By Linda M. Dixon, Director, Health Justice
Every June, Men’s Health Month offers a moment to reflect and raise awareness about preventable health conditions, to encourage early detection and treatment, and to remind men and boys of all ages that their health matters. But awareness without action only goes so far. And for Black men in Mississippi, real, sustained, policy-driven action is long overdue.
We know that Black men in Mississippi carry a disproportionate burden when it comes to serious health conditions. Heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, prostate cancer, and HIV affect Black men at significantly higher rates. These aren’t random outcomes. They are the predictable result of decades of systemic neglect, inadequate access to healthcare, and a public health infrastructure that has rarely centered the specific needs of Black men. And yet, when we look at the policy landscape, we find very little that is designed with Black men in mind. This shouldn’t surprise us. It wasn’t long ago that the same could be said about Black women.
Black women experienced the consequences of racial inequities in a healthcare system that wasn’t designed to protect their overall health and well-being. Through collaboration, policy advocacy and listening to impacted individuals and communities – incremental progress is being made. It is time to apply that same model to the health of Black men in Mississippi. We don’t yet have a comprehensive policy agenda for Black men’s health, but we want you to help us build one.
Building one takes time, intention, and above all, it takes listening. What would a Black men’s health agenda look like in Mississippi? We don’t presume to know the full answer yet. That’s the point. But we know it should address:
- Access to affordable, culturally competent primary care and preventive services;
- Mental health support that is destigmatized and meets Black men where they are;
- Targeted HIV prevention, testing, and treatment resources;
- Prostate cancer screening and education;
- Policies that address the social determinants of health — economic insecurity, housing instability, and exposure to environmental hazards — that shape health outcomes long before a man ever walks into a clinic.
This Men’s Health Month, our ask is simple: join us.
If you are a Black man in Mississippi, or if you love one, work alongside one, or care about what happens to Black men, we want to hear from you. Tell us what you’re experiencing. Tell us what’s working and what isn’t. Tell us what barriers stand between you and good health. Tell us the policies you wish existed.
Any good public health policy begins with listening. It begins with breaking down stigma and creating space for honest conversation. It begins with trusting that the people most affected by a problem are also closest to its solutions. We’re ready to listen.
MCJ’s Health Justice Campaign is working to document the lived experience of Mississippians accessing health care. We would like to hear from you. Share your story here.
To learn more about the Health Justice Campaign, click here.