A Minneapolis center partners with counties and health care providers to tap into the resiliency of the Black community to improve health and financial stability.
Years ago, when the medical community asked why so many Black babies were dying, Atum Azzahir asked a different question: Why are some babies living, even thriving, despite poverty, health care disparities and other challenges? Azzahir already knew the answer but she set forth to prove it. For nearly 25 years, Azzahir, lovingly called Elder Atum, has been executive director of the Cultural Wellness Center. The Minneapolis center partners with counties and health care providers to tap into the resiliency of the Black community to improve health and financial stability. In 2021, the center will launch a new collaboration drawing on the wisdom of community elders, known as “soul medicine.”