Young urban black men are overwhelmingly the victims and perpetrators of violent crime in the U.S. Troubled by this tragedy -- and his medical colleagues apparent numbness in the face of it -- Dr. Rich, a black man who grew up in relative comfort, reached out to many of these young patients to learn why they lived in a seemingly endless cycle of violence and how it affected them.
Dr. John A. Rich is the chair of and a professor in the Department of Health Management and Policy at the Drexel University School of Public Health, where he is also the director of the Center of Academic Public Health Practice. He was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2006 and is the former medical director of the Boston Public Health Commission and the Young Men's Health Clinic in Boston.
Joining Dr. Rich at this program: Roy Martin, a senior youth development specialist in the Youth Development Network, Boston Public Health Commission. He helps connect young men with health and social services they desperately need. Previously Martin worked as a network manager and constituent services manager in the office of Senator John Kerry. Martin combines his wisdom from the streets with his passion for social justice to help young men survive and heal from the trauma of their lives.
Recorded On: Tuesday, March 16, 2010