EVANSVILLE, IN – The Indiana Commission on the Social Status of Black Males (ICSSBM) will host the Annual Indiana Black Barbershop Health Initiative for the tenth year. This statewide event will be held in conjunction with local commissions and community partners, and will offer free health screenings and education at local barbershops from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in 16 cities. The initiative will take place in Evansville on Saturday, April 16, 2022 and is hosted locally by the Evansville Commission on the Social Status of African American Males, and other community groups. The initiative seeks to enlighten African American men on how to understand chronic diseases through screening and education.

Melissa Morehead Moore, Chairperson of the Evansville Commission on the Social Status of African-American Males, invites the community to come out and participate. “Black barbershops serve as a therapy center and place of healing for Black men that show up every few weeks. The foundation of a relationship between Black men and their barber is built on trust. If barbers trust medical professionals to conduct screenings in their shops, Black men are more likely to trust them and seek annual preventative medical advice and care”.

It has been nearly a decade since we began this journey of reaching out to Black men in barbershops to promote positive health outcomes through healthy diets, exercise and regular doctor visits. We believe that this initiative has been beneficial, and we thank all the barbershops for opening their doors year-after-year and providing their patrons with this opportunity,” Moore said.

On Saturday, April 16, free screenings and giveaways will be provided from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the following barbershops:

Fila’s Designs
1010 S. Kentucky Avenue
Evansville, IN 47714

Jerald’s Barbershop
1337 E. Walnut St.
Evansville, IN 47714

Shark’s Den Barbershop
765 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN 47713

Lynch’s House of Coiffure
555 Kentucky Avenue
Evansville, IN 47713

Going Forward Barber & Beauty Shop
1015 E. Riverside Drive
Evansville, IN 47714

Super Fresh
1101 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN 47714

Verna’s Hair Emporium
1041 S. Weinbach Avenue
Evansville, IN 47714

Chinnos
2417 Washington Avenue
Evansville, IN 47714

N-Handz Barber & Beauty Shop
1523 S. Green River Road
Evansville, IN 47715

Recent figures from the Indiana Department of Health show African American men have the highest mortality rate of any group in Indiana. African American men also suffer from prostate cancer at a higher level in Indiana than any other racial or ethnic group.

Local partners include the City of Evansville and the Evansville Commission on the Social Status of African-American Males, Red Cross of Southwest Indiana, Community Action Program of Evansville (Minority Health Initiative), Ivy Tech Community College, Southwest Indiana Area Health Education Center (SWI-AHEC) hosted by the University of Southern Indiana, Evansville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., The Darrell Ragland Foundation for Living with Pancreatic Cancer, Black Nurses of Evansville, Echo Community Health Care, WEOA Radio (98.5), John D. Herring, Jr. and TransAmerica Agency Network. To learn more about the health outreach effort, and to view a complete list of the barbershops involved, please go to https://ibbhi.com.