By Candice Richardson
The Seattle Medium
Ben Vereen, the legendary star of both stage and screen, has long made it a mission to inspire others through the healing power of the arts. Next week he’ll be bringing his message of inspiration and health to Seattle as he’ll be the keynote speaker for the Northwest Kidney Centers’ 15th annual Breakfast of Hope fundraiser on May 16th.
“Because diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease, we invited Ben Vereen to shine a light on managing diabetes and other ways to maximize kidney health,” says Linda Sellers, Public Relations Director for Northwest Kidney Centers.
Vereen, who was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes ten years ago and is a celebrity ambassador for pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, knows first-hand what it takes to maintain a healthy lifestyle. His mission is to encourage those living with diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) to view the condition as an “opportunity” rather than a challenge. More than three million people in the U.S. develop Type 2 diabetes each year which occurs when the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or it resists insulin, which is a hormone that allows your body to efficiently use the sugar you eat for energy. Symptoms from Type 2 diabetes include thirst, frequent urination, hunger, fatigue, and blurred vision.
“This is not a death sentence. This is an opportunity for a better life if you do the right thing,” he says. “Once you know, you know that you know and then you do what know. I’m out there to encourage people, not to discourage them, to live a good life. By doing that we become the next example for others who become diagnosed.”
Vereen’s career, which spans five decades across the stage, television, and silver screen, began as a dancer in the Off-Broadway production of “Prodigal Son” in 1965 and includes a Tony-Award winning performance in “Pippin” on Broadway and his portrayal of the Chicken Georgie in the ground-breaking miniseries “Roots.”
At the age of 70, Vereen shows no sign of slowing down having a recurring role as Porter in Amazon’s scripted series “Sneaky Pete” and FOX’s “Making History,” all while developing a new Broadway musical titled “Reflections.”
“Employment drives me,” says Vereen. “My audiences drive me. I’m very grateful for an opportunity to give, to create and have people come and say that’s good, that’s great, I want to see that. “
As fortunate as he feels to be able to continue to do what he loves, Vereen’s life hasn’t been without tragedy. In 1987, his 16-year old daughter, Naja, was killed in a car accident. Five years later he suffered a stroke behind the wheel of his car and was struck by a vehicle as he was walking for help on a Malibu Highway. His doctors told him it would be three years before he would even walk again, let alone dance, but defying expectations, he was back on the stage in 10 months.
“This thing called the arts has been a healing component in my life. I had to be on stage to heal,” states Vereen. “The Bible says in the beginning God created. That means I’m a creative aspect of what God created. When you trust in that it will take care of everything.”
Photo/Isak Tiner
This experience led Vereen to create his Wellness Through the Arts Foundation, or WTA, which has programs in San Diego, Sacramento, and Tucson. The multi-hyphenate performer is often seen wearing baseball caps promoting WTA with the words “Spirit Enforcer.” The proceeds from the sales of the hats go to schools that are lacking in arts programs and underprivileged students.
“[The message means to] enforce love through the arts,” Vereen says. “The spirit within you can heal all things. It enforces your health and your well-being if you allow it.”
Vereen adds it was a process at first to adjust to his diabetes diagnosis on Christmas Day in 2007, saying the last thing anyone wants to hear from their doctor is that they have the incurable condition, but that it was a relief to hear that eating sugar and carbohydrates in moderation, regular exercise, and maintaining a schedule with his insulin medication was all it took to live a normal and healthy life. All this, states Vereen, is even more reason to get educated and recognize the early signs – especially within the African American community.
According to a Northwest Kidney Centers study, African Americans make up only 12% of the population but account for 32% of people with chronic kidney failure or CKD. The leading causes of CKD are uncontrolled diabetes and high blood pressure, which are both more common in African Americans than other races. As a result, African Americans are four times more likely to need dialysis or a kidney transplant than Caucasians and young African American men are 10 to 14 times more likely to develop kidney failure due to high blood pressure than Caucasian men in the same group.
The prevalence of diabetes and CKD in the African American population is possible to combat with the right education about making healthy lifestyle choices. Vereen says African American churches can go a long way to helping make this happen.
“We’re busy trying to get people into heaven instead of teaching them how to live on earth,” asserts Vereen. “African American churches need to talk about diabetes in church. Maybe this will bring the numbers down. When I was diagnosed there was 26 million people living with diabetes and now there’s 29 million. Someone’s not doing their job.”
He adds this answer to the long-ago asked question:
“Am I my brother’s keeper? Yes, you are! We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. We are not in this alone. If my brother is hurting, I’m hurting. If my sister is hurting, I’m hurting. There are many trails to the mountain, but there’s only one mountain top. At the top of the mountain is healing. We just have to get to the top.”
