SOME OF THE BLACK MEN AT THE “REAL MEN, REAL TALK” SESSION, HELD, JAN. 14, AT THE AWAACC. (PHOTO BY J.L. MARTELLO)
Mental and physical health is top of mind
With every passing week, it seems like there’s another meeting, or a forum, or a seminar, meant to unite Black men and allow them to just…be vulnerable.
The African American Male Wellness Agency, which was started in Columbus, Ohio, has made its way to Pittsburgh. Some know the group from its inaugural wellness walk that was held last summer at Westinghouse Park in Point Breeze, where 300 people in attendance came out, and roughly 140 men were signed up for free doctor’s appointments.
On Jan. 14, 2025, the organization held a “Real Men, Real Talk” session at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center. A few dozen Black men coming together on an otherwise ordinary Tuesday evening, but for a formidable cause.
“If we don’t come together and start dealing with these internal battles as a whole, especially as Black men, then we won’t be able to help our Black women, our Black kids and our Black communities,” voiced Meleak Potter, one of the Black men in attendance. Potter, a real estate professional, grew up on the East Side of Pittsburgh. He said at the outset of the session, the men took their “masks off.” In other words, come to this meeting not as your representative, or as the person the outside world wants you to be, but as authentically, unapologetically you.
“The initial start off of vulnerability, looking each other in the eyes, touching hands, really breaking down the barriers,” Potter told the Courier. “You gotta get uncomfortable to get comfortable with each other.”
THE “REAL MEN, REAL TALK” SESSION, JAN. 14, AT THE AUGUST WILSON AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER. (PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO)
In recent years, there’s been a push across the country to get more Black males to care more about their mental health and wellness. For so many years, Black men were taught to hold things in, be strong, not show weakness.
THE MEN AT THE EVENT, TAKING OFF THEIR “MASKS.”
Not anymore.
“We’re always fathers, cousins, dads, uncles…we are scared to be vulnerable,” said Terence Starr, who organized the event. “We just wanted to create a platform to just come and be you. Let’s all be men and find some fellowship and friendship among each other.”
Over the two-hour event at the AWAACC, various physical exercises were done to promote unity and fellowship, along with just those tough conversations that must be had to put Black men in a better position to win.
“They judge us off the one percent that they see, and I want to show that there’s a lot of educated African American males in this world,” Starr, who was born and raised in Pittsburgh, told the Courier. “And we mean well, if someone comes in, digs deep and talks to us.”
Among those at the Pittsburgh event was the founder of the African American Male Wellness Agency, John Gregory. He said back in 2004 in Columbus, Ohio, when he started the organization, there were no large-scale events or entities that were strictly focused on Black men’s mental health and wellness. In today’s times, when his organization has a large event in Columbus, the event draws 40,000 people. In other cities where the organization goes, 10,000 people show up. He’s hoping it can get to that point attendance-wise in Pittsburgh.
“What we attempt to do is create an environment where we can trust each other,” Gregory told the Courier. “They know it’s not a scam. They know nobody’s trying to hurt them. And so we see a change in Black men’s attitudes towards trying to better themselves from a health perspective, from an educational perspective and from a mental wellness perspective.”
Gregory said Black men die from things like heart disease, cancer and stroke, oftentimes because Black men aren’t on top of their health as much as they should. “The life expectancy of a Black man in this country is about 12 years difference, and depending on some areas, 18 and 20 years difference.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, Black men have a life expectancy of 71.9 years, compared to 76.4 for White men. Black women have a life expectancy of 78.5, while White women have the longest life expectancy at 81.2.
Potter told the Courier when it comes to dealing with “the hard things in life, the challenges,” speaking openly about them to other Black men is important. “It’s not always given to us to have a space that’s safe to be able to talk about these things and come together.”
AN EXERCISE AT THE MEN’S EVENT WAS FOR TWO MEN TO PAIR UP, RAISE HANDS, TOUCH HANDS, AND THEN SPEAK TO EACH OTHER.
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