The Year of Love Page 12
Page 6
Surviving Katrina Page 16
2016 Highlight Reel Pages 24-26
Cancer in Women Pages 28-29
2 • WOMAN TO WOMAN WITH JOANNE: THE MAGAZINE • January 2017
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4 • WOMAN TO WOMAN WITH JOANNE: THE MAGAZINE • January 2017
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Joanne’s Desk
Publisher & Editor Joanne Bell CEO Joanne Bell Contributing Writers Dr. Timothy Quinn Salmeilia Stewart JaMya Bell Michelle Johnson Floyd Williams Nate Coleman Cover Design by Latasha Willis Cover Photo by John Greer Layout Design Latasha Willis Facebook: Woman to Woman with Joanne the Magazine
BY JOANNE BELL, FOUNDER
I
n this issue, I would like to take a look back at some of the amazing women we have featured in the past issues as well as talk about moving forward in this New Year. We all had challenges and circumstances we had to face in 2016, but in the end, we made it through into a new year, and now we have new chapters to write. I am so excited to see the new and amazing things God is going to do through this magazine this year, and I can’t wait to share it all with you. Overcoming any obstacle takes courage, faith and a willingness to never give up, to fight for what you believe in and to love yourself in the end. Woman to Woman with Joanne’s focus this year is to share the stories of other women to help inspire you to keep moving forward - to show you that you are not alone and everything that you have gone through has not been in vain. We aim to empower you with the stories of others, young and old, and to share the love that God has meant for us to share since the beginning. Am I good enough? Am I smart enough? Am I pretty enough? These are questions some of us ask ourselves every day and as women, we have to realize our power and know our worth. Through the stories of others, I believe it will help us to see and realize that we are not alone in how we feel and there is always someone, sometimes next door to you, that knows exactly how you feel and can encourage and inspire you with their story of survival. I do believe that this year is the year that we will have to put aside our differences and show love in order to survive. Love bears all things; it covers a multitude of sin and it saves lives whether we believe that or not. When you have a heart full of love, it emanates from your very being and you don’t even have to say it - it is felt. Our Father is love. That’s who and what He is and as His children, we are commanded to love each other as He has loved us. It will take us looking past what we see to find the truth, which is not always black and white. Sometimes, it means taking a deeper look inside to see past the outer appearance. This year, I do believe we will have to love people past their pain, to forgive the ones who have wronged us, willfully or not, and grant grace where it is needed as well. Love is a universal language that everyone understands and if we choose love over hate, over judging people or even if we choose love over sharing our opinions and what we think, it could save so many lives. So, I ask you, will you choose love first? Before you judge, before you give your opinion, will you choose love first?
Love ya much!
Joanne
Website: www.JoanneSBell.com Contact us at woman2woman.joanne@ yahoo.com 601-398-6733 P.O. Box 2031 Ridgeland, MS 39158 All rights reserved. No portion of Woman to Woman with Joanne may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The management of Woman to Woman with Joanne is not responsible for opinions expressed by its writers. Woman to Woman with Joanne maintains the unrestricted right to edit or refuse all submitted material. All advertisements are subject to approval by the publisher. The production of Woman to Woman is funded by advertising and sponsorship.
