September 5, 2024
Civil Rights Icon Launches Challenge For Black Men’s Prostate Cancer Awareness
Civil rights Icon Dr. Charles D. Neblett has launched an initiative through his family's nonprofit to promote prostate cancer awareness among Black men.
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and civil rights icon Dr. Charles D. Neblett, MD, is launching a new project to promote equity in healthcare for the Black community.
After being diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer, Neblett launched the #BlackProstateCheckChallenge, calling on Black prostate cancer survivors and patients to share their respective journeys using the hashtag.
Through the #BlackProstateCheckChallenge initiative, Neblett’s family nonprofit organization, Community Projects, Inc., aims to create “open dialogue, overcome stigmas and fears, capture snapshots of experiences, and share information and resources to reveal the complex issues of health equity concerns among Black men.”
“To give a platform to the often-ignored opinions of African American men, we launched this challenge to give them space to be heard,” said Kwesi Neblett, president of Community Projects, Inc., creator of the #BlackProstateCancerChallenge, and son of Dr. Neblett, in a press release shared with BLACK ENTERPRISE.
“Right now, we need to pay attention to what Black men as patients care about. We’ve asked doctors and policymakers to pay attention and listen to the relevant social media updates regarding urgent issues right now.”
According to the American Cancer Society, Black men are more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer, with 1 out of every 6 receiving a diagnosis in comparison to 1 out of every 8 white men. Moreover, statistics show that Black men also experience a greater mortality rate from the disease, being twice as high as that of white men.
“Health disparities are everyone’s problem,” said Dr. Lisa Cooper, MD. “Many factors contributing to inequality in America stem from a history of unequal opportunities and unjust treatment for people in vulnerable communities. Everyone is affected by the factors that harm the health of the most disadvantaged individuals, not just those individuals themselves.”
Through the #BlackProstateCancerChallenge initiative, taking place across Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Threads, and Facebook, Community Projects has tapped several physicians specializing in treating and providing the masses resources to promote prostate cancer awareness resources, including Johns Hopkins’ Dr. Clayton Yates, Dr. Otis Brawley, Dr. Lisa Cooper, along with concierge medicine operator Dr. Naysha Isom, and community activist and the initiative’s co-creator Doug Davis.
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