The African American Male Wellness Agency recently announced its annual Atlanta Black Men’s Wellness Day for Saturday, September 14, at the Morehouse College Public Health Sciences Institute.
For the past 5 Black Men’s Wellness Day Atlanta has been an annual event for years that includes a 5K run/walk and health screenings for black men. The goal is to get as many black men as possible to participate in free on-site health screenings that check their blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, HIV, STD/STI, Prostate cancer and more.
“We do this every year to save the lives of black men,” said Keith Dobbins, the Atlanta coordinator of the African American Male Wellness Agency Atlanta. “When you save a black man’s life, you save his family. When you save the family, you save the community. And that’s what we’re about: We want to create massive change through black men’s health.”
For the 2024 Atlanta Black Men’s Wellness Day, Greg Clay, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Constituent Services for the City of Atlanta, will serve as the 2024 Honorary Chair.
“I am thrilled to lead this annual action here in Atlanta as we work daily in my role with the city to combat health disparities and other issues,” Clay said. “This proactive movement is a true representation of Atlanta’s Group Project, where we work together to combat our community’s greatest challenges facing Black men.”
Also serving as local Atlanta ambassadors for Atlanta Black Men’s Wellness Day 2024:
- Representative from Georgia, Derrick Jackson (District 68)
- Georgia Representative Eric Bell, II (District 75)
- Tony Terry, R&B artist
- Ovie Mughelli, former Atlanta Falcons, health consultant
- Rafiq Ahmad, former president of 100 Black Men of South Metro Atlanta
- Merlin Knight, Vice President of the Greater South Fulton Chamber of Commerce
- Jared C. Fields, chairman of the Mirror 100 mentoring program of 100 black men from South Metro Atlanta
- Dr. Parion Alexander, board-certified physician assistant, The Family Health Centers of Georgia
- J. Levesnton Bell II, Vice President of Mental Health and Well-Being, The AON Initiative
- Langston Longley, Principal, Scott Elementary School
- Hamilton Abbott, Youth Ambassador
Last year, Black Men’s Wellness Day attracted over 1,500 people who received free health screenings and participated in the festivities. Morehouse School of Medicine is partnering again this year to conduct the health screenings.
“Black Men’s Wellness Day in Atlanta is more than just an event – it is a movement toward health equity and empowerment for African American men,” said Kenny R. Hampton, president of the African American Male Wellness Agency. “By addressing the health disparities that disproportionately affect our community, we not only improve the lives of individuals, but we also strengthen families and communities. Our mission is to provide the necessary tools and resources to enable Black men to live healthier, longer lives, and this event is critical to making that vision a reality.”
Since 2004, the National African American Male Wellness Agency (AA Wellness Agency) has hosted a 5K run and march in over 15 cities as an awareness campaign to highlight the fact that black men die, on average, 12 years earlier than their white counterparts. For 20 years, the AA Wellness Agency has worked to save black men’s lives, close the health gap, and help black men live longer without preventable disease.
In addition to the 5K run/walk and free on-site health screenings, Atlanta Black Men’s Wellness Day 2024 will also feature live entertainment and family-friendly fun, including a dedicated area for kids.
Sponsors of Atlanta Black Men’s Wellness Day 2024 include Johnson & Johnson, CareSource, Genentech, Kaiser Permanente, Kroger Delivery, Care Access and Inside Edge Consulting.
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