Live Long Black History Month and Black Men's Health: What the Data Says and What We Can Do About It.

Black History Month is a time to acknowledge the contributions, resilience, and ongoing struggles of Black Americans. For Black men specifically, that conversation must include health — because the data on Black men's health outcomes in this country is serious, and it deserves a direct response.

This piece covers what the research shows, why historical context matters for understanding these outcomes, and what Black men can do right now to protect their health.

The State of Black Men's Health in America

The health disparities affecting Black men are well-documented. According to the CDC and the Office of Minority Health:

• Black men have a life expectancy that is, on average, 4 to 5 years shorter than white men in the United States.
• Black men are 60% more likely to develop high blood pressure compared to white men, and they tend to develop it earlier in life.
• Black men are 2.5 times more likely to die from prostate cancer than white men.
• Depression and anxiety are significantly underdiagnosed in Black men, partly because symptoms often present differently and partly because of documented barriers to mental health care access.
• Black men are among the least likely demographic groups to have a regular primary care provider.

These numbers reflect systemic failures in healthcare access, chronic stress from racial discrimination, economic inequality, and the long-term effects of policies that have historically excluded Black communities from quality care.

Why History Is Relevant to Health

Historical trauma has measurable biological effects. Research published in journals like Social Science and Medicine and American Journal of Public Health has documented the physical toll of chronic race-based stress on the body, including elevated cortisol levels, increased inflammation, and higher cardiovascular risk.

For generations, Black men in America were conditioned to suppress emotional expression and physical vulnerability. In many contexts, showing weakness carried real consequences. That learned behavior became embedded in how Black men relate to healthcare, mental health support, and community.

The result is a pattern where Black men delay care, avoid mental health conversations, and carry stress without adequate outlets or support systems.

Recognizing this history helps clinicians provide better care. It also helps Black men understand that the reluctance to seek help is a conditioned response, not a character trait.

The Role of Medical Mistrust

Medical mistrust in Black communities is rational and evidence-based. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study, forced sterilizations, and ongoing documented instances of Black patients receiving inadequate pain management have created a reasonable skepticism about the healthcare system.

A 2021 study published in Health Affairs found that Black patients receive lower quality care than white patients across nearly every measure studied, even after controlling for insurance status and income.

Acknowledging medical mistrust does not mean abandoning the healthcare system. It means approaching it with informed advocacy. Knowing your rights as a patient, bringing a trusted person to appointments, seeking out culturally competent providers, and asking direct questions about your care are all strategies that research supports.

Mental Health and Black Men: Closing the Gap

Mental health stigma remains a significant barrier for Black men. A 2020 report from Mental Health America found that Black adults are 20% more likely to experience serious mental health challenges than the general population, but far less likely to receive treatment.

Common barriers include cost, lack of culturally competent providers, distrust of mental health systems, and stigma within communities.

Therapy works. Peer support works. Community-based mental health conversations work. None of these requires a formal clinical setting to begin.

Checking in with the men in your life is a concrete mental health intervention. Consistent connection reduces isolation, which is one of the strongest predictors of poor mental health outcomes.

What You Can Do This Month

Schedule a checkup. If you do not have a primary care provider, February is a practical time to establish one. Many federally qualified health centers offer sliding-scale fees regardless of insurance status.

Know your numbers. Blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and BMI are baseline health metrics every adult should know. Many pharmacies offer free screenings.

Check on someone. Reach out to a friend, family member, or colleague you have not spoken to in a while. Ask a direct question. Listen without trying to fix.

Find a therapist who gets it. Directories like Therapy for Black Men and the Loveland Foundation connect Black men with culturally competent mental health providers, including options at reduced cost.

Talk about it. In your group chat, in the barbershop, at the cookout. Normalizing health conversations among Black men is one of the most effective community-level health interventions available.

About Save the Homies

Save the Homies is a Black men's health initiative created by My City My Health INC, a Des Moines-based nonprofit that uses storytelling, education, and community advocacy to improve health outcomes.

The initiative focuses on health education, early intervention, and building peer support systems for Black men and the communities around them.

Sources:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Health Disparities in Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations.
• Office of Minority Health. (2023). Black or African American Populations.
• American Psychological Association. (2021). Stress and Health Disparities.
• Mental Health America. (2020). Black and African American Communities and Mental Health.
• Health Affairs. (2021). Racial Disparities in Health Care Quality.