DR. BRANDON BLUE: The hematologist-oncologist speaks to Greater Mt. Pleasant AME Church parishioners and community members about multiple myeloma. PHOTO COURTESY OF 100 BLACK MEN

HOLLYWOOD – The 100 Black Men of South Florida, Inc. (The 100) and Pfizer Pharmaceuticals partnered to host health awareness programming across Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

The health promotion campaign launched with a cancer awareness workshop on multiple myeloma, held at Greater Mt. Pleasant A.M.E. Church in Hollywood, Fla.

More than a hundred parishioners participated in the program which consisted of a Sunday service, educational workshop and healthy brunch.

Attendees primarily consisted of residents from the City of Hollywood and adjacent municipalities.

John Wright, Associate Director of Community Clinical Liaisons for Inside Edge Consulting Group, said that community health workshops "enhance and enrich communities of color, especiallyBlack and Hispanic communities who are traditionally underrepresented or underdiagnosed with potentially life altering diseases such as multiple myeloma."

Multiple myeloma is a rare blood cancer that affects plasma cells, the specialized white blood cells that produce antibodies. Antibodies find and attack germs that invade human bodies. The exact cause of multiple myeloma is unknown; it is believed to be related to a genetic mutation that causes plasma cells to become cancerous.

Chartered on June 24, 1989, The 100 is a South Florida nonprofit composed of men across a spectrum of professional fields with a shared vision of improving the quality of life for African Americans and minority groups.

"The work of the 100 Black Men of South Florida, Inc. is critical to the community because we focus on empowering and uplifting young men and women of color through mentorship, education, and economic opportunities," said Dr. Pierre E. Rutledge, president.

One of the major initiatives of the 100 Black Men of South Florida is to promote health and wellness within Black and brown communities. Its partners include Simply Health, Inside Edge Consulting Group, and other health agencies committed to promoting healthy lifestyles and general wellness across the tri-counties.

The collective of Black professionals aims to eliminate health disparities in the African American community by promoting education and awareness, policy development, advocacy, and behavioral paradigm shifts. Over the next year, The 100 hopes to implement additional health awareness and fitness activities across South Florida.