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When Mary Green first decided to organize an expo just for black women 28 years ago, she never imagined it would become such a huge success.
Working as the promotions director for radio station V103, she often organized events aimed at connecting businesses with black customers. In that job, she saw an opportunity to create an event exclusively for black women and founded the first Black Women’s Expo in 1993.
The 27th annual Black Women’s Expo took place this weekend, with more than 400 booths at McCormick Place selling products ranging from business advice to hair care tips and clothing to insurance. Exhibit sponsors include JP Morgan Chase, Walgreens and Verizon.
“When the Expo started, we knew we were going to hit something. At the first expo, women filled the lobby and returned year after year,” said Green. “This event really empowers women and gives them a chance to meet people and learn about things like growing their businesses and creating a community.”
From Friday to Sunday, attendees explored numerous exhibits and participated in sessions covering topics including health equity, business and funding to promote mental well-being.
“This expo not only gives women information, but also confidence,” said Green. “Women come up to me and thank me for doing this and tell me it has changed their lives.
Greene said she aims to make the expo accessible to anyone. Discount tickets are available at Walgreens, and many of the exhibitors had booths at the expo for the first time, Green said.
One of Sunday’s sessions included a discussion about black women’s health care, specifically related to gynecology and breast and colon cancer.
Much of the discussion has focused on empowering black women to be their own advocates in the health care system, especially if doctors don’t take their concerns seriously.
“In this day and age of accounting and empowerment for black women … we need to make sure we’re also in our health,” said health care executive Ramona Burruss, who chaired the panel. “We’re always going to be in that position, but that means we’re going to put ourselves last.”
One of the panelists is Donna Christian-Harris, a breast cancer specialist at the Medical Center of Chicago and a nurse practitioner who works with patients on “survivorship.”
She helps breast cancer patients in remission access all of their records, stay up-to-date with other routine care, and check in regularly for any cancer recurrences.
“I’ve had a lot of patients who were told they didn’t listen by the doctors and burned out,” Sandra Laveaux, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist at the University of Chicago, said during the interview.
“It’s so important to find a doctor who really listens and listens when you tell them that something is off, something is wrong. But I know this will be difficult to achieve.
Colon cancer survivor Candace Henley talks about what it was like to be diagnosed and the struggles she faced afterward.
Henley was misdiagnosed for six months before she was diagnosed with colon cancer. After a third trip to the emergency room, an emergency colonoscopy found a wine-sized tumor on her colon.
But after recovering from cancer, Henley said she was unable to work because of the financial pressures that followed. She was unable to work as a bus driver for the CTA. She had five daughters to support.
“I became invisible to the health care system,” Henley said.
Henley now works with the Blue Hat Foundation, a local group that helps colon cancer patients and their families.
“We have to tell ourselves, we have to say we are not safe today,” Henley said. “We have power we don’t know we have.”
Sandra Davis, a real estate broker and financial advisor, was in the audience and said she was particularly inspired by Henley’s story.
“After hearing all about her financial struggles, I now want to develop education about health care finances to help people who may be dealing with those issues,” Davis said.
Davis attended the expo to promote her business Wealth Equity, Wealth Justice.
“It’s been amazing, exploring the booths and coming to these sessions and hearing real stories from real women,” Davis said.
“It was inspiring and encouraging. And I learned some great information to help me and grow my business.
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