The Talking Cure

Monday, April 02 2007 | Send to a friend

The Talking Cure

Dr. John Rich

Dr. John Rich knows first hand how being disadvantaged affects the health of so many young African American men. He grew up watching his father, a dentist, treat people in his basement office in Queens, N.Y. Many of his father's patients rarely had access to care and were often unable to pay.

That experience had a lasting effect. Today, John Rich is a physician and researcher, and he has become a leader in addressing the health care needs of one of the nation's most underserved and at-risk populations -- urban African American men. In 2006, Rich received a MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Fellowship for his academic and clinical work. One of his clinical innovations is conducting in-depth personal interviews with young black men to understand the causes and consequences of trauma -- as Rich says, "why getting shot might lead you to being shot."

Dr. Rich tells Dick Gordon about what his interviews have taught him about the culture of young black men in the U.S. -- their hopes, fears, and what too often separates them from the rest of America and puts them in jeopardy.

Dr. Rich is the founder and former director of the Young Men's Health Clinic at the Boston Medical Center. He currently chairs the Department of Health Policy and Management at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

• Read more about the Young Men's Health Clinic

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PRINCIPAL BY DAY…

Mervin Jenkins was heading for disaster as a young man. His life was dominated by drugs and hanging out with his ultra-macho friends. His biggest dream was to become a rap star. But one day, a homeless man in the neighborhood called Mervin over. The man lectured Mervin on his reckless life. Something struck home, and Mervin had a series of turnaround moments. He veered away from the probability of living life behind bars, and eventually became a middle school principal. His conversation with Dick ends with the freestyle rap of Principal Mervin Jenkins.

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