Hip hop health
He may be a nuerologist and a professor, but on the streets of Harlem, he’s better known as the “Hip Hop Doc.” By Vivek Kemp
T hrough a unique blend of community involvement and advocacy, Williams has proved that technology isn’t the only solution to the pressing problems of health and wellness. The fact is, sometimes rap music and creativity are the best prescriptions.
Olajide Williams is the founder and director of the Hip Hop Public Health Education Center at Harlem Hospital, a series of health awareness programs that use music to teach pre-adolescents about strokes. The center’s sponsors include GE, the New York City Council, and the National Stroke Association. Similar programs are being developed for obesity and cardiovascular health.
The crux of the lesson: if you see someone having a stroke, call 911. The victim needs to get to a hospital within three hours of an attack to stave off serious brain damage.
Nearly 144,000 people die each year from stroke in the United States, making it the third leading cause of death in the country, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To combat these statistics, Williams and his staff host two-day sessions at Harlem elementary schools, coaching students through music about the warning signs and proper response to a stroke. Each student is then tasked to share what he or she learned with a parent or guardian at home.
The crux of the lesson: if you see someone having a stroke call 911. The victim needs to get to a hospital within three hours of an attack to stave off serious brain damage. Two million brain cells die every minute when someone has a stroke. For every hour without treatment, a stroke victim’s brain will age around three-and-a-half years, Williams says. But, if a patient gets to a hospital in time, doctors can administer drugs that drastically improve his or her chance of recovery. Eighty percent of strokes are preventable and treatable with proper emergency response times, exercise, and diet—a frustrating statistic for caregivers.
“Stroke is at epidemic levels in Harlem,” Carly Hutchinson, 46, director of communications and outreach for the Harlem Health Promotion Center, which provides health services and education in the community. “Harlem bears a disproportionate burden in stroke deaths, People in there 20’s are already showing early signs of hardening arteries and hyper-tension, leading factors.”
The issue is personal for Hutchinson. Her father had a massive, stress-induced stroke when she was 10. “My dad has since died,” Hutchinson says, “but not of stroke. He rallied, by eating well and taking care of himself physically.”
“When we teach children about these issues and what they can do, we’re also teaching their parents, siblings, and friends,” Williams says. “It’s an expansive and powerful network and at its heart is the enthusiasm and great capacity of children. Music makes health education fun. And when it’s fun, kids retain information and know how to act.”
Brain Gain
Music can have a profound impact on the human brain. Check out these resources for more information.
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Stroke Diaries: A Guide for Survivors and their Families
Blending personal stories with first-hand medical commentary, Dr. Olajide Williams demystifies the stroke and provides a roadmap to recovery.
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The Tao of Music: Sound Psychology
Informed by psychology, zen philosophy, and music research, this book looks at how music can help us get through the obstacles of everyday life.
To make sure that music is on point, Williams tapped two of hip-hop’s originators, Doug E. Fresh and MC Easy A.D. The artists help the center not only establish credibility among kids who eat-and-breathe hip-hop, but also with crafting beats and rhymes that rise above the standard fare of children’s music.
“New York is the birthplace of hip hop,” Easy A.D.
says. “These kids know if they’re listening to real
deal.”
A.D., one of the founding members of a 1980’s
hip hop group, the Cold Crush Brothers, says he never thought
he’d be dropping beats about the importance of exercise
and diet, but health has always been a priority of his.
A
part-time gym teacher at the Harlem YMCA, A.D. says, “I’ve
always preached the importance of taking care of yourself. Now
I get to infuse my love of music with my passion for health.
That’s perfection.”
For Williams, the goal is to prevent strokes from happening in the first place. His work extends beyond both the classroom and the exam room. He has teamed with faith groups and neighborhood organizations to help the people of Harlem stay healthy.
“He’s very good at working outside the walls of the hospital,” says Patricia Butts, a community organizer and a pastor’s wife who works closely with Williams. The two met five years ago, when she approached Williams about the Central Harlem Health Revival, a community health awareness program she helps to run.
“People in the community recognize him,” Butts says. “I don’t think you can define the impact Dr. Williams has had by his work with one organization or another. He spends his time with a myriad of congregations, faiths and people of all ages.
“He’s respected,” she says.
His mission is respected.
“The word ‘community’ means we’re all in it together,” Williams says. “When people come in suffering from diabetes or stroke, we can put a band-aid on the problem, but that’s not a solution. The real work is preventing people from having to come in.”
Vivek Kemp, a former assignment editor at NBC News, is a multi-media content producer and GE’s Reporter-at-Large.
Tom
Very cool story and program!
Posted February 16 2010 AT 8:10 pm
Kris Allen
Hi My name is Kris I am a neuro nurse at YNHH. I will be teaching a class on stroke prevention to children in the new haven ct public school system. I think this is great. I was just wondering are the comic books for sale.
Posted March 15 2010 AT 12:29 pm
Healthymagination Team
Hi Kris,
That is fantastic that you will be teaching a class on stroke prevention to kids in New Haven.
Since the program is still very new, the Hip Hop Stroke team has not begun selling the comic books to the public as of yet, but this is something they are very interested in pursing in the near future.
You can definitely take a look and share the comic book PDF with the kids by clicking here: http://hiphoppublichealth.org/HipHopStrokeComicBook.pdf as well as show them the “Stroke Ain’t No Joke” video http://hiphoppublichealth.org/hiphopvideo1.html.
Best of luck!
Britta
Posted March 22 2010 AT 10:41 am
ashley
Hello my name is Ashley. You came 2 our school and taught us about stroke and how “they ain’t no joke”. It was great because u taght us how 2 help other people if u see someone in danger; You ca11 911. I was i wondering if u can come back 2 our shcool again because it was nice haveing u there. Thanks for everything u taught our school. U made us listen with the hip-hop thing. Thanks for everything Harlem Hospital!
Posted March 25 2010 AT 3:41 pm
Philip Strambler
Excellent and about time! If we don’t declare war on the roots of the causes of preventable health issues, this generation won’t outlive their parents. How sad would that be for future generations.
Posted May 26 2010 AT 6:55 am
Anuradha Kalanidhi
These are real cool ways of teaching very Important things to children. I wonder why we dont have something like this in India yet.
Posted June 18 2010 AT 11:59 am
Kellie Karavias
Ok, when I saw this page I immediately sent it to my school nurse, the school technologist to put on our website, as well as the school district’s head of Physical Fitness and Health. What a fun, exciting and “fresh” approach to educating our children about health. I only hope that the hip-hop-health crew will keep the videos, songs and reading material coming so we can integrate health and nutrition into our lessons in a fun and exciting way. As an educator I’m always on the look out for the newest, coolest teaching tools. This one will be in my pocket. Thanks a million Hip-Hop Doc! Keep them coming!
Posted July 25 2010 AT 11:16 am