Evansville Organizations Redefine Community Health Through Safety, Mentorship and Culture

Against the backdrop of the Ohio River and the Four Freedoms Monument, several people dressed in bright orange T-shirts gathered Saturday morning at Evansville’s downtown riverfront for a Gun Violence Awareness Walk. The words shared that day carried sadness, courage and strength.

“Today is a good day because I was able to get out of bed,” said Bridgett Tate. “For years, just to get out of bed was the hardest thing to do after losing my only child to gun violence.”

Nearly 15 years ago, Tate’s son, Brian Jackson, was murdered. His case remains unsolved. On Saturday, she shared her story not only as a grieving mother, but as a call for prevention, awareness and community care.

Organized by the League of Women Voters of Southwestern Indiana and the NAACP Evansville Branch, the walk brought attention to the ongoing impact of gun violence on families and communities. Committee Chair Barbara Dekalb said one of the group’s biggest messages is for gun owners to properly secure their firearms.

“Young people die every day from accidental gun deaths,” Dekalb said. “We have to keep our kids safe.”

Local leaders and elected officials, including Mary Allen, Sheriff Noah Robinson and Valencia Redding, attended in support of the effort.

Tate’s story was one of many examples of community care and engagement taking place across Evansville that day.

From the riverfront to neighborhood gathering spaces and the University of Evansville campus, local organizations spent the day educating, encouraging and connecting residents. Whether the focus was violence prevention, mentorship, health awareness or cultural preservation, each effort reflected a commitment to improving the quality of life in the community.

One of those efforts took place at the CK Newsome Community Center, where Young & Established (Y&E) hosted its third annual Boys to Men Conference. Founder and Executive Director Courtney Johnson said the conference provides something many young men are missing: mentorship.

Johnson began mentoring a small group of young men more than a decade ago, an effort that eventually grew into Y&E. Over the years, the conference has expanded to address topics ranging from leadership and personal development to mental and physical health.

Participants wore shirts that read, “Change Starts With Me,” reflecting one of the conference’s central messages.

Among the speakers was Ti’Ackquien Douglas, known as “Coach T,” who encouraged attendees to take their health seriously. An athlete for most of his life, Douglas said he became more intentional about his health in his early twenties.

“Your body is a temple, and what you consume affects your emotions, how we speak to each other and how we interact every day,” Douglas said.

Mental health professional Charles Haygan encouraged young men to pay attention to their emotional well-being and seek help when needed.

“We can pray about it, but you also have to put in the work yourself,” Haygan said. “It’s okay for us to not be okay. You need to be able to express your feelings and have suicide awareness to help see signs in others that may be struggling.”

Across town, health and prevention were the focus of the Barbershop Health Initiative, held in recognition of Men’s Health Awareness Month.

Sabrina Cawthorne, Director of Community Health Services at Community Action Program of Evansville (CAPE), said the initiative focuses on screening, education and prevention. Black men experience higher rates of health conditions such as diabetes and prostate cancer, many of which can be better managed through early detection and treatment.

Aaron Calbert, chair of the Evansville Social Status of African American Males committee, said the initiative began in 1999 and eventually grew into a statewide effort. Executive orders affecting state-supported diversity initiatives paused funding that had previously helped support the Black Barbershop Health Initiative. Community partners, including CAPE, continued the effort locally to ensure residents still have access to screenings and health education.

For Demetrius Fingers, better known as “Meech,” owner of The Dapper Man’s Parlor, participation is about making sure men have access to information and resources that can improve their health. “It’s good that CAPE stepped up when the funding was cut because it’s important for our men to get these screenings and for this work to keep carrying on,” Fingers said.

Because barbershops have long served as trusted gathering places where Black men discuss family, work, sports and life, he believes they are ideal locations to connect residents with health information and screenings.

The final stop of the day was at the University of Evansville, where the Evansville African American Museum hosted its annual Taste of History event. This year’s theme celebrated Black Hollywood.

The evening featured food, entertainment and local vendors, while also creating space for community members to connect, and celebrate Black culture.

Marcia Lynch Duncan, who has coordinated the event for 15 years, said Taste of History serves as both a fundraiser and a community gathering that highlights the richness of African American culture and history.

EAAM Executive Director Kori Miller said the museum’s work is especially important at a time when efforts to reduce funding for arts and culture and limit how Black history is taught and shared continue across the country. “This is one of our best events,” said Miller.

Keynote speaker Kelly Coures took attendees on a journey through the history of Black Hollywood, highlighting both the barriers faced by Black actors and actresses and the creativity, resilience and cultural contributions that helped shape American entertainment.

While each event addressed a different need, all reflected a shared commitment to strengthening the community. Whether through violence prevention, mentorship, health awareness or cultural preservation, organizers spent Saturday investing in the well-being of Evansville residents and helping build a more engaged, informed and empowered community.