WHEREAS, African American men suffer disproportionately from preventable diseases and have a life expectancy lower than that of any other ethnic group; and

WHEREAS, Some of the reasons why African American men suffer far worse health than any other ethnic group include racial discrimination, a lack of affordable health services, poor health education, cultural barriers, poverty, employment that does not carry health insurance, and insufficient medical and social services catering to African American men; and

WHEREAS, More than 13 percent of African Americans over 20 years of age have diabetes; and

WHEREAS, In 2004, African American men were 30 percent more likely to die from heart disease than non-Hispanic Caucasian men; and

WHEREAS, African American adults were 50 percent more likely to have a stroke and 60 percent more likely to die from a stroke than their Caucasian adult counterparts; and

WHEREAS, Early detection and intervention are necessary to address health problems experienced by African American males; and

WHEREAS, The Diabetic Amputation Prevention (DAP) Foundation will launch the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program to address the growing number of African American men in California affected by diabetes and hypertension; and

WHEREAS, Barbershops owned by African Americans represent a cultural institution that regularly attract large numbers of African American men and provide an environment of trust and an avenue to disseminate health education information; and

WHEREAS, Volunteers for the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program will measure blood pressures, screen for diabetes, and refer customers to participating physicians or health care facilities if there are abnormal findings; and

WHEREAS, The primary objective of the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program is threefold: cardiovascular testing, information dissemination, and referral; and

WHEREAS, The goal of the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program is to use the existing community-based infrastructure of African American-owned barbershops to conduct health care screenings to approximately 2,000 African American men, provide culturally appropriate educational materials about obesity, prostate cancer, proper eating habits, and give information about the signs and symptoms of other diseases affecting the African American community; now, therefore, be it