New York, it’s time.
Time to stop surviving and start thriving. Time to reclaim our joy, our health, and our power. Time to gather—brothers, families, healers, allies—and make a collective declaration: Black men deserve to live. Fully. Loudly. Proudly.
That’s what The Black Man’s Health Festival® is all about.
On Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7, 2025, we return to Brooklyn—not just with another festival, but with a fire lit deep in our spirits. After everything we’ve been through in recent years—COVID, cancer, heart attacks, police violence, daily stress, a system built to limit our growth—we’re still here. Still standing. Still living. Still thriving. Still healing.
This year, we’re doing it bigger. Bolder. And more rooted than ever in our culture, community, and care.
This Started With My Pain—But It Became Our Purpose
When I survived multiple heart attacks and stage III appendiceal cancer, I had to face the truth: we’re dying too young, too often, and too quietly. Not because we’re broken, but because the systems around us are.
That’s why I created Heart, Body & Soul, Inc. This isn’t just a nonprofit—it’s a call to action. A movement to rewrite our health story. Because health isn’t just about doctors and diagnoses—it’s about access, joy, movement, touch, nutrition, connection, culture.
And that’s what this festival delivers.
The Line-Up: Wellness Meets Vibes
Friday, June 6 @ 6 PM | Sweat Fete @ Crown Hill Theatre
We kick it off with Sweat Fete—a high-energy, dance party where Soca, Dancehall, Afrobeats, Amapiano, Hip-Hop, and community joy collide. It’s a reminder that taking care of your body can feel good. Every dollar raised supports our mission. Come sweat with us for something bigger.
Saturday, June 7 @ 11 AM–6 PM | The Black Man’s Health Festival + Community Block Party @ Weeksville Heritage Center
We’re shutting down the block and opening up our hearts. Expect:
- Live DJs & Movement Workshops
- Free Grooming in the Self-Care Lounge (barbers, locticians, manicurist)
- Yoga, Breathwork, and Meditation
- Ask-The-Doctor Booth + On-Site Health Screenings
- Massage, Reiki and Chiropractic Services
- Local Vendors, Food, and Artisans
- Healing Village—a gathering of brothers joining together to guide you and provide tips that can carry you through stressful times
This isn’t just for Black men—it’s for our whole ecosystem. Our mothers, partners, kids, and friends. Everyone who believes our lives are worth fighting for.
Why Traditional Medicine Matters to Me
Western medicine saved my life. But African and Caribbean healing traditions sustain it. Our ancestors passed down knowledge about herbs, movement, breath, community, and food as medicine. This year, we’re making space for that legacy.
You’ll find herbalists, Reiki practitioners, energy workers, and elder wisdom in our Soulful Sanctuary and Healing Village. Because our healing isn’t complete without remembering where we came from.
It Takes A Village—Meet the Movement
This festival thrives because of a powerful coalition of partners, each bringing their own magic to this movement:
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center – One of the world’s leading cancer institutions, MSK is bringing trusted health screenings, cancer prevention education, and life-saving resources to our community—with respect and cultural humility.
BKLYN Cardio – Dedicated to preventing heart disease in communities of color, BKLYN Cardio shows up for us with the tools and guidance Black men need to protect their hearts—literally.
African Ancestry – They help us do more than heal—they help us remember. Through DNA tracing and cultural reconnection, African Ancestry empowers us to root our health journey in our ancestral truth.
Men At Work Healing – A supportive brotherhood that helps men explore manhood through story, purpose, healing, and play.
Urban Asanas – Jyll Hubbard-Salk’s yoga studio in Crown Heights is a sacred space where Black and Brown bodies are centered, honored, and uplifted.
Life Wellness Center – A Bed-Stuy anchor offering massage, chiropractic care, acupuncture, reiki and healing products steeped in community love.
Soca Run Festival – Health meets heritage in this cultural mash-up of fitness and Caribbean pride.
Dead The Silence – Breaking the cycle of silence around mental health with real talk, resources, and radical community.
Brooklyn Tea – Pouring love, culture, and healing into every cup, this Black-owned gem is both a business and a movement.
Platinum Cuts Barbershop – A community safe haven where the clippers come with conversation, affirmation, and care.
Thando Kafele – The King of Locs, reminding us that our hair is sacred and our roots run deep.
Eloria Michelle – A beauty pro who shows us that caring for your skin is caring for your spirit.
These folks embody the soul of the festival—authentic, grounded, and all in for our healing.
This Is Not a Moment—It’s a Movement
If you’ve been tired, burnt out, or feeling unseen… this weekend is for you.
If you’re ready to show up for your health and the health of your brothers… this weekend is for you.
If you believe that Black men deserve to be whole—in body, mind, and soul—this weekend is yours.
Join us. Sweat with us. Heal with us. Dance with us.
Let’s show the world what it looks like when Black men choose to live.
RSVP and learn more: www.iamhbs.org/the-black-mans-health-festival-2025
