Atlanta lit up with star power as athletes, entertainers, and advocates came together for “Blitz the Barriers ATL” on Sept. 8, a one-of-a-kind event blending culture, courage and a call to action.
ZERO Prostate Cancer (ZERO), Novartis, Morehouse School of Medicine, and BlackDoctor.org partnered to host the evening, during September National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, to shine a spotlight on the urgent need to address the disease which disproportionately affects Black men.
The event was moderated by Emmy Award-winning sportscaster Ernie Johnson Jr., who shared his own emotional journey with cancer before leading a powerful conversation with a lineup of well-known names, including Music executive Dr. Mathew Knowles, R&B legend Montell Jordan, former NFL greats Edgar Fields and Phil McKinnely, and Dr. Leanne Woods-Burnham, of Morehouse School of Medicine’s Prostate Cancer Precision Prevention Program (PCP3).
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“[Tonight] is a declaration. It’s a call to action. Right here, in Atlanta, where prostate cancer has one of the highest death rates in the country. This is where we start,” Johnson explained.
RELATED: Blitz the Barriers: Edgar Fields on Tackling Prostate Cancer
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Johnson set the tone for the candid discussion from the beginning by letting the audience of mostly men know that he is aware of why some men are hesitant, but why the `why’ is worth it.
“Therein lies the issue sometimes: early detection and getting it checked and seeing your doctor and getting over yourself, and getting over that fear, and that apprehension, and just doing it,” Johnson explained. “It’s for the long term.”
Voices of Experience, Voices of Hope
ZERO global ambassador Knowles, best known for guiding the careers of his superstar daughters Beyoncé, Solange, and mega-group Destiny’s Child, had many of the nearly 300 audience attendees predominantly males, near tears with his raw honesty about how he found tiny blood droplets on the sheets before his original cancer diagnosis. He additionally shared how after hearing the PSA numbers of the other panelists that evening he was concerned – with his being “much higher.”
“Guys in this room, you have an opportunity that you don’t ever have to be on the stage,” Knowles warned the guests in the room. “This is a stage that you don’t want to be on. So please listen.”
RELATED: Blitz the Barriers: Dwight Eubanks on Changing the Prostate Cancer Conversation
R&B legend Montell Jordan, a prostate cancer survivor himself, made a bold declaration that resonated: “I am not afraid of cancer. Cancer should be afraid of me.”
Jordan recently announced that his prostate cancer had returned. He shared how he was filming a documentary, Sustain, with his wife that was following his family’s journey and what will ultimately lead to him being cured.
Jordan later explained to the audience: “I’m a Global Ambassador for ZERO Prostate Cancer. I’ll be using the platform and my influence and everything that I have in the years to come to bring light to this treatable disease.”
Backed by the NFL Players Choir, Jordan gave a special live performance that reimagined his hit “This Is How We Do It” into an anthem for survival: “This is How We Cure It” – with song lyrics, like “ZERO does it like nobody does.”
Former NFL greats Edgar Fields and Phil McKinnely added powerful voices from the world of sports, addressing stigma, family impact, and faith.
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One of the biggest issues around prostate cancer and the Black community is stigma, Fields said.
“How can we deliver that message to someone? How can we tell that young brother in the streets, who doesn’t want to get tested, who is misinformed that somebody’s going to stick their finger up your butt instead of a quick blood test? We have to educate,” Fields said.
Once diagnosed, the prostate becomes about so much more, Fields added. You need to really call on your family and faith.
“This battle may involve a man, but (also) involves your family. When you deal with that prostate issue, your mate, your spouse, whomever is right there with you. And it involves them because they see what’s going on through your mind,” Fields said.
McKinnely said, that for him disbelief was another hurdle he had to face early on.
“The first thing I thought about was, ‘Well, I feel good. Nothing wrong with me. I’m probably in one of the best shapes in my life. How could this happen?’”, McKinnely said. When reality set it, he had to face the challenge head on.
“I just had to trust God. I mean, yeah, there’s fear because something can happen. But he’s in charge. For me personally, I had to release it to him. And once I did that, I had peace.”
RELATED: Blitz the Barriers: Dr. Leanne Woods-Burnham on Prostate Cancer Prevention
Leaders Beyond the Spotlight
While the panels were compelling, the Blitz the Barriers event wasn’t only about stories — it was about solutions.
Georgia Rep. Lydia Glaize spoke about the importance of policy change to expand access to care for those most at risk. She introduced House Bill 373 to require insurance coverage to prostate cancer screenings with no copays for high-risk patients.
Panelist Dr. Leanne Woods-Burnham shared her expert opinions on the risks that Black men face — particularly in Atlanta where the incidence of prostate cancer and the mortality rate were some of the highest in the country. Her Morehouse School of Medicine team provided free on-site PSA screenings – a finger-prick blood test – to NFLPA Former Players Atlanta Chapter, NFL Players Choir, community leaders, and attendees in attendance.
Get Involved: Awareness, Outreach, and Advocacy
ZERO Prostate Cancer calls Blitz the Barriers “the most ambitious initiative in the history of U.S. prostate cancer programs and services.” ZERO, together with their lead founding partner, Novartis, will work with supporters across the country to invest $20 million into the communities hit hardest by prostate cancer to create healthcare solutions that dramatically improve care and save lives.
BlackDoctor.org is proud to serve as a media partner to ZERO and to continue to help in the mission to raise awareness, outreach, and advocacy around prostate cancer. Get involved, by visiting get involved by visiting zerocancer.org/blitz or zerocancer.org/september.
