Walking for causes greater than ourselves

By Laila Muhammad | Last updated: May 29, 2013 - 12:04:17 PM

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” ~Mahatma Ghandi

As the weather warms up, flowers are blooming; the death of winter has left us, and now is the time to start fresh. Spring has finally arrived; we have more daylight hours, to work, to garden, to be productive.

We also have to be proactive about our health. It’s never too late to start. All over the country men, women and children have begun to walk for cures to end conditions that plague our nation as a whole. Be it sickle cell disease, diabetes, breast cancer, premature births, or even the loss of a child.

In crowds of hundreds, and in some cities thousands, people have come together to make a statement, to say we can be greater than the illnesses or diseases that affect us, and hopefully in the near future we can rid the world of these ills. The Hon. Elijah Muhammad said that “the hereafter for my followers is now.” So yes, we believe as the scripture says that in the hereafter that there will be no more sickness, pain, or unnatural death.

Participants of the walk gather shortly before the walk in Chicago, IL. Photo: Badriyyah Al-Islam

We have to take the necessary steps to eradicate disease. And it starts with us as individuals, then our families, our communities and continues to expand throughout the Nation. A few women and sisters in various cities around the Nation got together, decided to do some community service, and helped raise money to support national causes like the Lupus Foundation, March of Dimes, breast cancer walks, and plan to do more as the weeks progress.

Most of us have had the unfortunate experience of losing a loved one to diseases when early detection and treatment perhaps could have saved lives. With advanced technology, good food, and the ability to exercise, there is hardly any reason most of us shouldn’t be living full lives.

Sign of butterflies with babies names

I never met my paternal grandmother; my parents told me she had a voice similar to Billie Holliday. She was a beautiful woman, but she died the year I was born from breast cancer. That was almost 31 years ago, but every day I wonder how will this affect me? I’m at a higher risk for developing breast cancer myself, so I do routine exams in hopes of preventing and or recognizing any signs and symptoms in hopes of not becoming a statistic.

Badriyyah and her husband Fard Al-Islam in Chicago earlier this year lost their son Sharif Ali Muhammad who was born prematurely. They were able to spend some time with him, until he was returned to Allah. In efforts to remember the couple’s son, and to allow Believers in Chicago to do the same, Sis. Badriyyah asked us to participate in the annual March of Dimes walk for babies, holding a beautiful sign that she created. Her sign remembered her son and included the names of other families babies we’ve lost, also the names of preemies who are now going strong. We honored their memories, and their futures.

Participants walked in honor of Sis. Sandra Muhammad who is battling with Lupus in Atlanta, GA. Photo: Badriyyah Al-Islam

In Atlanta, sisters wore matching colors and participated in a Lupus Walk April 27. They wanted the Nation to know these health issues affect everyone, but plague Black folks in particular. It’s not too late to join a walk or support a foundation, in your local area. Anne Frank said it best: “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” Be it for health reasons, or to take a stand against sickness, I urge you to do something. Remember as the ancient physician Hippocrates said, “Walking is a man’s best medicine.”

This article was written by Sis. Laila Muhammad. She is a Final Call production assistant, writer and videographer based in Chicago.

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