In This Issue
Cover Story: A New Beginning, A New You – CEO and Founder Joanne Bell ..... 6-9 Salmeilia Je – The Year of Love .................................................................................. 12 Dr. Quinn – “Optimism Is My New Perspective in 2017!” ..................................... 14 Spotlight – Surviving Katrina: Bernice McGee ......................................................... 16 Mya’s Corner - Happy New Year ............................................................................ 18 A Daughter and a Dad – Floyd Williams ................................................................ 20 The Gift of Giving – Michelle Johnson .................................................................. 22 2016 Highlight Reel .................................................................................................. 24-26 Dr. Martin Luther King Tribute ................................................................................ 27 Cancer in Women ..................................................................................................... 28-29 Recipe: Baked Pork Chops and Hoppin’ John ........................................................ 30 Our Sponsors ................................................................................................................... 34
6 • WOMAN TO WOMAN WITH JOANNE: THE MAGAZINE • January 2017
A New Beginning, A New You
Joanne Bell
CEO and Founder
PHOTO CREDITS: JOHN GREER (PAGE 6), RMCGEE PHOTOGRAPHY (PAGES 7-8), COURTESY JOANNE BELL
WOMAN TO WOMAN WITH JOANNE: THE MAGAZINE • 7
A
s I sit here preparing to tell a part of my story, I tell myself, “Well, I thought this was a good idea maybe not.” I have seen and heard so many people saying, “It’s a new year; it’s going to be a new me.” I desperately wanted that to be my story for 2017, but to be honest, it’s not. I rang in the New Year with the same exact problems that I had in 2016, and there was nothing “new” about them. No matter how badly I wanted a clean slate and even tried to force it, it didn’t happen, and that’s okay. Even though my problems didn’t change, my perspective about my problems did. Life has the ability to throw you some curve balls, and most of the time, they are not expected. I am as spiritual as they come, and I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior - no shame in my game. But sometimes, when you are going through challenges, trials and tribulations, the simple answer of “Just pray about it” doesn’t cut it. It’s not enough. This is where your experiences, learned lessons, how you survived and made it through - this is where those stories come in to encourage you and to encourage someone else. Sometimes as Christians, we feel it’s our job to try and help God look good by pretending we have it all together and acting as if we knew from the start how the story would begin, we were prepared for the middle and we knew what the end results would be. What is your middle? What happened in between the “God told me to do it” and “Look at me now”? Someone needs to hear your “real” story to be encouraged to move forward and to believe they can achieve success as well. But we focus so much on our outside appearance, making sure we look good at all costs, that we forget to work on the inside where all of our problems start and end. I have worked hard for years to make sure that my outside was as well put togeth-
er as it could be, but on the inside, it has just been a cluttered, messed-up shamble of a scandal. This doesn’t mean that you have to go around looking torn down or telling everybody your business and how bad things are for you, but it does mean that you have to be honest with yourself and start to work on your inside. 2016 was definitely a good year - I just had some terrible things happen. Before I sat down and thought about this, I was feeling like I had so much loss and gained nothing. So many things were taken away from me, whether it was the long-time relationship that I had been in for years, my special needs daughter moving out and into her very own apartment (I was never ready for that), losing yet another home after my mom got sick and ultimately losing my mom. This was enough to make me do exactly what I did: I went into a
Life has the ability to throw you some curve balls, and most of the time, they are not expected.
silent depression. I still worked, I still did what I needed to do, I still took care of the kids and published a monthly magazine every month except the month when my mom passed. But inside, I was silently dying. I felt defeated and disappointed. My heart was broken into a million pieces and I felt that I was all alone and had no one to comfort me. The pain, the fear, the guilt and shame that I felt overpowered me and would make me go into hiding. I stayed away from social media and I didn’t want to be around people, so I stayed to myself, just me and the kids. I hid within myself because I felt so broken and confused, so desperately needy and afraid. Fear became so strong in my life that it would literally paralyze me and I could not move. The fight for my life had begun and I felt unprepared. My spiritual life was strained even though I prayed and talked to God daily, and my dedicated time with Him had become slim to none, so I had no renewal time with Him. I was looking for someone to save me, to rescue me, to help me get through this difficult time in my life because it had become just too much for me to bear. So many thoughts ran through my mind and my mind was constantly racing. I would wrestle and talk in my sleep, scream and fight in my sleep. I was just a wreck. The easiest thing would have been to give up, but every time my mind went there, I thought about my children. (Continued, page 8)
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(Continued from page 8)
Our children watch what we do and they imitate what we do, not what we say. I had to fight - if not for me, then for them. After we lost our home, we ended up back in the same hotel, in the same hotel room we were in before when this happened. I realized there was something I needed to learn from this situation that I hadn’t learned before. We were in the hotel from July 31st up until November 1st 2016. Every day while living in that hotel, I literally had to fight to pay for the room daily. Some days, most days, I had no clue where the money would come from. I just knew I had to find it, and every day like clockwork, God would make a way. Every day! This time around during those months in that hotel, God taught me to cast all of
my cares on Him, and trust that He would take care of us and that He would provide for us. Someone would call and say we were on their heart, or they would ask if we needed anything, and I would have to move my pride out of the way and accept the help they were offering. Sometimes, we can make something or someone else our god and not even realize it. We can even become our own god by being prideful and trying to do everything ourselves, and rejecting the help that God sends for us. That was the case for me, and God had to sit me down and show me that He is God and beside Him, there is no other. When my mom passed, it was like time stopped and nothing seemed real. She fought so hard to get better and she wanted to go home. She did get a chance
God had to sit me down and show me that He is God and beside Him, there is no other.
