Hip Hop Doc set to speak at homecoming convocation

Dr. Rani G. Whitfield, physician, lecturer, humanitarian and Southern University alumnus will be the keynote speaker for the 2007 Homecoming Convocation on Monday, Oct. 1 at 11 am in the Royal Cotillion Ballroom of the Smith-Brown Memorial Student Union.
Coined “Tha Hip Hop Doc” or “H2D,” Whitfield earned a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from Southern in 1992. In 1996 he earned his medical degree with honors from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn. He completed his internship and residency in 1999, with a focus in family medicine at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio and also completed a sports medicine fellowship at Ohio State University in 2000.
His lecture topics include physical fitness, preventative medicine, drugs of sexual assault and discrepancies in diabetes and health-care among black. The nationally noted speaker is known for his use of Hip Hop aphorisms to empower individuals. His tactics are to encourage changes in unhealthy lifestyles, evidence of his position as a board certified family physician with a Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) in sports medicine. With his practice located in Baton Rouge, Whitfield is known for being an advocate for increasing the awareness of health related issues such as: HIV/AIDS, obesity, cardiovascular disease and substance abuse affecting black youth. Whitfield has been featured on Black Entertainment Television’s hip hop show, “106 and Park” to discuss HIV, HIV testing and World AIDS Day, as well as on the PBS show, “Religion and Ethics Weekly” to discuss faith- and non-faith-based substance abuse treatment.
Whitfield is the founder of the “Hip-Hop Medical Moment,” which entails one minute commercials discussing pertinent medical topics affecting the community on WEMX Max 94.1 FM in Baton Rouge in addition to the Hip Hop Coalition, a non-profit organization designed to improve the lifestyles, attitudes and behaviors of youth and minorities through advocacy and health education. Also the medical director of Cenikor, a long-term inpatient substance abuse treatment center, Whitfield serves on the Louisiana Governor’s Council for Physical Fitness and Sports, Baton Rouge Mayor-President Melvin “Kip” Holden’s HIV/AIDS Task Force, Baton Rouge General Hospital Ethics Committee and the American Heart Association National Board – Southeastern Affiliates.
In addition to his private practice, Whitfield is a volunteer team physician for Southern University’s Laboratory School, Men’s Baseball team, Women’s Basketball team, USA Boxing and the 14th Street Boxing Club. Whitfield is currently preparing for the USA Track and Field Masters 400 meter run and his first book. The bass player and part-time vocalist for the R&B/Blues/Funk band “Black Ice,” Whitfield is also in the process of working on a musical project with students and friends.
This event is free and open to the public. All students are encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Edna Hickman at (225) 771-3922.