Barbara Jordan Conference Center at KFF

This interactive conversation brings together the most pressing health issues facing both women and men—while centering the tools and confidence needed to advocate for your own care. From prenatal health to menopause, from prostate and testicular cancer to diabetes, and from sexual health to heart and elder care, the panel addresses the full spectrum of concerns across the lifespan.

Drawing on the real stories of front-line medical experts and community leaders, this session tackles both the science and the stigma, highlighting the disproportionate burdens Black communities face and offering practical strategies for prevention, early detection, and whole-person wellness. Above all, it’s about breaking silence, removing barriers, and ensuring that every person can access the care they want and need—body, mind, and spirit.

Moderator

• Linda Goler Blount, President and CEO of Community Catalyst

Panelists

• Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association
• Dr. Stephen Thomas- Professor, Health Policy and Management, Director, Center for Health Equity, University of Maryland School of Public Health
• Dr. Sharon Malone, Ob/Gyn, Chief Medical Advisor of Alloy Women's Health
• Dr. Tamara Wilds Lawson, President and CEO of the Washington Area Women’s Foundation

This program will explore the elements of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Amendments, focusing on key definitions, terminology, and the broad scope of what constitutes disability today. We will examine how this landmark legislation has evolved to better protect individuals with disabilities - and how it has not - using real-world examples. Panelists will discuss the proposed bill: Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act and how they aim to address persistent gaps in care for all people with disabilities in rural and underserved urban communities.

Curated by Dara Baldwin, this session offers actionable ways for citizens to support inclusive legislation.

Speakers

• Dara Baldwin: author of To Be a Problem: A Black Woman's Survival in the Racist Disability Rights Movement
• Dr. Jamila Perritt: President & CEO, Physicians for Reproductive Health
• Chakir’ C. Underdown, Esq, PMP

An Intro to ASL Workshop, in partnership with Interpret This!, on the history and fundamentals of American Sign Language.

Speakers

• JaRon Gilchrist: Owner, Interpret This!