Beyond the Barbershop: An Open… | Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
sign up

The Campaign for the Culture is an initiative of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids focused on uniting, empowering, educating and engaging people of color and other targeted communities around critical healthcare and human rights issues connected to tobacco use, with the goal of inspiring young community members to avoid or quit tobacco use. This comprehensive initiative includes: a cultural conversations series, HBCU listening tour, virtual summit, dinner series and advocate profiles.

The campaign is focused on the following core pillars:

  • Educating the public and building awareness in Black and other impacted communities about the harmful effects of tobacco use.
  • Engaging the medical community and appealing to providers for support.
  • Mobilizing NGOs, policy experts, community leaders and key stakeholders to activate ground-level support for policies and actions.

UPCOMING EVENT

Beyond the Barbershop: An Open Conversation About Black Men's Health

June 15, 2023 • In-Person & Virtual
5:30–8:30 p.m. ET @ 600 F St NW, DC • Livestream: 6:30-8:00 p.m.

REGISTER  

Due to heavy tobacco industry targeting – particularly with menthol cigarettes – Black Americans suffer disproportionate health burdens related to tobacco use. Smoking-related illnesses are the number one cause of death in the Black community. And lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among Black men. Smoking is also a major cause of heart disease and stroke, the only conditions that kill more people in the Black community than lung cancer.

In this installment of our Campaign for the Culture conversation series, we’ll bring together a panel of healthcare professionals, policy experts and community activists for an open, intersectional discussion about the unique mental and physical health concerns of Black men – and the role that tobacco plays.

For the first time, we’ll be offering the opportunity to watch the panel discussion in-person, with pre- and post-event receptions. Please indicate on the registration form whether you'll attend in-person or watch online.

REGISTER  

The Take Down

The Take Down is a series of candid interviews about tobacco use and advocacy within communities most impacted by Big Tobacco’s tactics.


In this edition of the Take Down, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids’ Amani Desamours interviews Pastor Teresa Thomas-Boyd, a pastor of Matters of the Heart Christian Ministries who has been a community organizer for 25 years.Pastor Teresa’s work is focused on addressing tobacco-related health disparities faced by Black Americans and other marginalized communities through a faith-based lens.

In Conversation with Theresa Thomas-Boyd

READ MORE  

In Conversation with Dr. Valerie Yerger

READ MORE  

In Conversation with Ed Sanders and Kellie Hawkins

READ MORE  

In Conversation with Shauvon Simmons-Wright

READ MORE  

In Conversation with Earl Fowlkes, Jr.

READ MORE  

In Conversation with Dr. Larider Ruffin

READ MORE  

In Conversation with Laphonza Butler

READ MORE  

In Conversation with Dr. Patricia Nez Henderson

READ MORE  

In Conversation with Dr. Elena Rios

READ MORE  

In Conversation with Bryce Moore

READ MORE  

In Conversation with Lincoln Mondy

READ MORE  

My Family’s Relationship With Tobacco

READ MORE  


About This Issue

For decades, the tobacco industry has targeted Black Americans, especially youth, with marketing for menthol cigarettes and other tobacco products like flavored cigars.

The tobacco industry’s predatory marketing has had a devastating impact on Black health and lives. Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death among Black Americans, claiming 45,000 Black lives each year. Black Americans are disproportionately impacted by tobacco use and die at higher rates than other groups from tobacco-related diseases such as cancer, heart disease and stroke. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the Black community.

Now there is growing evidence that smoking and other tobacco use can increase risk for Covid-19, which has so disproportionately impacted Black Americans. There has never been a more important time to stop the tobacco industry from targeting Black Americans and other groups, prevent kids from using tobacco and help more tobacco users quit.

READ MORE

How Big Tobacco Targets Black Americans

Stay Connected

Sign up for updates about this issue. If your organization is interested in working with us, please contact us.