November 3, 2023
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
Vol. 28, Issue 42
FREE
African-American News&Issues
“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”
Old Age Ain’t No Place for Whimps By: Jazz Paz
How old are you? How old do you feel? There is no greater variety among any people than among old people, according to Doctor Rosanne Leipzig, 72, vice chair for education at the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. In her book Honest Aging: An Insider’s Guide to the Second Half of Life, she describes how people in their sixth and seventh decades often experience very different states of health. Others, including researchers from the University of Southern California’s Davis School of Gerontology have found people of different races age differently from one another. They contend that based on cholesterol, blood pressure, their smoking history, weight and other clinical measurements,
Blacks average about three years older than whites with the same birthday in their “biological” (as opposed to date of birth) ages. Their findings mimic other studies indicating that Black people are exposed to more environmental, behavioral, and mental health factors that promote the speed of the aging process, and persons who age fastest have the highest risk of lower life expectancy.” Differences in biological ages predict increased incidents of cardiovascular and cancer deaths among blacks. They also noted that Blacks suffer more discrimination, less economic security and often live in less safe neighborhoods, where high quality food is more expensive and difficult to source than cheap, unhealthy fast food.
Old Age on pg. 3
Dr. Deavra Daughtry Dear Members of ITWLA, on behalf of ITWLA’s governing boards, we are delighted to announce the election of Dr. Deavra Daughtry as Chairwoman of the International Third World Leaders Association (ITWLA), as of June 2023. Dr. Deavra Daughtry, a pioneering business mogul and accomplished real estate developer, has assumed the role of Chairwoman at ITWLA, an organization with a distinguished 37-year history. This significant announcement aligns perfectly with ITWLA’s anniversary, marking not only a celebration of the organization’s legacy but also a major milestone in Dr. Daughtry’s illustrious career. Daughtry on pg. 4