to go home for a week before she ended up going back to the hospital on a Monday, and that Wednesday, she passed away. Her body was tired, then she got tired and then she was gone. I think of my mom daily, and I see her every time I look in the mirror at myself. I hear her when I laugh and most times when I talk, especially when
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Even though I had some hard things happen last year, I had some great things happen, too. I am talking to my children. She was a little short woman, but when she laughed, everyone heard her and couldn’t help but join in with her. She didn’t care what people thought of her - she was gonna be herself no matter what. That was all she knew. She was beautiful inside and out and her spirit lives on in us, her children and her grandchildren every day. Even though I had some hard things happen last year, I had some great things happen, too. The second annual Woman to Woman with Joanne Empowerment Conference was held in May 2016, and it was a total success! I launched the Woman to Woman with Joanne Magazine in May 2016 as well, and this month makes our seventh issue. My children are all doing well, and I am so proud of them. My youngest daughter Mya is a writer for the
magazine and has an ongoing article called “Mya’s Corner,” and she does an excellent job. Tony is set to graduate from Faulkner State Community College in Bay Minette, Alabama in May where he went on a full scholarship and plans to go on to the University of Kentucky or the University of Alabama. Josh is set to follow in his footsteps as his cheer team for Germantown High School won the state championship, and they all get rings! I am so proud of Antonetta (Tutu). She is growing and thriving in her own apartment, and her social life is better than mine! In December 2016, God made it possible for me to complete my first ever Christmas album, and the support I received was remarkable. God has restored us and continues to show His love toward us daily. He protects us and provides for us and
surprises us with beautiful blessings daily – yes, daily. I am falling in love with Him and in turn falling in love with myself. He loves me and He approves of me and I don’t have to change a thing. He accepts me for who I am and who He created me to be. A new beginning - a new you - starts with you accepting yourself, loving yourself and learning to allow God to love you, too. You are who you are, just embrace that. Yes, we all have problems, but changing the way we see those problems is also the beginning of a new you. I love you and God loves you, too. Be great today and every day. Love ya much!
