Book excerpt: It’s no secret that the Black community tops the list of groups afflicted by hypertension, stroke, diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, and cancer. What the statistics do not show is the pain, misery, and despair that these conditions create—not only for the individual but also for family and friends. As an African-American doctor, Dr. Richard Walker has studied these conditions among his patients for many years. Now, in Black Health Matters, Dr. Walker offers a number of commonsense ways to prevent, manage, and possibly eliminate these killers, turning the tide of African-American health. In this unique book, Dr. Walker follows the health and healthcare journey of African captives into slavery and describes what they had to do to survive nutritionally and culturally, ultimately resulting in the chronic ill health and early death now pervasive in Black communities. Most important, Dr. Walker explains how African Americans can turn their health around by understanding and incorporating better nutrition, nutritional supplements, exercise, and regular healthcare checkups into their lives. Each chapter explains a different health problem common to the Black community—including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, hypertension, sickle cell disease, and more—and offers concrete ways in which that condition can be avoided or better managed, often through simple changes that can be easily made by the individual. Tips are included for locating and communicating with affordable healthcare professionals. A highly practical and easy-to-use guide, Black Health Matters is an important first step towards achieving a healthier, longer life for millions of people.