Association of Black Cardiologists Names 2026 Spirit of the Heart Honorees

For 16 years, the Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC) has used its Spirit of the Heart celebration to answer a question that matters more than any statistic: who is actually changing outcomes for the patients who need it most? This year's five honorees answer it in five separate ways.

"The contributions of the honorees demonstrate that advancing heart health requires more than scientific discovery alone," said Icilma Fergus, MD, Awards Program Co-Chair and ABC Board Chair. "It requires leaders who teach and mentor, organizations that bring research closer to the communities it is meant to serve, and partners willing to invest in better health outcomes. These honorees reflect the many ways meaningful change happens in cardiovascular health. ABC is proud to recognize these remarkable individuals and organizations and the lasting impact of their work."

The 16th Annual Spirit of the Heart Awards Program & Fundraiser will take place Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. Additional event details and ticket information are available at abcardioevents.org.

Celebrating the 2026 Spirit of the Heart Honorees

Distinguished Leadership Award
Anekwe E. Onwuanyi, MD, and Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley, MD, MPH

ABC's Distinguished Leadership Award recognizes individuals whose careers reflect exceptional achievement in cardiology through teaching, mentorship, research, and administrative leadership.

Dr. Anekwe E. Onwuanyi, Chief of Cardiology at Morehouse School of Medicine, has distinguished himself through clinical leadership, program development, and mentorship, including establishing a comprehensive heart failure program within a public hospital setting and helping build the Morehouse School of Medicine Cardiology Fellowship Program. As ABC President from 2022 to 2024, he also helped expand the Association's reach through the creation of the Heart Failure and Global Health Committees.

Dr. Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley, an Earl Stadtman Investigator and Chief of the Social Determinants of Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health, has built an influential body of work — more than 90 peer-reviewed publications and over 13,000 scholarly citations — examining the connections among social determinants of health, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Her mentorship of more than fifty research fellows has helped translate that discovery into public health impact in the communities most affected by it.

Dr. Walter M. Booker Sr. Health Promotion Award
Georgia Arrhythmia Consultants & Research Institute (GACRI)

Named in honor of Dr. Walter M. Booker Sr., one of ABC's 18 founding members and a pioneer in the field, the Dr. Walter M. Booker Sr. Health Promotion Award recognizes organizations whose leadership, innovation and commitment to health promotion have created meaningful, lasting change in the communities they serve.

Georgia Arrhythmia Consultants & Research Institute (GACRI) brings that same spirit directly to Middle Georgia. Through the Georgia Arrhythmia Foundation, founded by GACRI physicians Dr. Felix Sogade and Dr. Joseph Poku, the organization has built a sustained grassroots effort to reduce death and disability from sudden cardiac arrest, anchored by its annual SCARE (Sudden Cardiac Arrest Research and Education) 5K. For 16 years, GACRI has also supported public education, CPR and AED training, and AED placement in schools, youth sports organizations and public spaces — work that extends internationally through the Africa Heart Rhythm Association, which the founders also established to strengthen electrophysiology education and clinical capacity across Africa.

Health Equity Award
Flourish Research

The Health Equity Award recognizes individuals and organizations that develop meaningful solutions to improve health outcomes and expand access to healthcare resources for populations most affected by health disparities.

Flourish Research is honored for strengthening clinical research by expanding opportunities within the communities where patients already live and receive care — placing diverse investigators and research opportunities closer to trusted healthcare providers rather than recruiting patients into unfamiliar settings. Across more than two dozen sites nationwide, 52% of Flourish's patient database and 62% of its employees self-identify as belonging to underrepresented communities, and its Boca Raton site has achieved a 97% retention rate in complex, long-term cardiovascular outcomes trials. Flourish sites have also contributed to major research milestones, including enrolling the first patient globally in a landmark cardiovascular outcomes trial spanning 388 sites in forty-two countries.

Spirit of the Heart Award
Merck

One of ABC's highest honors, the Spirit of the Heart Award, recognizes organizations whose excellence in cardiovascular health, community engagement, leadership, advocacy, and innovation has made a lasting impact on patients and communities alike.

Merck's recognition reflects a partnership with ABC spanning more than four decades, built on a shared investment in scientific advancement, education, and community engagement. From its cardiovascular research legacy to its support for emerging investigators through the ACC/ABC/Merck Research Fellowship Award, Merck has backed both the science and the people advancing cardiovascular medicine. That partnership continues today through Merck for Mothers, which supports ABC's maternal cardiovascular health work in communities with significant unmet need.

More Than a Night of Recognition

The Spirit of the Heart Awards Program & Fundraiser is more than an evening of celebration — it directly funds ABC's ongoing work in cardiovascular education, research, advocacy, community outreach, and prevention. In the coming weeks, ABC will also announce this year's recipients of its medical student scholarships and EP Fellowship Support Awards, continuing its investment in the next generation of cardiovascular professionals. Together, this year's honorees and awardees embody the spirit of ABC's 2026 theme, "Honoring Our Legacy, Shaping the Future of Health."