Joanne
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For more information: 601-658-9577 x201 info@cnc-ips.com
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12 • WOMAN TO WOMAN WITH JOANNE: THE MAGAZINE • January 2017
The Year of Love
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s we welcome a New Year, we have our resolutions, plans, and aspirations for the year. However, we fail to plan for the setbacks, heartaches, and the obstacles that will arise throughout the year. It is important that we enter into the year with a plan to win. The greatest way to win is to walk in love. Yes, so many of us have our own motives and plans, but God said that only his plans will prevail. Our truth is to walk daily in love - a love that is unprecedented, a faith that is unmovable, and a peace that surpasses all understanding. Love will always carry us from a place of unbelief, fear and helplessness into a place of hope, strength, and courage. Yes, this is the year to fall in love and embody a passion that is unraveled. For God is love, and there is no one like Him. We come to the end of a troublesome year, and we must find a way to grab love by the hand. Love is a four-letter word that carries a powerful punch. As the songwriter said, “Love lifted me, when nothing else could help, love lifted me.” Don’t be troubled, for God is looking for people in 2017 to be an extension of His love. We were created to love and to receive love. So many times, we try to fill a void with people, lust, money, power and greed. The only true and lasting thing that can fill that void is God. One day as I was writing, I
heard a small voice say, “Why are you sitting still?” At that brief moment, it didn’t make any sense because I was writing. I was actually doing something. So, I kept on writing. Then I heard a voice say again, “Why are you sitting still?” So, I was like, “God, I don’t understand.” He simply said, “If you knew why I created you, you wouldn’t be sitting still. You wouldn’t be so afraid. You would be walking in my love. I created you. You were made from love. I placed these gifts inside of you so you could be an expression of my love to the world. I love you, Salmeilia. I want to use you to love my people, people who have given up, hurting, and full of despair. You don’t have to go looking for love because I have already given it to you.” After hearing this of course, I couldn’t do anything but cry like a six-month-old baby. We need love to lift us and to encourage us to do great things. However, we must first know our worth, and know who we are and whose we are. We know that the opposite of love is fear. In my case, years of criticism, failure and embarrassment only fueled my fear. Above them all was rejection. Rejection easily communicates to another individual that they are not loved or valued. I truly believe the enemy uses rejection the most with people who are creative or whose gifting is directly with people. Creativity
BY SALMEILIA JE' STEWART requires you to draw from within. Sadly, those who have experienced rejection begin to walk less in hope and more in fear. This tends to cause a person to withhold instead of giving. When a person is enslaved to the fear of rejection, they hold their gifts, talents and ideas hostage as well. However, we know that to walk in fear is not of God because He has loved us so much that he sent his only begotten son to die so we may experience his love, grace, and mercy. The Bible says in 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” When you are fully walking in love, the sting of rejection will not cause you to be defeated. People who don’t know their value and purpose are daily held in bondage by fear. As we come into this New Year, let us center ourselves in love. May love move us to do incredible things. May love challenge us to step outside our comfort zone and try something new. May love lift us out of the ashes of our pain and despair. May love give us a reason to continue to press. May love position us to be a blessing to someone else. May we wear the color of love in a very colorless and lifeless world. We must continue to do a great work in 2017 because as we abide in love, love will abide in us.
About the Author: Salmeilia is the mother of an eight-year-old son named Jaden and currently resides in Jackson, MS. She is an actress, writer and comedienne. She works for Phoenix Rising Entertainment. When she is not working, she enjoys taking pictures and having a great cup of coffee. You may follow Salmeilia on Instagram @Salmeilia and Facebook @Salmeilia Je'. PHOTO CREDIT: GRAPHICSTOCK
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14 • WOMAN TO WOMAN WITH JOANNE: THE MAGAZINE • December January 2017 2016
“Optimism is my new perspective in 2017!” BY DR. TIMOTHY QUINN
I
have many conversations with my patients in regards to their personal happiness. I find this very necessary as a medical provider that wants to be helpful due to the fact that a person’s happiness significantly impacts their overall health mentally and physically. If a person is unhappy, they generally will have greater stress, which leads to a higher level of stress chemicals released into that person’s circulation. This contributes to many medical conditions to include higher levels of uncontrolled blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, sleep apnea and heart disease. These elevated levels of stress chemicals also contribute to various forms of psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety. In a recent conversation with my patient, Mrs. Martin, a married mom of four, she discussed how she was not happy with her marriage. She spoke very negatively of her husband and how he was a total disappointment to her. I stopped her very quickly and asked if she wanted the relationship to continue.
After she informed me that she did, I told her that she was going to have to change the way she talked about her husband if she wanted anything to get better. I further explained that thoughts and feelings are reinforced with words. I told of how my grandmother used to say, “Speak it into existence!” Confused, my patient asked me to elaborate. I told her that there are situations that are beyond repair, but by her indicating that she wanted the relationship, I had hope. I encouraged her to focus on the things she liked about her husband, and try to help her husband change the things she did not find favorable. I lastly asked her to accept the things that cannot be changed, and reminded her that there were possibly things about herself that he may not find optimal. With a smile, I explained that love is acceptance and unconditional. I asked her if she was unwilling to do it for herself - do it for her kids who are watching and learning. After our conversation, she agreed to change her words and her process.
