SOUTH BEND, Ind. – This is the fourth year that the Indiana Commission on the Social Status of Black Males has provided free health screenings at more than 50 Indiana barber shops in 15 different cities.

Men who went to Inspiration Barber Shop on Saturday got not only a buzz, but glucose checks, blood pressure checks, and a screening for prostate cancer.

The screenings were done by volunteers with the Indiana Black Barber Shop Health Initiative.

“Getting people to be aware of their health and what their status is,” says volunteer William Diggins. “A lot of people just don’t know.”



One in six men are diagnosed with prostate cancer, one in four are African Americans.



“A lot of African Americans men, this is what we do, we come to the barber shop every weekend get our hair cuts, we talk,” says Diggins. “Why not talk about health care and how to get ourselves right and checked regularly.”

Kintae Larks co-owns Inspiration Barber Shop with his wife, Tenika, and is participating in the state-wide cause for the second year in a row. He said South Bend needs more health awareness to strengthen the entire community.

“The more knowledge we can get and the more education we can have, the more we can be prepared to take it on,” says Lark.