Is 25 the New Middle Age for Black Men?

Let me preface this first blog by saying I am not a writer. I went to school for Criminal Justice and Business. So, my grammar may be a little (sometimes a lot) off. Also, I will switch to the substandard English to emphasize a point from time to time. So, if you're an English major and that is just too much for you to handle, please do not put yourself through this agony.

E. Lynn Harris, the author of fiction novels like, "Invisible Life" and "Just as I Am," had black women all over the country looking at brothers in the NFL with "steel gray" eyes and wondering if that was "the one" he was writing about. He made our beauty shop talk drama filled. We knew it was fiction, but come on, it was fun to guess and we knew about the "down low syndrome." On a serious note, he made it less taboo to talk about bisexuality, infidelity, AIDS/HIV, and grief over loss. His books were page turners and we women were rabid fans. At this time, 3PM CST, July 24, 2009, it is reported that he passed away from a heart attack at the age of 54. He just had a birthday on June 20, 2009.

Michael Joseph Jackson died almost exactly a month earlier, June 25, 2009. It's still under investigation as to how he died. But, we know drugs may have been involved, a delay in exigent medical attention, and a family is crushed. Mikey, little Mikey, with the dandelion afro, dead at 50 years of age. He was arguably the greatest entertainer of all time. I grew up listening to Michael Jackson's music. I still can't believe I'm talking about him in the past tense.

Bernie Mac, Bernard Jeffrey McCullough, died August, 9, 2008 of pneumonia, which may have been attributed to the sarcoidosis he suffered from. He was just shy of turning 51 years of age. I had a love/hate relationship with his stand-up comedy. But, I LOVED his television show. I thought it was the best thing since "The Cosby Show." At least him being around the house as much as he was made more sense than Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, being an obstetrician.

This brings me to my question: Is 25 the new middle-age for black men? You may say that I am overreacting. These were just three men and Bernie Mac was under medical care for the sarcoidosis. Well, let's look at the overall life expectancy statistics. Life expectancy for black and white men and women was as follows:
Black male: 69.8 years
White male: 75.7 years
Black female: 76.5 years
White female: 80.8 years

These numbers are from 2006. Certainly, 1/2 of 69 is not 25, but I don't think the numbers have gotten better with all the black on black crime, unemployment, and lack of good nutritional habits. Black men suffer disproportionately from hypertension/high blood pressure, diabetes, and preventable male cancers. Not only do black men suffer more, but they suffer silently. Black men have to be coaxed into going to the doctor, or won't go unless it's a dire emergency. Prevention is almost non-existent. The poorer the black male, the less likely they are to have health insurance or to go to the doctor, so they are literally broke, sick, and tired. My father had a stroke in his mid-fifties and could've very well died. Instead he died of lung cancer at 65. Why? Because he wouldn't stop smoking. He wouldn't take his high blood pressure medicine. He passed out at the police station while he was working as a volunteer officer. Doctor's told him that he needed to take medication for his high blood pressure five years before the stroke happened.

E. Lynn Harris passed out 2 days before he died and didn't go to the doctor because he said he was "fine." Now, he's dead. I LOVE my black brothers. The world would be a very dull place without the men who make us laugh, cry, feel good, sing, dance, write poetry, get our hair did, and challenge us. They are the only ones that really celebrate black female beauty of all types. But, we can't love them more than they love themselves. Black men please go to the doctor! 25 is not middle-aged!