Part 2 of 2

By Clifford L. Williams

“Everyone ages,” as noted by BlackDoctor.org (BD). The longer you live on Earth, the more you will notice how things change – including your body and mind.

Aging is a natural process of our lives, according to BD. As we age, we experience gradual changes to our brains and bodies. Some of these changes affect our physical and mental abilities and may increase our risk of disease.

Each one of us experiences aging differently. The extent of how we experience changes due to aging, and the point in our lives when they start becoming more noticeable, varies from person to person.

As we grow older, it’s natural to feel concern about changes in our mental abilities. We want to carry out our daily routines, be self-sufficient and relive the most treasured moments of our lives – without having to worry about our memory and dementia.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) almost 40% of us will experience some form of memory loss after we turn 65 years old.

But even if we experience memory loss, chances are still unlikely that we have dementia. For the most part, our memory loss is mild enough that we can still live our day-to-day lives without interruption.

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The WHO estimates that, after we turn 60 years old, 5% to 8% of us will live with dementia at some point. With dementia, symptoms including memory loss gradually worsen to the point where our abilities seriously deteriorate, and we are no longer able to take care of ourselves.

But dementia and Alzheimer’s are not the same. Dementia is a collection of symptoms, while Alzheimer’s is disease of the brain. It is the top neurodegenerative disorder in the world. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 5.8 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s in the United States.

Early Signs of Alzheimer’s to Look Out For:

• Difficulty finding words, vision or spatial issues, and impaired judgment or reasoning
• Stuttering or halting speech, difficulty recalling words, or using substitutes for words
• Difficulty paying bills, cooking, or following a recipe
• Losing track of dates, getting lost in a familiar place, or having trouble understanding an event that’s happening later
• Becoming more easily upset, feeling depressed, scared, or anxious, or being suspicious of people
• Scaling back on projects at work, becoming less involved with hobbies, or lacking motivation

When it comes to enhancing our memory and cognitive abilities, engaging in brain games is an effective and enjoyable approach. Not only do these games provide entertainment, but they also stimulate various areas of the brain, leading to improved memory.

According to HealthDay News, a new drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In clinical trials, donanemab (Kisunla), modestly slowed the decline in thinking among patients in the early stages of the disease.

With a diagnosis of dementia and seeking information about that illness, it can be both overwhelming and emotional. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed early, there is hope. You can plan for your care before your symptoms accelerate.

To Our Readers:

For information on other health-related issues regarding men’s health, please share your thoughts and/or concerns with the Post Newspaper Group editorial staff.

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By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Senior National Correspondent

Calling for continued economic action and community solidarity, Dr. Jamal H. Bryant launched the second phase of the national boycott against retail giant Target this week at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta. Surrounded by civil rights leaders, economists, educators, and activists, Bryant declared the Black community’s power to hold corporations accountable for broken promises. “They said they were going to invest in Black communities. They said it — not us,” Bryant told the packed sanctuary. “Now they want to break those promises quietly. That ends tonight.” The town hall marked the conclusion of Bryant’s 40-day “Target fast,” initiated on March 3 after Target pulled back its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) commitments. Among those was a public pledge to spend $2 billion with Black-owned businesses by 2025—a pledge Bryant said was made voluntarily in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020.“No company would dare do to the Jewish or Asian communities what they’ve done to us,” Bryant said. “They think they can get away with it. But not this time.”

The evening featured voices from national movements, including civil rights icon and National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President & CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., who reinforced the need for sustained consciousness and collective media engagement. The NNPA is the trade association of the 250 African American newspapers and media companies known as The Black Press of America. “On the front page of all of our papers this week will be the announcement that the boycott continues all over the United States,” said Chavis. “I would hope that everyone would subscribe to a Black newspaper, a Black-owned newspaper, subscribe to an economic development program — because the consciousness that we need has to be constantly fed.” Chavis warned against the bombardment of negativity and urged the community to stay engaged beyond single events. “You can come to an event and get that consciousness and then lose it tomorrow,” he said. “We’re bombarded with all of the disgust and hopelessness. But I believe that starting tonight, going forward, we should be more conscious about how we help one another.”

He added, “We can attain and gain a lot more ground even during this period if we turn to each other rather than turning on each other.” Other speakers included Tamika Mallory, Dr. David Johns, Dr. Rashad Richey, educator Dr. Karri Bryant, and U.S. Black Chambers President Ron Busby. Each speaker echoed Bryant’s demand that economic protests be paired with reinvestment in Black businesses and communities. “We are the moral consciousness of this country,” Bryant said. “When we move, the whole nation moves.” Sixteen-year-old William Moore Jr., the youngest attendee, captured the crowd with a challenge to reach younger generations through social media and direct engagement. “If we want to grow this movement, we have to push this narrative in a way that connects,” he said.

Dr. Johns stressed reclaiming cultural identity and resisting systems designed to keep communities uninformed and divided. “We don’t need validation from corporations. We need to teach our children who they are and support each other with love,” he said. Busby directed attendees to platforms like ByBlack.us, a digital directory of over 150,000 Black-owned businesses, encouraging them to shift their dollars from corporations like Target to Black enterprises. Bryant closed by urging the audience to register at targetfast.org, which will soon be renamed to reflect the expanding boycott movement. “They played on our sympathies in 2020. But now we know better,” Bryant said. “And now, we move.”

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