, cholesterol screenings, body mass measurements, mental health info, tips for quitting tobacco and more.
Zenobia Harris
“We believe that in order to decrease health disparities, we need to work to improve the quality of life and health within local communities,” Harris said. “Unfortunately, there’s a higher number of many health conditions in communities of color, particularly Black communities.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control, almost 20% of African-American adults are considered to be in poor health. Nearly 40% of men over the age of 20 are obese, with over 55% of women also classified as overweight. Hypertension is present in 57% of men and 61% of women.
“We believe that, unfortunately, for people of color and particularly African-Americans, there needs to be more information and more support given to them to improve their health,” Harris said. “That’s why we work to provide health screenings to individuals, so they are more aware and hopefully don’t get in a situation where their health really deteriorates.”
As head of the Arkansas Birthing Project, Harris is particularly driven to make sure pre- and post-natal care is available to everyone.
“Many people in our communities have pre-existing medical conditions they may not be aware of,” Harris said. “When they get pregnant, it makes those conditions worse, and then they end up having a lot of difficulty giving birth, which unfortunately contributes to the high maternal mortality rate we have here in Arkansas.”
In working with the Little Rock Black Nurses Association, Harris and the Arkansas Birthing Project are hoping to promote nursing as a career option in underserved communities. This includes support for those going through a nursing education program and continued access to professional development.
“We actually have a really strong mentorship program,” Harris said. “We provide mentoring support to young people who want to become a nurse, or anyone who hopes to become a nurse. We also have a scholarship that we offer to individuals who are in nursing school.”
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