Instead of telling her husband he was a big fat loser, she would simply suggest that the two of them go for walks each morning. She planned to cook healthier meals that include a healthy lunch for him to take to work each morning. Mrs. Martin told me that she planned to tell her husband she wanted him to remember her during the day as he ate the tasty meal she had prepared as opposed to grabbing a burger or chicken and fries as he usually did. She made plans to remind him how great he was, and focus on verbally telling him of all the accomplishments daily. On her return visit six months later, she happily reported that her husband changed as she changed herself by becoming more positive. This year, 2017 can and will be your year if you decide to be optimistic as opposed to pessimistic. We just have to remember that we have the option to choose. At the end of my encounter with my friend Mrs. Martin, she looked me in the eye and said, “Optimism is my new perspective in 2017!”
For more information, visit our website: www.askdrquinn.com
PHOTO CREDIT: GRAPHICSTOCK
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Surviving Katrina: Bernice McGee
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s. Bernice McGee was born on October 26, 1926 and is originally from Pocahontas, Mississippi. She is the aunt of Mississippi photographer Mitch C. Davis. Her mother and father were sharecroppers. She attended school in Hinds County, completing the eighth grade. At age 24, she met her husband, and they eloped and moved to New Orleans to start a new life. Once there, she went to work at a monastery and her husband worked odd jobs. After some time, times got hard and they started to struggle financially, and her husband became very abusive to her, so after several years of marriage and being abused, they decided to separate. She loved living in New Orleans because of the culture, fashion and the people. It was very different from Mississippi and she felt like a little girl in the big city of New Orle-
ans, Louisiana. She lived there for almost 60 years. She became a huge antique collector and a very fashionable dresser. One of her sisters became ill and she came to Mississippi to visit with her. During her stay, Hurricane Katrina hit the city of New Orleans. She was watching TV and heard the reporter say that the levee had broken, and her ward was under water. When she heard the news, it was almost like dying because she didn’t know what happened to her other family members, friends and coworkers that were left there. She felt helpless because there was nothing she could do. After Katrina, she went back home to New Orleans to see what she could salvage. Seeing all the houses that had the big red X’s marked where they found dead bodies, she was devastated. Once she reached her home
and opened the door, she found everything had been destroyed and mildew was everywhere. She wasn’t able to salvage anything, but she always believed that God was going to make a way. On the trip back to Mississippi to start her new life, she received money from the
government, and so did her friends and family. She was not only able to get a new apartment, but she was able to buy everything new, so everything she lost was replaced with something better. God restored her sevenfold. The one piece of advice she would like to leave is one of her favorite scriptures, Proverbs 3:5-6, which reads, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”
IMAGES OF BERNICE MCGEE BY MITCH C. DAVIS PHOTOGRAPHY BACKGROUND PHOTO CREDIT: GRAPHICSTOCK
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18 • WOMAN TO WOMAN WITH JOANNE: THE MAGAZINE • January 2017
MYA'S CORNER:
New Year’s Day! BY MYA BELL
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ello, I’m back! Can you believe that it is now 2017? That’s awesome! But what I’m really here to talk about is people making New Year’s Resolutions. Some people do it and some people don’t. Well, this is for both sets of people: We hear that resolutions aren’t important because they will just be broken anyway, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to make any new changes or commitments. I mean, maybe you want to start something new, turn over a “New Leaf ” or become a better person. I
don’t mean changing personalities or trying to be someone else, but do new things like fulfilling your dreams. You’re never and I mean never - too old to have dreams. Do something new this year, something wild, risky and fun. Something “outside the box.” Just always know if you’re comfortable with your dreams, they are not big enough, so make some changes and do something risky and make this year amazing. Thank you for reading “Mya’s Corner” and Happy New Year!
