How long have you been a member of the Black Health Network, and what drew you to CBHN?
I've been connected with the California Black Health Network since the COVID-19 pandemic. What drew me in was CBHN's focus on the health disparities that disproportionately affect Black communities — not just talking about health equity, but creating real opportunities for education, advocacy, and change.
My work in Medicare and caregiving showed me how complicated healthcare can be, especially for older adults and their families. CBHN gave me a way to bring that experience into a broader movement for Black Californians' health.
What is your current profession?
I'm a Medicare Benefits Advisor, Family Caregiver Consultant, and Patient Advocate. Through Lawlen Insurance Solutions and Voices of Family Caregivers, I help people navigate Medicare, caregiving, and the decisions that come with aging — not just picking a health plan, but understanding their options, advocating for themselves, and preparing for what's ahead.
From your perspective, what barriers exist in achieving health equity for Black Californians?
The biggest one is access to information and the ability to navigate a complicated system. Having insurance isn't the same as accessing care — that depends on understanding your benefits, having transportation, affording care, and having someone to advocate for you when things get overwhelming.
There are also deeper systemic issues: socioeconomic disparities, lack of culturally responsive care, and trust in healthcare institutions.
And we can't forget the caregiver. The family member holding everything together is too often invisible in the healthcare conversation — and when they're overwhelmed, the whole family's health suffers.
Both in your work and with CBHN, how have you been able to prioritize the health of Black Californians?
I look at the whole person and family, not just the insurance card. Medicare education helps people understand their benefits and improve health outcomes; my caregiver work helps families find resources and advocate for loved ones; and CBHN lets me contribute to the larger conversation on healthy aging and health equity in Black communities.
My work with the Healthy Aging Peer Network means the most to me — aging shouldn't be something we react to in a crisis. We should be preparing people earlier, with knowledge, resources, and a voice in their own care.
What inspires you to keep doing the work you do?
People. I've lived caregiving — figuring everything out while still trying to hold onto my own life and career, with no roadmap from the healthcare system. That changed me.
Now, when I help someone understand something they didn't before, find a resource they didn't know existed, or just feel less alone — I know the work matters. Nobody should have to wait for a crisis to become informed.
What's the bravest thing you've ever done?
Becoming my parents' caregiver while still trying to live my own life. I moved them across state lines; my mother became wheelchair-dependent and fully reliant on me, and I later became my father's caregiver through his Alzheimer's. I was mid-career, traveling, an empty nester — and suddenly in a completely different reality.
It was exhausting, physically and emotionally. But it taught me you can love someone deeply without losing yourself in the process — which is a big part of why I started Voices of Family Caregivers.
What's the best advice you've ever received?
"You don't have to do everything yourself."
As a caregiver and entrepreneur, that's a hard lesson for a natural problem-solver. But strength isn't doing it all alone — sometimes it's asking for help, setting a boundary, saying no. Taking care of yourself isn't selfish; it's what lets you keep showing up for the people and causes you care about.
And the biggest lesson underneath all of it: you can't advocate effectively for anyone else if you don't also advocate for yourself.
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