Artivists for Health: Diabetes in Color @ Turkey Thicket

Artivists for Health: Diabetes in Color is a free, innovative public health initiative that blends creative practice with education, prevention, and management of Type 2 diabetes. Led by the nonprofit Social Art and Culture, the program launches during National Nutrition Month in March, as a pilot in Washington, D.C., covering Wards 5, 7, and 8. It links wellness, culture, and evidence-based care to encourage sustainable health behaviors in communities of color. The Creative Care Approach: Diabetes in Color features Creative Care Sessions, art activations led by artists that enhance traditional public health education through social prescribing.

Benefits include better glucose control, reduced stress and stigma, and a shift in public perception from a clinical approach to a holistic, human-centered one.

Evidence-Informed and Community-Driven: The program is supported by research and evaluation in partnership with the Georgetown University Stress, Health, and Development Lab, which studies how lived experiences influence long-term health. It also collaborates with Whitman-Walker Health, a Washington, DC, trusted community provider with over fifty years of leadership in inclusive care. These partnerships ensure the program combines scientific insights with cultural relevance and community trust.

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Host or Publisher Social Art and Culture + Think Local First DC