"Spirit of the Heart reminds us that progress is built by people who are willing to lead, teach, innovate and serve," said Barbara A. Hutchinson, MD, PhD, Awards Program Co-Chair and Past ABC Board Chair. "We are honored to celebrate this year's recipients and grateful for the opportunity to bring our members, partners, supporters and friends together around the day-to-day work of making every heart count."

About the Association of Black Cardiologists

Founded on the belief that every heart counts, ABC is dedicated to promoting the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease and achieving health equity for all through the elimination of disparities. Membership is open to all, regardless of race, ethnicity, or vocation. Through education, advocacy, research, patient and community outreach, and leadership development, ABC works to improve cardiovascular health and expand access to exemplary care for all communities. For more information, visit www.abcardio.org.

BEYONCÉ MAKES A $2 MILLION GIFT TO THE STUDIO MUSEUM IN HARLEM

To mark her birthday today, global entertainer, entrepreneur and art collector, Beyoncé, makes a $2 million gift to the renowned Studio Museum in Harlem. Founded in 1968, the New York City cultural institution is the nexus for artists of African descent locally, nationally, and internationally and for work that has been inspired and influenced by Black culture. Beyoncé has long been an art collector and a true fan of the Museum's mission of promoting multiple generations of artists of the African diaspora. 

"Art tells all our stories; the past and the present, but is not always accessible to everyone," says Beyoncé. "I have always been impressed with the Studio Museum in Harlem because of its intention to make the museum an integral part of the community. I have been introduced to several of my favorite young and upcoming Black artists through exhibits at the Museum. It is a place of inspiration where all audiences can discover new stories through the canvases of diverse storytellers that reflect our humanity."

Thelma Golden, Ford Foundation Director and Chief Curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem, said, "I am deeply grateful to Beyoncé, both for the generosity of this gift, especially on her birthday, and for recognizing the vital role that the Studio Museum plays in people's lives. Our institution was founded to shift the arts landscape and reimagine who that landscape serves. This gift will allow us to continue strengthening our work for Harlemites, New Yorkers, and audiences across the globe." 

About the Studio Museum in Harlem
Founded in 1968 by a diverse group of artists, community activists, and philanthropists, the Studio Museum in Harlem is internationally known for its catalytic role in promoting the work of artists of African descent. The Studio Museum's new home, situated at its longtime location on West 125th Street, opened to the public on November 15, 2025. Designed by Adjaye Associates with Cooper Robertson serving as executive architect, the building—the first created expressly for the institution's program—enables the Studio Museum to better serve a growing and diverse audience, provide additional educational opportunities for people of all ages, expand its program of world-renowned exhibitions, effectively display its singular collection, and strengthen its trailblazing Artist-in-Residence program.

For more information, visit studiomuseum.org.

Visitor Information 
The Studio Museum in Harlem is located at 144 West 125th Street, between Malcolm X Boulevard (Lenox Avenue) and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard (Seventh Avenue). 

The Studio Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, with extended hours on Friday, from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm.

The Museum is open to Members on Saturday mornings, from 10:00 to 11:00 am, before the galleries open to the public.

Admission rates are offered as a suggestion, with Sundays free for everyone. Suggested rates are $16 for adults and $9 for seniors (sixty-five years and over), students, and visitors with disabilities (care partners are free). Admission is free for children sixteen and under. 

Tickets to the Studio Museum may be purchased online at studiomuseum.org/visit or at the Museum.

American Red Cross and NAACP announce new documentary honoring the father of blood banking, Dr. Charles R. Drew

The American Red Cross and the NAACP will premiere Iconic Excellence: The Legacy of Dr. Charles R. Drew, a new documentary honoring the father of blood banking, Sept. 18 on the American Red Cross YouTube channel. The short film highlights Drew's revolutionary breakthroughs in blood plasma preservation, which saved hundreds of thousands of lives during World War II and pioneered modern methods for collecting, preserving and distributing blood.

A LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE
Produced by the Red Cross in collaboration with Drew's family, the NAACP and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., the documentary offers an intimate portrait of Drew's drive and leadership, tracing his path from his childhood in Washington, D.C., to global prominence as a Black surgeon, educator and champion for inclusivity in medicine. Beyond the science, the film reveals a family man guided by his principles: a scientific stance against the U.S. military's blood segregation policy and a mantra on excellence he instilled in generations of Black surgeons.

"Dr. Drew is an unsung hero of World War II," said NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson. "His innovation made it possible for many American soldiers to come home to their families."

In 1944, while blood segregation was still official policy, the NAACP awarded Dr. Drew the Spingarn Medal for his work in blood plasma research and blood banking. "The Spingarn Medal still today is considered the highest honor that can be bestowed on an African American in this country," said Johnson.

Dr. Drew was 45 when he died in a car accident in 1950. His daughters and grandchildren have spent decades honoring and preserving his legacy ever since. In Iconic Excellence, together on camera for the first time, his family gives that account in full, including answers to questions that have surrounded his legacy: whether he received blood products himself in the hours after the accident, and why he left the Red Cross, long attributed to Drew protesting the blood segregation policy.

