In this special episode of the In Black and White podcast, we say goodbye and honor, co-host Dr. Terrance Dean.

Dr. Dean passed away suddenly in 2022.

Co-host, Scot Kirk, invites Dr. Dean's friends and colleagues including; Dr. Karen Powell-Sears, Amelia Robinson, Dr. Fareeda Griffith and Christopher Travers to talk about their memories of Dr. Dean and the impact he had on the community.

Dr. Terrance Dean and Scot Kirk sit down with John H. Gregory, Founder of the National Center for Urban Solutions and National African American Male Wellness, along with Kenny Hampton, VP at African American Male Wellness Agency. The pair talked about the work that the organization does and Gregory reflects on his work throughout the years.

Gregory says the reason for starting the organization was to curb Black male unemployment. However, they quickly realized that Black men's health issues were some of the primary causes of Black male unemployment.

To create awareness about the health issues facing Black males the organization started an annual wellness walk. Gregory also says the organization is working hard to reverse the stigma of historically negative treatment of Black people by healthcare professionals.

Hampton adds that COVID-19 exposed many of the underlying health issues affecting Black men. One of the goals of the organization is to encourage more men to prioritize their healthcare needs.

Podcast hosts Dr. Terrance Dean and Scot Kirk speak with Jewel Woods, founder and clinical director of Male Behavioral Health in Columbus, about the impact of COVID-19 on the Black community and particularly Black men and boys.

Pandemic isolation — not to mention the deaths of loved ones from the virus — brought anxiety, trauma and depression to a community that is often shortchanged when it comes to mental health, Woods says.

Woods discusses some steps African American men and boys — and anyone, for that matter — can take to improve mental health, including making an effort to seek out proper treatment as early as possible.