Rewards and challenges of start-up projects promoting nutrition equity to mitigate health disparities of the Black community in DC.

This session will address the rewards and challenges of promoting nutrition equity to mitigate health disparities in the Black community. The feasibility evaluation of the Black Wellness Matters-Nutrition Series, a curriculum aimed at increasing plant-based food intake to mitigate chronic disease risk, will be highlighted. Qualitative findings on the cultural relevance of traditional and alternative tools for dietary guidelines will be reviewed. At an organizational level, the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) initiative to recruit minorities into the nutrition and dietetics profession through �Bridges to Dietetics through Narrative Heritage Models of the Chesapeake� in Maryland will be explored.