JaMya Elisabeth Bell (Mya, for short) is a native of Crystal Springs, Mississippi, and currently lives in Gluckstadt, Mississippi. She loves to sing, act, cook and draw, and her favorite sports are basketball and track. In addition to stage performances, she has appeared on the TV show “Nashville” and the film “Soul Damage.” She is the daughter of Woman to Woman with Joanne’s founder and CEO, Joanne Bell. PHOTO CREDIT: GRAPHICSTOCK
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20 • WOMAN TO WOMAN WITH JOANNE: THE MAGAZINE • January 2017
A Daughter and a Dad BY FLOYD H. WILLIAMS
I
t has often been stated that behind every great man is a great woman. This has been a universally accepted axiom throughout mankind. It can hardly be disputed that the male-female relationship has its own unique qualities. It is the aforementioned uniqueness that brings me to extol the father-daughter love affair. Ace Frehley writes , “When I come home, my daughter will run to the door and give me a big hug and everything that’s happened that day just melts away.” I can certainly relate to the sentiments in Mr. Frehley’s quote. There were few pleasures equal to having her run into my arms after a long and arduous day. I might listen to her stories or wipe away the tears that were hers until I came home and they became my own. It really didn’t matter the crisis. I just wanted to be there for her and her for me. These were
my most precious moments and it was in these times that I bonded with my baby girl. I watched her grow by days instead of years. She reminded me of her mom in only ways that I can describe. Nonetheless, I aspire to be nothing greater than my daughter’s dad. I’m her hero and I am her greatest fan. She has been blessed with a splendid personality and a tender heart. She has wit and intelligence. She has character, humility and a deep love for God. I am the proud father who might be insufficiently adept to express my glowing adoration for my daughter. Someone once said that she’s the apple of my eye. She is that and so much more. She is the fruit of my soul. One day, a young man showed up and asked for her hand in marriage. It happened too soon and with my status somewhat
diminished, I gave the father’s speech, and along with that, the father’s dare. He took her away but she never left my heart. My daughter will always be my baby girl, and as such, our relationship will always be one that is unique and without rival as these things go. She is a woman now and I am still her dad. When my hair turns grey and the years are vanished without numbers, I will fondly recall the days she ran into my arms and all the aches of that day left me without exception. It was her embrace that took away my exhaustion and gave me the renewal to face tomorrow’s labor. Today, I will call to remind her that I love her. I will hear her say the same and my heart will once again be pricked by my baby girl. I need not a special day or an occasion, just another moment, to say to her, “I love you.” PHOTO CREDIT: GRAPHICSTOCK
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The Gift of Giving
22 • WOMAN TO WOMAN WITH JOANNE: THE MAGAZINE • January 2017
BY MICHELLE JOHNSON
Most people fail to realize how important it is to help someone else - how a simple act of kindness can alter, change or possibly even save another person’s life. Giving is an open door. What an absolute Kingdom blessing it is! The power of giving is often minimized by thinking that it’s just a nice thing to do, or that it is a good thing to do. We oftentimes think that it’s the Christ thing to do, to show the Christ in us. But giving is much more than that - giving is showing the Christ in us, which allows Christ to be Himself through us. It’s making Christ tangible. Giving is that open door of escape that the Bible teaches us about in 1 Corinthians 10:13.
God will not allow temptations, trials and problems to overtake us, and when they come, He offers a way of escape. Giving is one door of escape. When you give to someone who is in desperate need and your gift meets that need, you allow them to escape the doors the enemy is attempting to open in their lives to cause destruction. Doors of depression, doors of suicidal thoughts, doors of anger and bitterness can all be closed, and a gift of opening the door of life can be secured by giving. Giving opens doors, and it closes doors too. It closes doors of hunger, lack, loneliness, low self-esteem and rejection. When you give of yourself and your resources, it closes the door
of hopelessness. Your giving can place a hedge of protection around someone else’s life. Giving is an open door; it is one of the keys to the kingdom of God. You know that you have reached a level of spiritual maturity when you can give someone else a gift and that gift that you gave to them becomes a gift to you. Giving is the gift. So, the next time you’re considering helping someone or giving them a gift, remember these words: Giving is a key to the kingdom that makes the life of Christ tangible and protects another person from experiencing the doors the enemy is trying to open in their lives. Stop the intruder. Become the door of escape. Give.
