Editor's Letter - Summer 2008

by Hilary Beard

Celebrating Men's Health



When I learned that Michael Wilbon, cohost of one of my favorite shows, ESPN’s PTI: Pardon the Interruption, had suffered a heart attack the weekend before the Super Bowl, I was filled with dread. Michael was only 50 and about to become a first-time father. Would he join the long list of young brothas—now including both Gerald and Sean LeVert—who’d met their Maker too soon? Thankfully, he survived. But how ironic that, like so many men who worship Adonis-like athletes, this sports expert hadn’t taken care of his health. Today he’s taking charge.

Unfortunately, many brothas mistrust the medical system and won’t go to the doctor. So when diagnosed with a life-changing medical condition—such as prostate cancer, which disproportionately affects black men—they’re ill prepared to decide the best course of action. Too often they panic and do whatever the prostate doc suggests, rather than researching what treatment is best for them. Click here to find a three-step decision-making guide designed to empower men to take those decisions into their own hands.

One of the best approaches to disease prevention is a healthy diet. Here, author and chef Bryant Terry reminds us that soul food used to come from the backyard rather than a can, box or take-out container. This summer, with garden-fresh produce readily available, why not try one of Terry’s soulful summer side dishes?