KD Hall Discusses the Importance of Sickle Cell Awareness and Advocacy
Photos by Jordan Somers
On a special edition of The Day with Trae, guest host Deaunte Damper sat down with KD Hall, Executive Director of the KD Hall Foundation, to discuss the impactful work her foundation has been doing in the community, especially around sickle cell advocacy. The interview, aired on "Feel Good Friday," highlighted the importance of awareness, education, and action regarding sickle cell anemia, a condition that predominantly affects Black and African American communities.
The KD Hall Foundation, celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2025, focuses on advocacy and education for women and girls, with its signature program, Girls on the RISE, having engaged over 1,000 girls in Seattle and Nigeria over the last five years. Hall explained the foundation’s deep commitment to health advocacy, particularly for sickle cell anemia, a cause close to her heart due to personal experiences. She shared her journey of discovering the C trait when her first child was diagnosed with SC sickle cell, a moment that brought home the real impact of the condition.
Hall emphasized the importance of discussing sickle cell in Black media and highlighted the lack of awareness about how it impacts the Black community. "About 90% of individuals impacted with sickle cell are Black, African American," she pointed out. She also stressed the need for education about the different types of sickle cell, as most people, like herself, are unaware of their genetic traits until faced with a diagnosis.
A key part of the conversation centered around the urgent need for blood donations, particularly from Black and Brown donors, to help those living with sickle cell. Hall highlighted that individuals with sickle cell may need multiple blood transfusions per month. "If a Black person gives blood, the likelihood of that blood being a match to a person living with sickle cell is absolutely essential," Hall explained. She encouraged listeners to participate in the upcoming blood drive on September 11th at Treehouse for Kids in Seattle, urging all community members, especially people of color, to donate.
Additionally, Hall discussed the importance of funding organizations like the KD Hall Foundation and the Sickle Cell Task Force, which advocate and educate on this condition. She stressed the significance of preventive measures, such as understanding individual triggers, maintaining a healthy diet, and using herbal remedies.
To conclude, Hall made a heartfelt appeal to the community to get involved. "Seattle community, in particular, this is a personal one for me," she said. "We need blood, and we need your blood in particular." She called for participation not only in the blood drive but also in virtual panels to dispel myths and stigmas about blood donation within the Black community.
The conversation with KD Hall was a powerful reminder of the need for community involvement and action in addressing health disparities, particularly for conditions like sickle cell that disproportionately affect communities of color.
For more information visit kdhallfoundation.org.
To see more guests like Hall, tune in with Trae every weekday at 11 a.m. on all Converge Media platforms and The Day With Trae YouTube Channel.
