Waist Deep in Trouble
02 Dec 2014
The blizzard of ’78 was tumultuous in Boston, and it also represented a tumultuous time in health for the Roxbury community in Boston. There was little access to healthy fruits and vegetables, and people of color were being diagnosed with Type II diabetes in shocking numbers. Al Whitaker contrasts the season of chaos in Roxbury with his own personal struggle with diabetes. The Greater Boston Alliance hosted a month-long campaign to inform the Roxbury community about diabetes and prevention. Now, Whitaker says this time with Aligning Forces represents a “season of health,” the harvest time, for the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. “Diabetes is not just a little touch of sugar,” he said.
Al Whitaker is the director of community initiatives at the American Diabetes Association.