Black Barbershop Health Outreach
Black Barbershop Health Outreach
In a nationwide effort to address the growing concern of undetected cardiovascular disease in African American men, the National Conference of Black Mayors has partnered with the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program. The collaboration was announced by Dr. Bill Releford, founder of the Diabetic Amputation Prevention Foundation, during the Fannie Lou Hamer Luncheon at the 34th Annual Convention.
Launched in December 2007 in Los Angeles, California, the grassroots campaign offers free diabetes and high blood pressure screenings to African American men at Black-owned barbershops, along with providing culturally appropriate educational materials about exercise, fitness, obesity, prostate cancer and HIV. By utilizing the existing community-based infrastructure of Black barbershops, the campaign seeks to increase public awareness of diabetes and its complications by early detection, information dissemination and referrals to appropriate medical resources. NCBM is committed to replicating the successful LA model throughout the cities of our member mayors.
