IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1591 

Recognizing the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program’s contribution 

to the national fight against health disparities through education, community involvement, research, and culturally relevant strategies that seek 

to improve health outcomes in Black communities across the country. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 30, 2010 

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida (for himself, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Ms. 

MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. RICHARDSON, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, 

Mr. RUSH, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland, 

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. MEEK of 

Florida, Mr. RANGEL, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. 

DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Ms. NORTON, and Mr. CLAY) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program’s contribution to the national fight against health 

disparities through education, community involvement, 

research, and culturally relevant strategies that seek to 

improve health outcomes in Black communities across 

the country. 

Whereas cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes 

are leading causes of death and disability in the United 

States, and cost hundreds of billions of dollars in health 

services, medication, and lost productivity each year; 


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•HRES 1591 IH 

Whereas many individuals experience more than one of these 

health conditions simultaneously, increasing the probability that they will develop additional related health 

conditions, experience complications as a result of such 

conditions, or die prematurely; 

Whereas cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes 

are largely preventable and manageable through appropriate health education, healthier lifestyle habits, proper 

adherence to medication and treatment regimens, and 

routine utilization of primary care; 

Whereas educational, cultural, social, genetic, environmental, 

and economic factors (including inadequate access to 

quality health care services) contribute to disproportionately high rates of hypertension and diabetes among African-Americans, and to the increased risk of complications, comorbidities, and death that accompany these conditions; 

Whereas non-Hispanic Blacks living in the United States 

have the highest prevalence of hypertension in the world; 

Whereas non-Hispanic Blacks are the most likely to develop 

diabetes and to suffer from the complications that can result from untreated or unmanaged diabetes (including 

amputation, blindness, kidney failure, and end-stage 

renal disease); 

Whereas although non-Hispanic Blacks are less likely to be 

diagnosed with heart disease, they are more likely than 

other groups in the United States to— 

(1) die from cardiovascular disease; and 

(2) experience complications resulting from the disease; 


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•HRES 1591 IH 

Whereas African-American men are especially vulnerable to 

the impacts of racial health disparities, as reflected by 

the fact that Black men have the lowest average life expectancy of any group in the United States; 

Whereas a lack of trust, cultural barriers, and other barriers 

to accessing routine primary care have prevented many 

Black men from significantly benefitting from interventions and treatments that were designed to diagnose, 

manage, and prevent cardiovascular disease, diabetes, 

and hypertension; 

Whereas culturally competent health education and delivery 

methods are essential to— 

(1) preventing and combating racial health disparities; and 

(2) maximizing the effectiveness of current and future treatments and resources that are intended to 

achieve and support better health in African-American 

communities; 

Whereas historically, there have been few widespread, wellfunded, and well-known projects or institutions that use 

culturally relevant and scientifically based strategies and 

models to focus on improving health education, awareness, and outcomes for Black men; 

Whereas Black-owned barbershops have served as cultural institutions in the Black community for generations, regularly attract large and diverse groups of Black men, and 

provide health advocates with an opportunity to empower 

and educate Black men about health issues in a trusted 

and familiar space; 

Whereas in December 2007, the Diabetic Amputation Prevention Foundation launched the Black Barbershop 


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•HRES 1591 IH 

Health Outreach Program to increase public awareness 

about cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension 

among Black men by partnering with Black-owned barbershops, and local leaders, facilities, and organizations, 

to provide culturally specific education and health services to Black men; 

Whereas the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program addresses cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes 

in Black men by— 

(1) providing screening for hypertension and diabetes; 

(2) disseminating information on early detection, 

management, and prevention of such conditions; 

(3) producing innovative and scientifically based research; and 

(4) referring men to facilities that can address additional health and medical needs; 

Whereas the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program expanded its focus from hypertension, diabetes, and heart 

disease to include prostate cancer, which African-American men are more likely to develop and die from than 

any other group in the United States; 

Whereas the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program 

has screened over 10,000 men in 230 Black-owned barbershops for diabetes, hypertension, and prostate cancer 

across the country since December 2007; 

Whereas the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program 

plans to screen 20,000 men in 2010 and 500,000 men 

by 2012; 


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•HRES 1591 IH 

Whereas the health status of family members and spouses of 

Black men, and their environment, culture, and daily 

habits can— 

(1) play a large role in determining the risk that a 

Black man will develop cardiovascular disease, hypertension, or diabetes; and 

(2) provide opportunities for executing sustainable 

solutions to these conditions; and 

Whereas the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program 

will also target Black-owned beauty shops to reach Black 

women, and take a holistic approach to diagnosing, preventing, and managing cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes in the Black community: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) commends the Black Barbershop Health 

3 Outreach Program for its valuable contribution to 

4 community health and the national fight against ra5 cial health disparities; 

6 (2) expresses the need to support organizations, 

7 programs, and initiatives that— 

8 (A) use culturally relevant education and 

9 scientifically based research; and 

10 (B) partner with local networks and re11 sources to empower individuals to become in12 formed health advocates in their communities; 

13 and 


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1 (3) expresses a commitment to support commu2 nity-oriented approaches to health reform in health 

3 legislation and initiatives arising at both the State 

4 and Federal levels. 

Æ 


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