Legal Doesn’t Mean Harmless: What a New Johns Hopkins Study Is Telling Us About Cannabis, Young People, and New York’s Future
By the Numbers
Nearly 700,000 medical records analyzed.
49,586 youth records included participants 17 and younger.
Young people with cannabis use disorder had:
52% higher risk of schizophrenia
30%...
On Juneteenth, Community Leaders Confront Men’s Mental Health Crisis at Macedonia Baptist Church
Forum Encourages Men to Break the Silence and Seek Healing
MOUNT VERNON, NY — While much of the nation celebrated Juneteenth by reflecting on freedom,...
Black Men’s Health: Where Faith, Mindset, and Medicine Meet
A psychiatrist and minister on why Black men carry their health alone, and the three questions that change it.
Patient stories are composites; identifying details...
Why Mindfulness Feels Different for Black Men
Before mindfulness can work, the nervous system has to feel safe.
A few years ago, I was sitting in an interdisciplinary meeting at a hospital...
Sleep Deprivation in Black Communities: When Exhaustion Becomes a Measure of Worth by Derek H. Suite, M.D., M.S.
What generational beliefs about rest are doing to Black health — and what can change
A patient I'll call Marie was in her mid-forties, raising...
Global Pulse: Voices of Progress Podcast Premiering April 13, 2026 in commemoration of Black Maternal Health Week
Sister to Sister International (STSI), led by founder Dr. Cheryl Brannan, proudly announces the debut of its groundbreaking new podcast and a spotlight on...
Earth Month Is Not a Moment, It Is a Movement
April is recognized as Earth Month, but for the Environmental Leaders of Color (ELOC), this is not about recognition. It is about responsibility.
Because environmental...
Why Black Women Aren’t Sleeping, Her Body Never Got the All-Clear Signal: The Science of Hypervigilance, Stress & Reclaiming Rest
It is 6:47 in the evening when Melissa walks through her front door. She is 52 years old, an administrative coordinator at a nonprofit...
The Stress Reset Your Grandmother Already Knew: How Gratitude Rewires Sleep and Resilience By Derek H. Suite, M.D.
A lot of us are carrying a kind of tired that sleep hasn't touched in years. The kind of tired you feel behind your...
Westchester Leaders Confront Asthma Crisis in Black Communities at Mount Vernon Forum
Mount Vernon, NY — November 7, 2025 — Community members, health professionals, and local leaders gathered Thursday evening at Westchester Community College’s Mount Vernon Extension...
Fourteen Years in the Fog By Dr. Derek H. Suite, M.D.
The Car Is Empty When the Conductor Finds Her — Again
“Grand Central, miss.”
Lauren Thomas jolts awake—same conductor, same gentle tap on her shoulder, same fog...
Mount Vernon’s Dirty Secret: Toxic Smoke and Black Political Neglect
For years, a silent environmental crime has been unfolding in Mount Vernon, New York. Residents have witnessed a continuous plume of smoke rising from...
STSI’s Westchester Black Maternal & Child Center of Excellence Celebrates TeamBirth Launch at St. John’s Riverside Hospital in Yonkers
Community Leaders, Healthcare Professionals, and Advocates Unite to Advance Safe, Equitable, and Respectful Maternal Care
Dr. Cheryl Brannan, founder of Sister to Sister International (STSI)...
Autism, The Politics of Health, and the Questions No One Wants to Answer
When Donald Trump warned against Tylenol use during pregnancy, critics called it reckless. When Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. followed with a sweeping...
The Hypocrisy of Mental Health Policy and the Cost to Black America
According to the World Health Organization, over one billion people worldwide are living with mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. That number...
From Sugar to Strength: How SNAP Soda Bans Can Improve Black Health Outcomes
As of January 2026, several states will begin banning the purchase of soda, candy, and other junk foods with SNAP benefits. While the move...
Sweet Talk and Hard Truths: Trump’s Coke Deal vs. RFK’s Real Reform
We live in an era where public announcements often camouflage the real motives behind corporate behavior. Former President Donald Trump’s recent claim that he...
From Neglect to Nutrition: The Political Fight to Save Black Health
For decades, America has treated health care like a response unit—rushing to patch up what poor food, polluted environments, and preventable diseases have already...
SNAP Isn’t Gone—But You’ve Got to Show Up: What New Yorkers Need to Know About the New Work Rules
While headlines across the country scream about massive food stamp cuts and families being thrown off assistance, let’s be clear about one thing: New York...
The National Farm Security Plan: What Does It Mean for Black America and Black Farmers?
The National Farm Security Plan: What Does It Mean for Black America and Black Farmers?
The USDA just launched a National Farm Security Action Plan,...
