Focusing on Black Men's Health: Dr. Torian Easterling and nonprofit CEO Chris Williams

Chris Williams is the founder and CEO of Heart, Body, and Soul a Brooklyn-based nonprofit focused on Black men's health. Dr. Torian Easterling is the Senior Vice President for Population and Community Health at One Brooklyn Health, a safety net health system that services Central Brooklyn. He formerly served as the First Deputy Commissioner for the New York City Health Department. Both Williams and Easterling spoke with the Amsterdam News about Black health for men and ways to work together as a community.

- By HEATHER M. BUTTS, JD, MPH, MA Special to the AmNews

AmNews: Talk about why there's such a need to talk about these disparities at this moment in Black health for men?

Dr. Torian Easterling: I think there are a couple of reasons. The thing that we always have to keep top of mind is, the reason why we see these disparities and inequities in our data is because we have an erosion of trust, built over time, from our healthcare institutions. We have seen a lack of resources that have been invested in communities that have experienced these inequities. And there has never been a time where we can say unequivocally that the data shows that everyone is really doing well [with their health].

We have always seen these disparities when you're talking about Black populations versus other populations. So I think if we just want to put it in context, what we're really talking about is the ways in which structural racism and inequities have really impacted the health and well-being of Black people within this country. What are our actions? What are our strategies? Particularly, when we're talking about Black men, we need to think about what are those resources that are available and that aren't available? Then we also have to talk about how we restore that trust? How do we repair the harm that has been caused?

Christopher Williams: Right now it's extremely critical that we pay even closer attention because we've seen a lot of changes when it comes to the funding that's available to organizations that are focused on communities of color.