PHOTO CREDIT: GRAPHICSTOCK
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24 • WOMAN TO WOMAN WITH JOANNE: THE MAGAZINE • January 2017
Highlight Reel 2016 On the Cover (In order by appearance)
Chirvona Frank
Yolanda Singleton
Edelia “Dr. Jay” Carthan
May & October
May
May
Salmeilia Je’ Stewart
Melissa Banks
May
June
Kimberly Strauss
Kolean Sanders
Bridgette Harder
July
September
October
Bessie Williams
Patricia Colton-Sutton
November
November
Pastor Betty Robinson December
WOMAN WOMAN TO WOMAN TO WOMAN WITHWITH JOANNE: JOANNE: THE MAGAZINE THE MAGAZINE • 25 • 25
Spotlight
(In alphabetical order by first name)
April Bigham
Belinda Dixon
Bobbie Jones
Bridget Farrell-Moorehead, M7 Coffee House (with husband Bobby)
Ofc. Colendula Norton-Green
Denise Donald
The late Deloris Smith
The late Helen Ruth Sandifer
Dr. LaFarra Young-Gaylor
Lizzie Turner
Nikie N. Lomax, Esq.
Pamela Junior
Shameka Reed
Vera Smith
Yolanda Warnsley
CC’s Coffee House
Germantown High School Girls’ Basketball Team, 7th Grade
Germantown High School Girls’ Basketball Team, 8th Grade
Tougaloo College Women’s Volleyball Team
26 • WOMAN TO WOMAN WITH JOANNE: THE MAGAZINE • January 2017
2016 Annual Conference
WOMAN WOMAN TO WOMAN TO WOMAN WITHWITH JOANNE: JOANNE: THE MAGAZINE THE MAGAZINE • 27 • 27
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, founder and CEO Joanne Bell wanted to share one of his quotes: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase. Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others? The time is always right to do what is right. We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 1929-1968
PHOTO CREDIT: DICK DEMARSICO/LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
28 • WOMAN TO WOMAN WITH JOANNE: THE MAGAZINE • January 2017
Merck Partners with American Cancer Society to Address
Cancer in Women
BY MERCK GROUP/ PR NEWSWIRE PHOTO CREDITS: GRAPHICSTOCK
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Cancer deaths in women are expected to increase to 5.5 million by 2030 erck, a leading science and technology company, and the American Cancer Society (ACS) today released a report that shows all four of the top causes of cancer deaths in women worldwide are mostly preventable or can often be detected early, when treatment is more successful. The report, titled “The Global Burden of Cancer in Women,” is the first tangible output from an innovative partnership between Merck and the American Cancer Society focused on raising awareness and strengthening advocacy around women’s cancers. “We are proud to partner with the American Cancer Society to address the impact cancer has on women worldwide,” said Belén Garijo, member of the Executive Board and CEO Healthcare at Merck. “This collaboration is a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership that recognizes that no one sector can tackle this challenge alone. Improving women’s health and well-being has an uplifting ripple effect on our world, and we know when women do better, our communities do better.” The research examines the increasing impact of cancer among women in low- and middle-income countries - and outlines potential solutions to minimize the economic and societal impact of the disease for women, their families and healthcare systems. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in women, with breast, colorectal, lung and cervical cancers claiming the most lives each year. With cancer rates on the rise as the global population grows and ages, the number of women who will lose their lives to cancer is expected to increase, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In 2012, there were 3.5 million deaths among women due to cancer; by
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2030 that number is expected to increase to 5.5 million deaths - a more than 57% increase in less than two decades. Increased education and prevention efforts will be essential to addressing this growing global health crisis. “It’s incumbent upon both the public and private sectors, as members of the global health community, to find ways to reduce the impacts of cancer on women by increasing prevention and treatment, saving the lives of women across the globe,” said Ambassador Sally Cowal, senior vice president, global cancer control at the American Cancer Society. In addition to the physical challenges women with cancer and their families experience, the burden of cancer also extends to the economy. The study found that in 2009, the global economic burden of cancer was estimated at about $ 286 billion, and much of that cost was due to premature death of members of the workforce. In the United States alone in 2008, years of productive life lost due to cancer in women corresponded to $ 82 billion, not to mention the many professional achievements that might have been realized. The report was released at the World Cancer Congress during a Merck panel moderated by Ambassador Cowal. Other participants included HRH Princess Dina Mired of Jordan; Dr. Alise Reicin, Head of Global Clinical Development in the biopharma business of Merck; and Dr. Edward L. “Ted” Trimble, director, Center for Global Health at the National Cancer Institute. This partnership will also catalyse the evolution of the American Cancer Society’s All of Me Young Scholars program, which aims to educate and cultivate health and civil society professionals in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and India to affect meaningful change in prevention and early
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in women, with breast, colorectal, lung and cervical cancers claiming the most lives each year.
