Government
The Fight to Close the Racial Health Gap Just Got Harder
Repealing the ACA could eliminate groundbreaking initiatives that ease urban health disparities. Bronx Health Reach is one.
Midway through services on a Sunday morning in March, the congregants of the Cosmopolitan Church of the Lord Jesus rise from the pews, lift their hands, punch the air, and sway from side to side.
They’re not praying: These West Bronx churchgoers—mostly older black women, many in bright wool jackets and fur-trimmed hats—are taking an exercise break. For ten minutes, the parishioners twist their torsos (12 repetitions each) and march in place. Soon, the pastel-colored windows have faintly fogged from their exertions. “Spiritual health may be our priority, but we are also charged by God to be good stewards of our bodies,” says Susan Mendoza, the trim 57-year-old who’s been leading the breaks for the past year.