By Aswad Walker | Houston Defender | Word In Black
This post was originally published on Defender Network
(WIB) – Houston’s 3rd Annual Black Men’s Wellness Day has passed, enjoying once again an impressive turnout of vendors, service providers and the general public, all collaborating to improve the health of Black brothers.
But where does Houston go from here? How can “Black Male Wellness” become a daily reality for Houston’s Black male population (and for those they love)? What lessons were gleaned from this year’s Black Men’s Wellness Day that can make good health among Black men the norm rather than the exception?
Be Our Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper
Coach Shel’va Patterson of Katy is the passionate and dedicated life, mental wellness and relationship coach behind Divine Life Connections. She’s on a mission to empower individuals to reach their fullest potential and live a life of balance, clarity, and purpose.
While at the recent Black Men’s Wellness Day, held this year at the University of Houston, she had one powerful piece of advice for making wellness a daily reality instead of just a one-day focus.
“Check on yourself and your loved ones,” Patterson said with a smile, about the power of being our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers.
Make the Necessary Changes
Andre suffered a major heart attack in 2016. Luckily, he survived. But he didn’t settle for just surviving. Andre committed himself to making the necessary changes in his life to reduce the risk of having another heart attack.
“I’ve been taking my health seriously ever since then, keeping my weight down, getting my blood pressure checked and supporting events like this,” he said.
Be an Example for Others
Dr. James Joseph, a longtime Houston activist and community change agent, attended the Black Men’s Wellness Day event for himself and others.
“I’m here to represent Black men in the Houston/Harris County area, making sure that we’re here to get checked,” said Joseph, whose health numbers reflected someone half his age. “I’m making sure that we’re going to the doctor. I want to be not just a sample but an example for our community.”
To Joseph’s point, often the best advice a person can give is their lived testimony; their example.
Get Creative With Your Fitness
Niecy Fit and Level One Fitness, two powerhouses in the world of workout wellness, have joined forces to offer Fit on Wheels, which, according to Niecy Fit is “the first and only mobile fitness truck in Texas.”
Before leading them in a workout, Niecy spoke to the Black Men’s Wellness Day crowd about the Black-owned entity that brings the fitness workout and coaches to you.
That kind of creativity regarding our wellness can help make it a daily reality for many.
Encourage One Another
Karen Johnson’s World Youth Foundation (WYF) is legendary for its work empowering Houston-area young people. Johnson is also about encouraging Black men to get and stay healthy.
“We know how paramount [health] is, and today WYF has brought Pepsico and Frito Lay to stand bold with the African American Men’s Wellness Agency on behalf of the 3rd Annual Walk,” said Johnson. “Are you making your health a priority? Health is our wellness, and we cannot navigate through this journey that God has blessed us with without keeping our health as number one.”
Carmen Herrera of United Way of Greater Houston concurred.
“We are excited to be here for the third year in a row supporting our Black men’s health… And we need our Black men healthy,” Herrera said. “When the man is healthy, the family is healthy and the community is healthy.”
Kay, the Beauty of PR is also about encouragement.
“Black men, we need you. We need y’all to be in y’all’s best shape and form as possible,” said Kay. “This event is important because I want to support those who believe in themselves and who are about breaking generational curses.”
Challenge one Another
Longtime on-air radio celebrity The Madd Hatta attended the wellness event to ensure his health was good. He also took the time to share with the Defender an action that can be utilized to make wellness for Black men a regular thing.
Hatta challenged his brothers.
“We as Black men, we are on top of a lot of things. We’re on top of our cars, our businesses. We’re on top of our families, making sure that they’re okay,” said Hatta. “We make sure that everybody is great. And generally, when it comes to our mental health, when it comes to our physical health, we are lagging.
“As men, we don’t break down in front of our brother and have a conversation. We don’t go to the doctor and do our maintenance check-up, the same way we do a maintenance check-up on our car. It’s mind-boggling to me that it’s 2025 and we still ain’t on top of our health. Black men, we’ve got to get better.”
Support Support Systems
Research shows that individuals with strong relational ties and support systems tend to have better health outcomes. So, it stands to reason that Houston Strong Children’s Services manned a booth at the recent event to share their support systems with attendees.
“We are building a Strong SMART Innovation Center here in Houston,” the group’s representative said. “We are a foster care and adoption agency, and our Strong SMART Innovation Center is going to be meeting trauma where it’s at and changing the narrative. We’re trying to get these kids interested and changing the trajectory of their lives. We’re giving them skills, and interest in those skills so they thrive… and become strong leaders and innovators in the future.”
Love on Black Men
Shona and Carla, representing We Love Black Men, attended the wellness event for that reason.
“We’re here because Black men need to understand their health and wellness, and invest in it,” Carla said while Shona offered supportive nods. “So, we’re here to support them, because we love Black men.”