First Ever Her Heart Summit Aims to Create National Movement to Improve Heart Health in Black Communities

NEW YORK, May 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- More than half of Black women over the age of 20 have heart disease, and the prevalence of high blood pressure among Black women is nearly 40% higher than White women in the U.S. To address these disparities and provide support to Black women on their health journey, the Her Heart Summit will bring together experts and women from across the U.S. for a free one-day virtual experience on Saturday, May 8, 2021.

"Black women are juggling a lot as mothers, professionals, partners, community leaders and much more – all while managing life through a global pandemic, political unrest and ongoing racial tension," said American Medical Association Immediate Past President Patrice A. Harris, MD, MA. "But doing it all has taken a significant toll on our health and wellbeing. The Release the Pressure Coalition is committed to reducing the prevalence of cardiovascular disease among Black women by empowering them to unapologetically put themselves and their hearts first so they can live longer, healthier lives."

Produced in collaboration with the Ad Council and the Release the Pressure (RTP) Coalition—which includes the American Medical Association (AMA), AMA Foundation, American Heart Association, Association of Black Cardiologists, National Medical Association and Minority Health Institute, the Her Heart Summit will bring together Black women from across the country—creating a national movement aimed at healing broken hearts.

"More than half of Black adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure – a leading cause of cardiovascular disease worldwide," added Rachel Villanueva, MD, President-Elect, National Medical Association. "That is why the Release the Pressure Coalition joined together to support Black women in this special way as we share a common mission to bring an end to the devastating impact of cardiovascular disease on Black communities. This work is meaningful to each of our organizations, and we look forward to impacting more lives through the Her Heart Summit."

This inaugural Her Heart Summit will feature the following experts and influencers in fitness, relationships, finance and more:

• Akua Wilder | Founder, Wild Juices | @wilderjuices
• Angela Yee | Radio Personality & Business Owner | @angelayee
• Coach Gessie | Nutritionist, Founder, TheDetoxNow.com | @coachgessie
• Denese Shervington, MD, MPH | CEO / President, Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies | @dshervington
• Ebony | Content Creator, Team2Moms | @team2moms
• jewel bush | Chief of External Affairs, GirlTrek | @girltrek
• Kayla Jeter | WW D360 Coach, former professional volleyball player | @fitandfullbykayla
• Khadijah Breathett, MD, MS | Cardiologist, Association of Black Cardiologists | @KBreathettMD
• Kieta Mutepfa | Stroke Survivor, Volunteer, American Heart Association | @KietaMutepfa
• Monika Pierce | WW D360 Coach, Head of Inclusion & Diversity | @i.am.pierce
• Olivia F. Scott | Yogi and Creator, Freedom at the Mat | @freedomatthemat
• Patrice A. Harris, MD, MA | Immediate-Past President, AMA | @PatriceHarrisMD
• René Brooks | Founder, Black Girl, Lost Keys | @blckgirllostkeys
• Ryan Mundy | Former NFL Safety, Pittsburgh Steelers, Founder, Alkeme Health | @alkemehealth
• Sabrina Howard | Graphic Artist & Painter | @sabrinahowardart
• Vaughn Colquitt | Video Creator, Digital Marketing Specialist | @msvaughntv
• Willarda Edwards, MD, MBA | Internal Medicine Specialist, Board Member, AMA, AMAF | @wvedwards3
• Yolanda Lawson, MD, Trustee, National Medical Association, OBGYN | @yolandalawsonmd
• Yvonne Commodore-Mensah, PHD, MHS, RN | Cardiovascular Nurse Epidemiologist; Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing | @ycommodore

Additional support will be provided by ESSENCE, who will stream the Her Heart Summit on ESSENCE.com on May 8^th. ESSENCE will also provide promotional support to encourage Black women across the country to attend the event.

The event will be produced by Captivate Marketing Group (CMG), a Black, woman-owned, award-winning events production company and premiere NY event production and entertainment marketing firm that has worked with some of the top artists and brands in the world.

Release the Pressure digital and social partners include CareContent, Inc, a Black-woman-owned healthcare digital marketing agency.

To register or learn more about Her Heart Summit visit https://releasethepressure.org/her-heart-summit-2021/.

ABOUT RELEASE THE PRESSURE

The national Release the Pressure (RTP) movement is bringing together thousands of Black women from across America — reminding them to make self-care a priority by taking the RTP heart health pledge. RTP was founded in May 2020 by a diverse coalition of health care organizations and heart health experts – the American Medical Association (AMA), AMA Foundation, American Heart Association, Association of Black Cardiologists, National Medical Association and Minority Health Institute – who are dedicated to partnering with the Black community to improve heart health. Join the movement and take the pledge at ReleasethePressure.org.

ABOUT CAPTIVATE

Captivate Marketing Group (CMG) is a certified M/WBE. CMG was founded in 2008 and  specializes in event production, talent booking/logistics and entertainment marketing.  CMG is highly regarded as creating extraordinary experiences -- whether it is producing a live event, booking and managing talent, creating and managing a corporate event, a consumer product launch that generates buzz or an all-star production, our award-winning team produces experiences that make people talk.

ABOUT THE AD COUNCIL

The Ad Council has a long history of creating life-saving public service communications in times of national crisis, starting in the organization's earliest days during World War II to September 11th and natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy and, most recently, leading the industry's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its deep relationships with media outlets, the creative community, issue experts and government leaders make the organization uniquely poised to quickly distribute life-saving impactful information to millions of Americans.

The Ad Council is where creativity and causes converge. The non-profit organization brings together the most creative minds in advertising, media, technology and marketing to address many of the nation's most important causes. The Ad Council has created many of the most iconic campaigns in advertising history. Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk. Smokey Bear. Love Has No Labels.

The Ad Council's innovative social good campaigns raise awareness, inspire action and save lives. To learn more, visit AdCouncil.org, follow the Ad Council's communities on Facebook and Twitter, and view the creative on YouTube.

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