Bridging faith and science in the community
Facts & Faith Fridays is a partnership between VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center and the African American faith-based community. Led by community leaders, Rudene Mercer Haynes, Rev. F. Todd Gray, and Robert A. Winn, M.D., the program was founded in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Facts & Faith Fridays recognizes that faith leaders are trusted sources of accurate information and act as ambassadors for their communities.
Facts & Faith Fridays participants together can work to enhance the lives their communities through participating in ongoing dialogues around:
- COVID-19 & vaccine distribution;
- Systemic racism and health inequity;
- Cancer risks & prevention;
- Medical myths and mistrust; and
- Health resources in urban & rural communities.
For inquiries regarding this program, please email us at mccfactsfaith@vcu.edu.
May 17, 2024 | Mental Health Month
May is Mental Health Month. Hear from returning Facts & Faith Fridays guest and VCU Department of Psychology professor Shawn Utsey, Ph.D., as he discusses his documentary, The Central Lunatic Asylum for the Colored Insane.
Register todayPrevious programs
Expand the accordions below to explore previous Facts & Faith Fridays programs.
Muhammad "Irfan" Saeed, M.D. from VCU's Hume-Lee Transplant Center talks about the importance of minority donors, and hear from a living kidney donor.
Javon Burton, Executive Director for the Partnership for Housing Affordability; Greta J. Harris, President and CEO of the Better Housing Coalition; and Tyrone Nelson, M. Div, from Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church, discusses community partnerships and creative solutions that address the affordable housing crisis.
NIH's All of Us Research Program is inviting one million people across the U.S. to help build one of the most diverse health databases in history. We will hear from Karriem Watson, DHS, MPH, and his team about how our biology, lifestyle, and environment affect our health.
For more information, please visit:
Sadeqa Johnson will discuss her book Yellow Wife - the story follows an enslaved woman forced to barter love and freedom while living in the most infamous slave jail in Virginia (which is located steps away from the Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center.) Dr. Utsey will discuss the impacts of race-related stress on the physical, psychological and social well-being of African Americans.
For more information, please visit:
Join Dr. Luni Emdad, who will discuss the science of pancreatic cancer. Also, we take a look at the Year in Review and learn together about how to care for ourselves and others during the holiday season.
Michael E Wechsler, MD, MMSc, Professor of Medicine and National Jewish Health Director for the NJH Cohen Family Asthma Institute, and Sesha Joi Moon, Ph.D, Executive Director of The JXN Project led a conversation about asthma and the JXN project.
On the heels of back to school, superintendents and safety & security team leaders from across the commonwealth conducted a roundtable discussion on school safety.
For more information, please visit:
- Chickahominy TRUTH Project
- Henrico County Public Schools
- Chesterfield County Public Schools
- Richmond Public Schools
- Henrico Violent Crime Task Force
- Teen Summit RVA
This month's Facts & Faith Fridays call focused on helpful tips from Samantha Guild of the AIM at Melanoma Foundation and local resources for Black college students interested in exploring higher education opportunities through a Mechanicsville-based nonprofit organization, Sub:Culture, Inc.
For more information, please visit:
- Aim At Melanoma Foundation
- SUB: CULTURE INC
- Website includes information about programs such as HBCU Food Pantry Initiative, Student Transition & Crisis Relief, To & Through College Prep Seminars, Fellows Program, etc.
- Phone: 804-214-6505
Watch more from our Facts & Faith Friday series
We want to hear from you!
Have an idea for a guest speaker? Want to provide feedback? Want to get more involved with the Facts & Faith Fridays program?
Please contact us at mccfactsfaith@vcu.edu.