My dad, Rev. Dr. Spurgeon E. Crayton, was known as a pastor and minister for more than 50 years in the New York African American Baptist community. He provided a young Rev. Al Sharpton one of his earliest opportunities to speak, giving him a step stool to stand on as he preached when he was just a little boy. He led the Eastern Baptist Association as its moderator and then was head of its Advisory Committee which was instrumental in ordaining young ministers. He was an instructor for the National Baptist Congress for Christian Education. He was an author, and a playwright. His thesis sits in the library of Union Theological Seminary.
In spite of his many accomplishments, when he was diagnosed with dementia, and then subsequently Alzheimer’s Disease, his care was not as thorough as we would have liked due to the inconsistency in information provided to us so that we can help him.
Black Americans are two to three times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s, and Hispanic Americans are one to two times more likely to develop the disease.
However, the Equity in Neuroscience and Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials (ENACT) Act is bipartisan legislation that would increase the participation of underrepresented populations in Alzheimer’s clinical trials by expanding education and outreach to these populations.
Please join me and the Alzheimer’s Association in asking Representative Adriano Espaillat to support ENACT.
To learn more about this disease and how anyone can join the fight to end Alzheimer’s, please visit alzimpact.org.