Kym Whitley and Yvette Nicole Brown to Lead Brain Health Conversation at First Ladies Health Initiative Luncheon

The First Ladies Health Initiative (FLHI) is bringing an important conversation about brain health, caregiving and prevention to Marina del Rey this weekend, with Emmy-nominated actresses Kym Whitley and Yvette Nicole Brown helping lead the discussion.

Whitley, known for projects including Act Your Age and Raising Whitley, and Brown, whose credits include Community, Act Your Age and The Mayor, will speak during FLHI’s Leaders Summit Luncheon, “Mindful of the Memories: A Path to Better Brain Health,” on Saturday, September 19 at 11:00 a.m. at The Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey.

The actresses will participate in a fireside chat addressing Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and the realities of caregiving. Dr. Shalonda “Sunshine” Crawford, Co-Pastor of Experience Christian Ministries, will moderate the conversation.

For both women, the subject is deeply personal.

According to FLHI, Whitley and Brown were selected in part because both have experience as full-time caregivers for their fathers while simultaneously managing demanding careers. Their conversation will explore those experiences while examining the support needed by families navigating Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

“Alzheimer’s disease has a devastating impact on the African American community, where individuals are approximately twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia,” FLHI Co-Executive Director Marquisé Alston-Allison said in announcing the program.

The luncheon comes just two days before World Alzheimer’s Day on September 21, adding significance to a conversation designed to bring brain health education directly into the community.

Taking a Prevention-First Approach

The event is also part of a broader effort by FLHI to connect faith communities with health education.

FLHI has partnered with the INSPIRE-Faith program at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, led by neurologists Drs. Dean and Ayesha Sherzai, authors of The 30-Day Alzheimer’s Solution and The Alzheimer’s Solution.

The initiative focuses on lifestyle factors including nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management and social connection as components of brain health.

The program also emphasizes the connection between brain and overall health, with habits that support the brain potentially benefiting cardiovascular and metabolic health as well.

Rather than limiting those conversations to doctors’ offices, INSPIRE-Faith brings a prevention-focused approach into community and faith-based spaces.

Celebrating Legacy While Looking Forward

Radio personality Aundrae Russell of 102.3 KJLH FM will serve as emcee for the luncheon, with recording artist David Daughtry providing musical performances.

The afternoon will also include moments of remembrance and recognition.

FLHI will honor its founding president, Tracey Alston, who passed away last year, with a special tribute. Dr. Betty Ruth Price, former First Lady, co-founder and matriarch of Crenshaw Christian Center, will also be honored.

The gathering arrives during another significant chapter for the organization.

FLHI was recently selected as one of 10 organizations receiving support through the Obama Foundation’s Girls Opportunity Alliance, which announced $500,000 in grants to organizations working to empower girls.

Today, FLHI is led by second-generation Co-Executive Directors Marquisé Alston-Allison and Taylor Alston-Cleveland, alongside Co-Founder and National Chair Jamell Meeks of Salem Baptist Church in Chicago and Los Angeles Chair Dr. Shalonda “Sunshine” Crawford.

Community, Care and Conversation

For FLHI, “Mindful of the Memories” represents more than a luncheon.

By bringing together entertainment figures with personal caregiving experiences, medical expertise, faith leadership and community members, the organization is creating space for conversations families may otherwise struggle to have.

And with Whitley and Brown sharing experiences from their own lives, the conversation places a human face on an issue affecting families far beyond the walls of the Ritz-Carlton.

On September 19, the focus will be not only on remembering those affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia, but on providing communities with information that may help them think differently about brain health, prevention, caregiving and the importance of caring for the caregivers themselves.