Tara Robinson had three heart attacks before she turned 40 — now, her nonprofit, Black Heart Association, is offering free health screening to address the reality that Black communities in the U.S. face disproportionately higher risk of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure.
“Heart disease continues to be the number one killer of all people, even over all cancers combined,” Robinson told WTOP. “The most dangerous thing about it is that you can’t see it — it’s like air.”
According to the American Heart Association’s 2026 numbers, while 48.9% of all U.S. adults have cardiovascular disease, 63% of Black males, and 59.5% of Black females have cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke and high blood pressure.
Robinson, who co-founded BHA with her husband, Frederick, will be offering free screenings Thursday and Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation‘s annual legislative conference at the D.C. convention facility. The screenings will take place at the BLKHLTH Booth #664.
As for why Black people are at increased risk of heart disease and stroke, Robinson said it’s a mélange of factors, including stress and diet.
“As Black Americans, we carry a lot of worry and concern, whether it’s racism, or bias, whatever we’re facing,” said Robinson.
“Then, you also go to our culture — we’re a lovable culture, we love to love on our families, and we do that through food, our comfort food,” she said.
“I think it’s a combination of things we’re facing in our community, from access to, and systemic injustice in the healthcare system, to the cost of healthcare, and the list goes on and on, unfortunately,” she said.
In poorer communities, it may be difficult to exercise safely.
“A lot of communities don’t have walking trails or paths, or gyms,” said Robinson. While the importance of exercise is well known, in some cases “we don’t have access to those things, so it’s not as easy as you just telling me.”
The American Heart Association’s 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistical Update said “Black Americans suffer some of the worst CVD (cardiovascular disease) outcomes, likely due to the increasing prevalence of health risk factors that lead to CVD.”
Robinson said the goal of the screening is to “make sure people are aware of where they stand, as far s their inherited risk of ever having a heart attack or stroke in their life.”
Her organization attempts to meet the Black community in non-traditional situations, including at the conference.
“These events matter, because now we get to talk health in a different way, in a way that’s more relatable to our people,” said Robinson. “We want people to show up so that we can prevent something from happening — prevention over treatment is the key.”
WTOP’s Acacia James contributed to this report.
IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2026 2026-09-17 13:41:35
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