Celebrating Black History Month: Honoring Our Past, Advancing Tobacco & Nicotine-Free Futures
- Info CBHC
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
As we honor Black History Month this February, the Colorado Black Health Collaborative (CBHC) celebrates the resilience, leadership, and contributions of Black communities — not only in Colorado but across the nation. This month is both a reflection on our powerful history and a renewed commitment to advancing health equity, including the urgent work of tobacco and nicotine prevention and cessation.
Honoring a Legacy of Health Advocacy
Black leaders have long stood at the forefront of public health advocacy — challenging injustice, expanding access to care, and protecting community wellness. From pioneering physicians and researchers to grassroots organizers and faith leaders, generations have fought to ensure Black communities not only survive but thrive.
That legacy continues today in the fight against commercial tobacco and nicotine. For decades, Black communities have been disproportionately targeted by the tobacco industry through predatory marketing, sponsorships, price discounts, and the aggressive promotion of menthol cigarettes. These strategies have contributed to higher rates of tobacco and nicotine-related illness, including heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
Honoring Black history means confronting these inequities head-on.
Understanding Tobacco-Related Health Disparities
Tobacco use remains one of the leading causes of preventable death, and its impact on Black communities is deeply connected to structural inequities. Menthol cigarettes — heavily marketed in Black neighborhoods for generations, make quitting more difficult and increase nicotine dependence. As a result, Black smokers are more likely to attempt quitting but less likely to successfully quit compared to other groups.
These disparities are not about individual choice — they are about systemic targeting, limited access to culturally responsive cessation resources, and long-standing inequities in healthcare access.
This Black History Month, we reaffirm that freedom from tobacco addiction is a health equity issue.
Celebrating Colorado Leaders Advancing Tobacco & Nicotine Cessation
Across Colorado, Black leaders and community partners are advancing tobacco prevention and cessation efforts that center culture, community, and lived experience. We uplift:
Community health workers connecting residents to free, culturally responsive quit resources
Faith-based leaders creating tobacco-free spaces and supporting cessation conversations
Youth advocates challenging vaping and menthol marketing in their neighborhoods
Providers integrating cessation support into routine care
Their work continues the tradition of Black excellence in public health — protecting families, empowering individuals, and creating healthier environments for future generations.
Continuing the Fight for Tobacco and Nicotine-Free Equity
Black history is health history — and the fight for wellness includes protecting our communities from commercial tobacco harm. This month, we recommit to:
Expanding access to free and culturally responsive tobacco cessation resources
Supporting policies that remove targeted menthol and flavored tobacco marketing
Strengthening community-driven education and prevention initiatives
Ensuring every Black Coloradan has the support they need to quit and stay quit
Tobacco cessation is about more than quitting — it is about reclaiming health, opportunity, and longevity for our families and communities.
This Black History Month, we invite you to join us in honoring our past by investing in a tobacco-free future.
Stay connected. Stay empowered. Stay committed.
Together, we honor the legacy of resilience and build healthier generations to come.
info@cololoradoblackhealth.org | Phone: 720.579.2126