The Center for Closing the Health Gap Men’s Health Initiative is hosting a Black Men’s Health Town Hall on Thursday, October 4, 2018 from 6 to 8 p.m. at South Avondale Elementary School, 636 Prospect Place. The theme of the inaugural town hall is “Why Are Black Men Dying?” The community health conversation will focus on several health issues that support the belief that more people are killed by the end of a fork than a gun.

The Town Hall is a pre-event for the annual Avondale Development Corporation “Feet in the Street” 5K Run & African-American Male Wellness Walk held Saturday, October 6, 2018 in Lincoln Park, 3495 Reading Road.

In the United States, black men have the lowest life expectancy and the highest death rate compared to men and women of other racial or ethnic groups.  According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• Black men live almost 10 years less than other racial groups
• 40 percent of black men die prematurely from cardiovascular disease compared to 21 percent of white men
• Black men have a higher incidence and a higher rate of death from oral cancer
• Black men have a higher death rate than women for all leading causes of death
• Black men have a higher incidence of diabetes and prostate cancer
• Black males have a higher suicide rate. It is the 3^rd leading cause of death in 15 to 24-year-olds

The Black Men’s Health Town Hall will be moderated by Health Gap CEO, Dwight Tillery, who is known for saying, “You don’t have to be in prison to be on death row.” His saying will help shape the conversation at the community health conversation and provide the five panelist a foundation to discuss several health issues that affect Black men. The five panelists are Dr. Ken Davis, Dr. Keith Melvin, Dr. Keith Robinson, Court Billups, a gym-owner and John Stevens, a psychologist.