"My father's work in training other Black surgeons was uppermost in his mind at the time of his death because he trained a small legion of Black surgeons, who then trained another group of Black surgeons, who then trained another group...whose color wasn't the most important thing," said Dr. Charlene Drew Jarvis, Drew's middle daughter. "It was: are they trained? Do they know? Do they understand? Who are they going to serve?"

CARRYING THE LEGACY FORWARD
Drew's commitment to mobilizing communities to improve health care carries forward today through organizations that host blood drives in support of the Red Cross Sickle Cell Initiative. Working with community partners, the Red Cross has nearly doubled the number of annual blood donors who are Black or African American, an increase of more than 89% since the Sickle Cell Initiative launched in 2021. To date, more than 445,770 donors who are Black or African American have given blood to support patients living with sickle cell disease, with more than 188,000 of them being first-time blood donors.

"Dr. Drew understood something we continue to see every day at the Red Cross: when you meet people where they are and invite them to be part of the mission, they respond," said Chris Hrouda, president of American Red Cross Biomedical Services. "Many first-time blood donors roll up a sleeve because someone helped them understand the impact a single donation can have on a patient in need. That was Dr. Drew's approach 85 years ago, and it remains a powerful way lives are saved today."

Iconic Excellence premieres during Sickle Cell Awareness Month in September. Organizations and community groups can register to host a screening, a blood drive, or both by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/IconicExcellence. To schedule a blood donation appointment, visit RedCrossBlood.org/OurBlood, use the Blood Donor App or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

ABOUT THE FILM
Iconic Excellence tells Dr. Drew's story through his own family and the voices of the NAACP, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. and the American Red Cross. On-camera voices include Bebe Drew Price, Dr. Charlene Drew Jarvis, Sylvia Drew Ivie, Dr. Kelly Price Noble, Ernie Drew Jarvis; Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP; Ricky Lewis, 42nd International President of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.; Chris Hrouda, president of American Red Cross Biomedical Services; and Dr. Yvette Miller, American Red Cross executive medical officer. Journalist DeMarco Morgan narrates. The film was written and executive produced by Tiffany Taylor and directed by Brad Zerivitz, with cover art by Melissa Koby.

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month: American Cancer Society Reports New Cases Are Up 3% but Earlier Diagnosis Improves Patient Outcomes

This September, the American Cancer Society encourages men to talk with their doctor about their personal risk for prostate cancer and whether screening is right for them. The number of new cases continued to increase by 3% per year from 2014 to 2022, according to the American Cancer Society's Cancer Statistics 2026 report, with the steepest rise occurring in advanced-stage diagnoses.

The report estimates that in 2026, 333,830 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. and 36,320 men will die from the disease.

The increase in prostate cancer diagnoses is largely due to more men being screened. This creates opportunities for early intervention and improved patient outcomes, although too many men are still not being screened early enough.

"We're seeing two things happen at once: more men are being diagnosed with prostate cancer, and a growing share of those cases are happening at a more advanced stage," said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society. "That tells us screening conversations are happening too late for too many men, particularly those at high risk for the disease."

There are well-established risk factors for prostate cancer that can be assessed for free using the online tool ACS CancerRisk360™. The chance of having prostate cancer rises rapidly after age 50, and the disease occurs more often in Black and Caribbean men. When it does develop in Black men, they tend to be younger. In fact, compared with White men, Black men are nearly 70% more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer and two times more likely to die from the disease.

When it comes to prostate cancer screening, one size does not fit all. The American Cancer Society recommends men at average risk for prostate cancer speak with their doctor at age 50 about whether screening is right for them. Men at high risk should have this discussion at age 45, including African American men and those with a family history of prostate cancer. Men at even higher risk should have the discussion at age 40, including those with multiple close relatives diagnosed at an early age. 

"Knowing your personal risk is the start of a conversation that can change your outcome," said Dr. Dahut. "That first conversation with a doctor should happen before symptoms appear, not after. The important message here is that regular screening can save lives and detect cancer early when treatment can often be successful."

About 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime, but most men diagnosed do not die from the disease. In fact, more than 3.5 million men in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer are still alive today.

To find low-cost or free screening locations and support during treatment, call the American Cancer Society's 24/7 helpline at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

Additional ACS Resources:

• Prostate Cancer Hub
• Prostate Cancer Screening Recommendations
• 2026 Cancer Facts & Figures
• Patient Lodging Programs
• Road to Recovery® Free Rides Program
• Prostate Cancer Awareness Month Media Resource Page

The 2026 State of Black America report is now available

The 50th anniversary of the State of Black America report carries a question that this country has never fully answered:

Is the American Dream dead? They are not asking it to be provocative.

They are asking it because 250 years into this experiment, the question demands an honest answer.

Dive into the data, the analysis, and the voices of people who help answer this question here: State of Black America