detection of cancers among women in lowand middle-income countries. This report is part of Merck’s involvement with the Healthy Women, Healthy Economies initiative, which explicitly links the issue of women’s health and wellbeing with economic growth. The full “Global Burden of Cancer in Women” report is available at http://www. cancer.org/research/cancerfactsstatistics/ globalburden-cancer-in-women.
New Technologies May Improve Test Accuracy Several new technologies are being explored in an effort to improve the accuracy of Pap smears. While these approaches appear promising, they are expensive and rely heavily on technology.6 Fluid-based, thin-layer processing of cervical samples (such as the ThinPrep™ Pap Test) attempts to reduce sampling errors and improve specimen adequacy by suspending cervical cells in a liquid solution. The solution is applied to the slide so that the cells form a thin layer, theoretically making it easier to successfully evaluate cervical cells. Automated Pap testing (such as PAPNET® and AutoPap®) attempts to reduce laboratory interpretation errors by using computerized analysis to evaluate Pap smear slides. This type of technology highlights potentially abnormal cervical cells, which are then analyzed by cytotechnicians. Source: Program for Appropriate Technology in Health
30 • WOMAN TO WOMAN WITH JOANNE: THE MAGAZINE • January 2017
Baked Pork Chops and Hoppin’ John BY CHEF NATE COLEMAN
For Hoppin’ John: Black eyed peas: 1 lb. fresh black eyed peas. soaked in water overnight 1 lb. smoked hamhock or slab bacon 1 cup yellow onion, chopped 1 cup chopped celery 1 bay leaf 1/4 tsp allspice
The new year would not start off right without two things: Resolutions to become healthier, and a heaping spoonful of black eyed peas for good luck. This Hoppin’ John recipe is full of flavor and may even boost your luck with the right special someone.
Drain peas and put them in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add hamhock (or if using slab bacon, cut it into two-inch chunks), cover with 10 cups water and turn heat to high. Add salt, onion, celery, bay leaf, black pepper and allspice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Skim off and discard any foam that rises to the surface. Simmer for 1 1/2 to two hours until peas are tender. Throughout cooking, add water as necessary, always keeping the liquid level one inch above the surface, stirring with a wooden spoon occasionally. Turn off heat. Check broth for salt and adjust seasoning. Mixture should be fairly brothy. With a pair of tongs, remove hamhock or bacon. Rice: 2 cups of cooked white rice. For pork chops: 1 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp lemon juice 2 tbsp brown sugar 2 tbsp ketchup 6 pork chops In a small bowl, thoroughly blend soy sauce, vegetable oil, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar and ketchup. Place pork chops in a medium baking dish and spread with half the sauce. Bake pork chops for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Turn over and spread with remaining sauce. Continue baking for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chops reaches 145 degrees F. BACKGROUND PHOTO CREDIT: GRAPHICSTOCK
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