FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 16, 2021
Black Health and WCNY Town Hall virtual event now available online
WCNY, Central New York’s community-owned flagship public broadcaster, in partnership with Black Health presented a live virtual town hall event on Wednesday, March 3 to provide information about the COVID-19 vaccine. The goal of the Town Hall was to facilitate a conversation to dispel myths and misconceptions about the COVID vaccine. The event was sponsored by Excellus.
The Town Hall was facilitated by Helen Hudson, City of Syracuse Common Council President. Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens of the City of Syracuse Mayors Office was a panelist.
The community was invited to ask questions during an “Ask the Doctors” segment featuring Dr. Darrel Dykes and Dr. Sharon Brangman.
Highlights from the Town Hall have been used to create a special TV program to air on WCNY-TV in March, April, and May. Visit wcny.org/blackhealthtownhall/ for more information and to access the Zoom event link.
Viewing Information and Resources
- The Town Hall TV program schedule will be posted at wcny.org/wheretowatch
- Coronavirus resources and COVID-19 vaccine information available at org/blackhealthtownhall
- The recording of the virtual event will also be posted following the event at wcny.org/blackhealthtownhall
About Black Health
The National Black Leadership Commission on Health (Black Health) champions the promotion of health and prevention of diseases to reduce disparities and achieve equity within the black community. Black Health responds to the impact of public policies on the communities we serve, with an aim to reduce health disparities and promote equity, and we serve as a bridge between legislators and their constituents.
Its policy and advocacy activities include community mobilization and capacity building, public education and awareness campaigns, voter registration events, civic engagement initiatives, and developing youth as leaders in their communities.
Further, they employ the social determinants of health framework not only to intervene on behalf of individuals, but also on behalf of their communities while also addressing the impact of factors such as housing, nutrition, education, employment, the built environment, socioeconomic status, and the social conditions of the environment (e.g., racism, discrimination, bias) on population health and quality of life outcomes.
About WCNY
WCNY was founded in 1965 as The Educational Television Council of Central New York. Today, it is a community-owned media company that produces content across multiple platforms, including television and radio programs, dynamic web and targeted email content, the WCNY CONNECT member magazine, and social media. Through online stream technology, WCNY has a global broadcast audience of viewers and listeners throughout the United States and 17 countries. WCNY operates five digital, pledge-free broadcast channels and three radio stations. Towers are located in Watertown and Utica, and WCNY’s radio programming extends into Canada. Classic FM is one of a few radio stations in the world dedicated to locally programmed classical music.
Educational services include the TV Classroom Network, workshops; a 10,000 square-foot building with dedicated Education Center; Read Out, a radio reading service for the visually impaired; Enterprise America for middle school students; and a media and marketing communications program for high school students.
WCNY is LEED® Platinum Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, the highest certification level achievable in Leadership, Energy & Environmental Design. Other achievements include “Business of the Year” in the nonprofit category in 2014 by CenterState CEO.
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