Early in my professional career, I heard an unfamiliar phrase from a corporate CEO during a town hall meeting. The CEO asked everyone in the organization to follow his lead and “Trust first, then, if necessary, verify.” At that time, … Continue reading Health Equity – Trust, Then Verify
In the United States, pursuing social, physical, financial, or mental health while Black can be the very thing that harms you. It wasn’t poor nutrition that hurt Toni’s mental health. It was psychological danger. Toni grew up in East Birmingham, … Continue reading Being Black and Feeling Blue in a White-Centered Country
This is an uncomfortable feeling. I’m typically asked to contribute in writing my thoughts about a number of topics related to anti-racism, health, and wellness. I’ve built my whole career around being able to stand at the window of society … Continue reading Exploitation, Racism, War… and Me
“Need a Different Med” “What in the world are you doing back here?” I stood in the doorway, confused by my patient’s appearance and mere presence. He winced as he shifted upright in his bed, bracing the same shoulder that … Continue reading Antiracist Resistance: How Reparations May Be The Missing Prescription
COLORADO SPRINGS – The crisp, rainy day did not deter the 25 or so people hurrying inside Midtown Barbershop, but only a few wanted haircuts. It was September 10th, National Suicide Prevention Day 2022, and in this Black neighborhood, the … Continue reading Where Can Black Men Receive Mental Health Support? At Their Local Barbershop
If there were any question about the connection between politics and public health, the recent overturning of Roe v Wade and the decision’s subsequent effect on further restricting abortion rights in at least 14 states should put that question to … Continue reading The Politics of Public Health
Record-breaking temperatures across the world this summer serve as a harsh reminder, along g with other climate-related weather events such as flooding over vast portions of the continental U.S. and a longer and more active hurricane season, that phenomena once … Continue reading Climate Change Does Not Pose an Equal Opportunity Threat
The Prince of Third Ward Holman Street Baptist Church (HSBC) is located in the Historic Third Ward of Houston Texas. It is the church where I experienced a spiritual awakening and received my call to the Ministry over 40 years … Continue reading Covered by the Blood; Spiritual Determinants of Health vs The Social Detriment to Health
The storm is passing over arrangement by Barbara Baker begins with the words, “Have courage my soul, and let us journey on. Though the night is dark, and I am far from home. Thanks be to God, the morning light … Continue reading The Storm Is Passing Over
Three-Fifths 