Black women are disproportionately affected by heart disease, but how can we change this alarming disparity? It starts with knowledge.

Heart disease is often seen as a condition that primarily affects older men, but the reality tells a very different—and urgent—story for Black women. Despite making up a vital and vibrant part of our communities, Black women are disproportionately affected by heart disease; in fact, it’s the number one cause of death in the community, according to the American Heart Association.

So why are Black women at a higher risk, and what can we do about it?

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Higher health risk factors impact Black women.

Heart disease refers to a group of conditions that affect the structure and function of the heart, including coronary artery disease, heart failure, and heart rhythm disorders, according to the Mayo Clinic. These illnesses are serious and can lead to life-threatening complications such as heart attacks and strokes. Black women are more likely than any other group to experience health conditions that significantly raise the risk of developing heart disease. These risk factors are not simply the result of individual choices—they are deeply tied to long-standing social and economic inequities.

Alarmingly, nearly 59% of Black women ages 20 and over are living with some form of cardiovascular disease, including heart disease. Here’s a closer look at the most prevalent risk factors associated with it.

Source: SDI Productions

1. High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)Black women have the highest rates of high blood pressure in the U.S., yet only 25% have it under control. This is one of the strongest predictors of heart disease and cardiac arrest. Chronic high blood pressure can damage the inner walls of blood vessels. As the body tries to repair the damage, cholesterol and fats can build up at the site, forming plaque—a process called atherosclerosis. This narrows the arteries, reduces blood flow, and significantly raises the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Symptoms of heart disease include chest pain, shortness of breath, pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper belly, or back, as well as numbness or coldness in the legs or arms, Mayo Clinic notes.2. ObesityNearly 57% of Black women are obese, the highest percentage across all racial and gender groups. Excess weight—especially abdominal fat—puts additional strain on the heart and is closely linked to hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol.3. Type 2 DiabetesBlack women are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes and to go undiagnosed. Diabetes damages blood vessels and nerves that control the heart, making it a major contributor to cardiovascular disease.4. StrokeThe prevalence of stroke in Black women is twice as high as in white women. Stroke and heart disease are closely linked, often stemming from shared risk factors like high blood pressure and atherosclerosis.5. High CholesterolElevated levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and low levels of “good” HDL cholesterol are common and often go untreated. Over time, high cholesterol contributes to the development of plaque in the arteries.6. Physical InactivityBlack women are more likely to experience barriers to regular physical activity, such as a lack of safe places to exercise, limited time due to work and caregiving responsibilities, and under-resourced neighborhoods, where food insecurity is prevalent. These barriers make it harder to maintain heart health and prevent weight gain or manage chronic condition

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“My hope is that this festival can impact how commercial films are made. They can be created by people with voices that we typically don’t hear from and populated by characters that we typically don’t see, and broaden our perspectives,” Davis said in a recent interview with Blavity. “We already know that films with very diverse casts make more money and are incredibly popular, and the more diverse it is, the better off they are. We’re not [the industry] acting on that as much as we can, so we’re really trying to show through what we show here at the festival that this is an important thing to think about when you’re making something.”

From its earliest days, Bentonville has prioritized underrepresented storytellers, especially those behind the camera.

“Our directors are the most important people to us,” Davis said. “We really are about celebrating directors of tremendous diversity. We are so proud of them. Their stories are going to be unique, and they’re going to have a unique cast to expand on their story, and that is what we want to celebrate — broadening our perspective and reaching a bigger audience.”

Despite pushback against DEI initiatives in the industry, Davis stays focused on the long-term goal.

“It’s the way it’s gonna go. Whatever hiccups we are having, this is the way it is gonna go and needs to go,” she said. “We need to have people represented who are citizens of the world and who are all equally valuable. We cannot have this myopic view of what society should be and what should be presented to us as the way to be. We have to embrace what we have going on, and I think we will continue with that.”

She also emphasized the importance of institutions and educators in shaping the future.

Al Roker and Geena Davis arrive at the opening reception of the 11th Annual Bentonville Film Festival at Blake Street House on June 16, 2025 in Bentonville, Arkansas. | Photo by Jason Davis/Getty Images for Bentonville Film Festival

“We have to keep up the momentum, and part of it is going to be in film schools,” Davis explained. “The last studies I read of people who are studying directing, 75% of first-time hires are males and 25% are women, whereas film schools are 50/50 men and women. They’re still finding a lot of unconscious bias in professors and the way courses are taught. There is so much work to do in so many areas to make change, but we have to do it and we will.”

And while Bentonville has become a national platform for inclusive storytelling, it’s the local community that’s meant the most to her.

“I have been thrilled over these eleven years with the local support we get here. It’s just amazing,” she said. “From the very first festival, we launched a movie festival in a town that had no movie theaters. We had to bring in these tractor-trailers that turned into movie theaters. We had to put screens in the high schools, too. The local community turned out, and they are so supportive and continue to be, and our audience just grows and grows. We have people coming in from all over. To have this local support and people that care about this festival, it’s thrilling to have this kind of support.”

Her dream for the future? Festivals like Bentonville become benchmarks for creative inclusivity.

“My secret dream about this festival is that eventually, when people are making films, they will make them more diverse to qualify for festivals like Bentonville.”

A legacy of impact

Davis’ legacy of inclusive storytelling goes beyond Bentonville. Her role in A League of Their Own continues to inspire new generations, and when Prime Video’s series adaptation dropped, it sparked a new wave of love.

“I didn’t know I was ever going to be in movies that last over 30 years and really still speak to people,” she said. “It has been thrilling to be a part of movies like that. I have women and girls who tell me they play sports because of that movie. It’s amazing people still recognize me, and it’s really wonderful.”

Davis said the series expanded on themes the original couldn’t fully explore. “The series expanded on ideas about the LGBTQ community and women of color not being able to play. They spoke to Penny Marshall before the series was written and were able to expand on things she couldn’t in just one movie, and really went there, which was a tremendous accomplishment.”

As for fans still mourning the show’s early cancellation, Davis had a cheeky response: “I already have the idea for a sequel. It’s gonna be called Little League of Their Own.”

What’s next: ‘The Boroughs’ on Netflix

Up next, Davis is headed to Netflix with The Boroughs, a new series from the Duffer Brothers (Stranger Things).

“It’s about a fancy retirement community, and something creepy and dangerous starts happening,” she said. “My character is a former manager for rock bands, but fell on hard times and moved in with her mom in the retirement community. She is really cool, and I get to have a young boyfriend. It’s fun and the Duffer brothers are so great.”

She’s also a part of an incredibly stacked cast.

“Great, incredible cast. Alfre and I 40 years ago co-starred in a sitcom, so we have known each other for most of our professional lives,” she said. “Alfred Molina, Bill Pullman, and I had the best time. Such an incredible cast. We had the best time and can’t wait to see if we get to do more of it.”

The post Inside Geena Davis’ Bentonville Film Festival And Her Fight For Real Representation appeared first on Blavity.



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