Hip Hop Public Health (HHPH), a nonprofit co-founded by neurologist Dr. Olajide Williams and hip hop icon Doug E. Fresh, has partnered with the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) to create EMPOWER, a multimedia collection designed to help young people with asthma manage their health. The collection includes eight original songs and animated videos that teach self-management skills.

EMPOWER focuses on key aspects of asthma management, summarized by the acronym EMPOWER:

• Environment: Recognizing asthma triggers.
• Medication: Using medication correctly.
• Plan: Developing a management strategy.
• Open communication: Engaging with healthcare professionals and loved ones.
• Well-being: Prioritizing overall health.
• Extinguish: Avoiding smoking and e-cigarettes.
• Resilience: Strengthening the ability to overcome challenges.

Each 60-second track, created with emerging artists and produced by Q. Worthy, focuses on one of these themes. The initiative aims to support asthma education, particularly for marginalized communities, where asthma disproportionately affects Black children. The partnership combines HHPH’s music and cultural expertise with NEEF’s experience in asthma education, offering resources that encourage young people and their support networks to take charge of asthma management.

The EMPOWER message is an asthma self-management resource that supports CDC’s EXHALE strategies, moving the needle towards Controlling Childhood Asthma and Reducing Emergencies (CCARE).