ABOUT I DESERVE IT
I Deserve It is a collaborative effort between Ashé Cultural Arts Center and New Orleans East Hospital that is working to bring about a paradigm shift that illuminates and solves for the twenty-five year difference in life expectancy experienced by New Orleans' majority Black neighborhoods.
“Black New Orleanians experience the poorest health outcomes as it relates to hypertension, diabetes, obesity and mental health, exacerbated by historically higher uninsured rates. These concentrated disadvantages have led to a 25-year life expectancy deficit between Black and white New Orleanians.”
- Avis Gray MSN, RN, Health Equity Leader Ashé Cultural Arts Center
WHY
HOW
Our program utilizes artists and culture bearers to promote health and wellness resources and education, with the goal of decreasing the lower life expectancy in Black neighborhoods.
OUR TEAM
SENIOR LEADERSHIP
Avis Gray,
Health Equity Leader at Ashé Cultural Arts Center
Avis received her RN from Charity Hospital School of Nursing, and BSN and MSN from University of South Alabama. She started a nursing career at Charity Hospital that included working in the clinical areas of Hemodialysis, Emergency Room and Ambulatory Care. The years of working in a large public hospital led to a desire to impact health management at the behavioral/community level. This started a 23-year Public Health journey. The defining moment of her experience was her responsibilities during Hurricane Katrina. Ms. Gray was involved in the planning for the Superdome, led transport missions between the Superdome and Baton Rouge, and worked with the federal mortuary. Her role in all hazards emergency preparedness has included Pandemic Flu (H1N1), Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, hurricane evacuation, shelters, Ebola monitoring, and assisting with the monitoring of medical services during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has worked extensively on ongoing recovery, from environmental issues to revamping the healthcare landscape in this region.
Takeisha Davis, MD, MPH
CEO, President of New Orleans East Hospital
Asali DeVan Ecclesiastes
CEO of Ashé Cultural Arts Center
C.J. Marbley, RN
COO of New Orleans East Hospital
COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS
Monica Millon-Gray
Community Coordinator
Monica Millon-Gray is a Wife, Mother, and longtime community worker and resource connector through her life's work as a Stylist. After being connected with Ashé through cultural arts activities for her children, she developed a deep reverence for the organization and was thrilled to join the team as a CHW. As a proud New Orleans native, she is happy to be taking on the challenge of closing the life expectancy gap among the Black community in New Orleans and providing her communities with the resources to have a good quality of life. In her role as a CHW Community Coordinator, she tracks issues within the community, assists with the development of programs and the coordination of events.
Naydja Cojoe
Community Health Influencer
Naydja is a New Orleans native, local entertainer, singer, bandleader, actress and community health influencer with Ashé Cultural Arts Center whose initiative is advocating for survivors of Domestic Violence and young men.
Stafford Agee III
Community Health Influencer
Stafford Agee III is a member of the Rebirth Brass Band and has been for over 33 years. He played a fictionalized version of himself in the 1st and 4th seasons of Treme. Stafford was the trombone coach for starring cast member Wendell Pierce and provided the recordings that Pierce mimed for the show. As a community health influencer, he has done volunteer work and teaching at Landry-Walker College and Career Preparatory High School. He also owns an instrument repair shop.
Sunni Patterson
Community Health Influencer
New Orleans Native and Visionary, Sunni is an internationally acclaimed Poet, Performer, Workshop Facilitator, Certified Spiritual Life Coach/Consultant, and an Initiated Priestess and Minister. She began her career as a full-time high school teacher, and much of her life since has been devoted to serving as a Cultural Worker and Activist. Armed with an engaging story and voice, Sunni deliberately uses art, poetry, and praise (Ancestral remembrance) to encourage dialogue, connectivity, spiritual awareness, and healing.
Erica Henderson
Community Health Worker
Erica's specialty is Mental Health. As a New Orleans native, she was raised dually in the St. Bernard Project and New Orleans East areas. Mental Health became her interest due to all the mental trauma she witnessed in her community. She seeks to raise awareness about mental health and work to connect individuals to resources so that they can achieve wellness.
Fred Johnston
Community Health Influencer
Fred is a local artist of many styles, from fine art to folk art. He has a dynamic drive to share art with the community for a collective cultural evolution, producing a fulfilling life of freedom of expression.
Andrew Baham
Community Health Influencer
Andrew is a musician, producer, and songwriter born and raised in the beautiful cultural melting point that is New Orleans. Since picking up a trumpet at 9 years old, he's contributed to the NOLA tradition, playing with artists like Soul Rebels Brass Band, Better Than Ezra, Ellis Marsalis, and many more. Andrew does advocacy work with The Musicians' Clinic, Musicians' Council On Fair Wages, and other organizations. Through his CHW work, he's garnered a research focus on urban environmentalism, studying and being of service to organizations that are doing the work of lessening air pollution, especially in urban areas.
Ranora Caston
Community Health Worker
Ranora is a patient care technician at University Medical Hospital. When not working, she enjoy doing activities with her kids and exploring gardening. When it comes to community work, she loves to take a hands-on approach to be the change she wants to see.
Darinique Alexander
Community Health Worker
Darinique has been in the medical field for 10+ years, acting in many different medical roles. In those years, she always felt that her job could mean more and do more for her family and the community. Leaving her job as a Unit Secretary pushed her to move forward and help more in the community. Ashé has shown her that many others are willing to work for safer, healthier, livable, and more inviting neighborhoods for our communities. With her awesome teammates at her side, Darinique is ready to impact her community positively.
Jamie Berry
Community Health Worker
Jamie Berry is a Mother, Doula, Theater maker, and long-time community worker/advocate. Jamie’s role as a CHW for the I Deserve It program includes taking a lead on Maternal Child Health matters, tracking issues within the community, assisting with the development of programs, and the coordination of events. Her work as an I Deserve It Community Health Worker has given her the opportunity to learn more about the needs of Black communities in New Orleans and to execute ideas that create the changes those communities need most.