The Mount Carmel Baptist Church Family Life Center was filled with hope and healing on Sept. 6 as community residents gathered for the inaugural Power Over Pain Jubilee, an event aimed at raising awareness and support for individuals and families living with chronic pain.
Dozens gathered for a day of education, health screenings and open discussions about pain. The event, led by Staja Booker, PhD, RN, FAAN, an associate professor at the University of Florida College of Nursing, and Dr. Candace Candace McMilon-Dantley, CEO of WellPower, Inc., featured health leaders and experts discussing traditional and nontraditional pain management therapies.
Booker, who has spent her career researching pain in older adults and underserved populations, said the jubilee was about creating space for dignity, dialogue and empowerment. National guest speakers, including Cheryse Sankar, PhD from the National Institutes of Health, provided insight on the importance of pain research participation.
“We are providing the education that empowers people, and I really do hope that everyone takes at least one thing away that they can change in their daily habits,” Booker said. “A lot of people just expect to have pain and go with the flow, but you don’t have to live with it. When you first notice something different, it’s important to seek care, even if it’s just to rule things out.”
Attendees participated in interactive workshops, heard powerful testimonies and connected with resources designed to address both the physical and emotional dimensions of pain management.
“Pain is a signal. It’s something you need to pay attention to, not ignore. Keep track of how often it happens and what you’re doing when it happens,” said Mary Stover, an area resident who came to the event to hear more about pain relief techniques and advancements.
”My mom ignored pain, and a lot of people in my family did too. But you don’t just have to live with it. There are resources out there,” Stover said.
Martha Jackson, another resident, said she found the program informative and hoped the discussion would lead to a shift in people’s attitudes toward pain.
“There are solutions out there. You have to take control of your own pain and not suffer in silence,” Jackson said. “What I’ve learned here will hopefully continue to help me. It’s not just for today. It’s something I can carry forward in my life.”
The College of Nursing’s involvement reflects its ongoing commitment to addressing health disparities and advancing approaches to pain care. Organizers say they hope the jubilee will become an annual tradition, broadening its reach and strengthening the community’s response to pain relief and access to care.
But for Booker the effort has become more than a research goal, it also has become personal. As a graduate student, she fell and fractured her lower back. It was a painful injury that continues to affect her.
“I really understand where people are when they say they have pain, because I’ve been there. I am there,” she said.