Mandela’s Birthday Bash

 
PA Photos/Landov
Though Nelson Mandela officially celebrates his 90th birthday on July 18, celebrities from around the globe converged in London’s Hyde Park for an enormous outdoor concert to salute the former South African president and statesman as he enters his ninth decade. Hosted by actors Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith, the concert and a special dinner were attended by a galaxy of international stars including Oprah Winfrey, Denzel and Pauletta Washington, Leona Lewis, Quincy Jones, Eddy Grant, Joan Baez and Annie Lennox. The event also was a fundraiser for Mandela’s AIDS charity 46664. The charity is named for the number Mandela wore while in prison during his long struggle to end apartheid in South Africa.

Battling Black Amputations

Blacks receive leg amputations at a rate four times higher than Whites, according to a recent study of Medicare recipients. The surgeries were performed because of  complications from the ravages of diabetes and vascular disease, but the real tragedy is that the illnesses are preventable. According to noted endocrinologist and diabetologist Dr. Jerome Tolbert, Blacks who follow three simple rules will be on their way to winning the battle against these amputations. 1) get regular foot exams 2) control glucose levels 3) learn foot care.