Supporting the Health & Wellness of Black & African American Men.

 

Black Men’s Wellness is a community-based initiative that addresses health concerns commonly affecting Black and African-American men, including high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, anxiety, and more.

Through culturally specific, trauma-informed workshops, we engage African-American men of all ages to identify and discuss health concerns they are currently experiencing and/or are susceptible to. We offer curriculum and activities focused on healthy eating and physical fitness to raise awareness, equip participants, and promote strategies for prevention.

Black Men’s Wellness was founded by community activist and educator Darrell Wade, who has over 20 years’ of experience providing direct services and advocacy centered around racial equity, public health, and wellness for underserved populations and communities of color.

The Community Need For Black Men’s Wellness

 

African-American men experience some of the highest rates of high blood pressure in the world. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 44% of African-American men have some form of cardiovascular disease. Compared to white men, they are also twice as likely to have a stroke, have strokes at younger ages, die from stroke, or have stroke-related disabilities that affect their daily activities. As members of the community, we know the impact of these and other health disparities, as well as the crucial need for services in Portland like the ones that Black Men’s Wellness provides.

Programming and Activities

 

Our Annual Programming and Activities include:

  • BMW understands that language barriers should never prevent community members from participating in programming. We have established partnerships with community organizations for translation services. Overall, cultural responsiveness and specificity underpin every aspect of BMW - from programs to operations and beyond.

  • Black Men’s Wellness focuses on the health and wellness of Black and Brown men and boys in and around Portland, a population systematically excluded from healthcare conversations to the detriment of their individual and collective health. And we know that Black men and boys in Oregon experience significant health disparities compared to other racial groups, including shorter life expectancies and higher rates of chronic diseases like hypertension and obesity.

  • Many of these health challenges, while impacted by other root causes such as mental health and income, can be traced back to nutrition. To help combat this, BMW has been providing 1:1 and group nutrition education services for years. BMW works with eight BIPOC community health workers, each with specific information for Black and Brown men in the Greater Portland area to advance health equity among BIPOC populations through the following service themes:

    - nutrition
    - fitness
    - outdoor activities 

    - wellness and disease prevention education