Showing up to Black Men’s Wellness Day might have saved Joseph Holiday’s life, he said while attending the 5th annual event in Mississippi.
Downtown Jackson was one stop on the national “Wellness Day Tour” hosted by the African American Male Wellness Agency, and local organizers said over 450 people joined this year’s celebration. Volunteers and vendors worked in the sweltering 90-degree heat, offering tests for blood glucose and cholesterol levels, eye exams and education about prostate and colon cancers. Holiday, a first-time attendee, took full advantage of the free health screenings, especially the one for kidney disease.
“I’ve discovered that I have high numbers for my kidneys,” he said, referring to elevated protein levels that can indicate kidney damage. Holiday said he plans to go see the doctor right away — a big shift for someone with a self-described phobia of medical providers.
“My grandmother died from medical malpractice,” he told Mississippi Today, which contributed to his distrust of the healthcare system. “I needed to come out here so I could get away from self-therapy alone and really just take a chance with letting professional people aid me in my health.”
By completing all the screenings, Holiday got a T-shirt promoting “Wellness for everybody,” and actionable information for his own.
Joseph Holiday, a New Orleans native who now lives in Jackson, completed several health screenings at the 2026 Black Men’s Wellness Day. Credit: Anna Hu / Mississippi TodayOrganizers wanted the fair to reach people who otherwise wouldn’t have gotten checked out, said Allan Cole, a marketing executive and co-coordinator of the Jackson event along with Dr. Timothy Norris, a licensed professional counselor. Cole said the wellness day was held on a Saturday so people wouldn’t need to take off work to join, and to be a “family affair.”
“The challenge with getting men to the doctor is that men don’t like to go to the doctor,” Cole said. “It’s usually a family member, a loved one that will encourage (them).”
Justin Turner, an assistant professor at the University of Mississippi’s School of Medicine and a member of the planning committee, encouraged attendees to get checked out early, noting that Mississippi has the highest rate of preventable deaths in the country. The Mississippi State Department of Health reported in 2022 that Black Mississippians had a 14% higher rate of death due to heart-disease than white Mississippians, and the death rate for men in general was 63% higher than for women.
Turner pointed to several reasons why men might not seek medical care, including lack of health insurance and distrust in the healthcare system. A 2022 report from the Pew Research Center found that 55% of Black Americans had faced negative experiences at the doctor, including having their pain dismissed. Research shows that medical mistrust leads to delays in getting healthcare.
There’s also a mental aspect, Turner added.
“A lot of men feel like they want to be in control of their life,” he said. “So if they find out they have some type of health condition, now they feel vulnerable and they lose control.”
Petrina Smith, a retired nurse practitioner, prepares to take a blood sample from a Black Men’s Wellness Day volunteer on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. Credit: Anna Hu / Mississippi TodayTurner said he spoke to one man whose screening showed a blood-sugar level above 600 mg/dL, over three times the healthy level, and explained why that was concerning even though the man said he “felt fine.”
“An event like this, in a community center, provides a safe space for men to let their guard down, let their pride down,” he said, over the sounds of a DJ playing upbeat music and a game of double dutch. He said the health fair was one tool to help reverse Mississippi’s status as having among the lowest life expectancies in the nation.
“Mississippi does not have to be last in healthcare,” he said. Referring to national statistics, he added, “And our Black men in particular die five to seven years younger than white men.”
Friendship through a 5K race
In addition to the health screenings, a central component of each wellness day is the 5k walk or run. Dozens of participants took a twisting route through downtown streets to start and finish at the park, running the last blocks with Mississippi’s Old Capitol building at their back.
That’s where Will McDowell and Nikitna Barnes each made a new friend in each other. Looking at them chatting, an observer might not guess they had met just hours before. They showed up in nearly matching outfits, with black rimmed glasses, white athletic gear and silver jewelry.
Will McDowell, left, and Nikitna Barnes, right, ran together during the home stretch of the 2026 Black Men’s Wellness Day 5k on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. Credit: Anna Hu / Mississippi TodayMcDowell, who is retired from his IT role with the City of Jackson, has run the 5k every year since Black Men’s Wellness Day came to Jackson. For Barnes, who works for the Mississippi Community College Board, it was her first time at the event and her first 5k after getting a double knee replacement surgery years ago.
She was rounding the home stretch, near the Mississippi Museum of Art, when she saw McDowell alternating between a walk and a jog. Barnes told him, “I’m rolling with you,” and the two formed a team.
“I said, ‘Well, great.’ ‘Cause I was about to give up,” McDowell recounted. “And I said, ‘the Lord sent you to me.’”
He did several of the screenings after crossing the finish line, but much of it wasn’t a surprise.
“I’m one of those guys that know his numbers,” McDowell said. “On top of my health, I have three sons, and I want to be around for my sons.”
Barnes said she’s seen men taking pride in not going to the doctor
“Hate is a strong word,” she said. “But I hate that they take their health for granted. It’s okay to be tough and take care of yourself at the same time.”
“You’re right, man,” McDowell said, nodding beside her. “You’re right.”
This story was produced with support from the Sarah Yelena Haselhorst Fund for Health Journalism.
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