American Cancer Society -
South Atlantic Division -
2005 Best Practice Model

Brothers Against Prostate Cancer Awareness Program

In May 2000, with funding from the SC Division of the American Cancer Society (ACS), William S. Robinson, then State Coordinator of SC NBLIC (SC National Black Leadership Initiative on Cancer), piloted a 12-month prostate prevention education campaign entitled, B.A.P. Caps™ - Brothers Against Prostate - Cancer Awareness Program. The project was facilitated through barbershops in three counties with the highest prevalence of prostate cancer for African American men, and was coordinated by BMHI volunteers.

The project featured a baseball cap with an ethnic "B.A.P." logo (red, black and green), and the dissemination of educational materials on the prostate, healthy eating, and cancer amongst African Americans. Barbers who had been trained at 'Lunch & Learn' sessions in three different counties distributed the B.A.P. caps™ and educational materials to patrons age 40 and older.

Each barber discussed prostate risks with their patrons and gave away a free cap and set of materials if the men agreed to wear the cap and read the information. Participants were tracked via a simple data sheet that remained at the barber shops until BMHI was called to re-supply barbers. Within 6 months, the project exceeded the 2,000 men it intended to reach in the initial phase, and at the end of the first year, 14 barbershops in 3 counties had disseminated 2,000 B.A.P. caps™, 10,000 pieces of health information and educated 6,800 men and women about prostate cancer risks, prevention and treatment options.

In the initial 12-month pilot period, more than 4,000 additional persons were educated on prostate cancer risk at health fairs, in churches, in schools, at family reunions, at regional cancer meetings and a variety of conferences in each region of South Carolina. In 2003, the Founder was invited to present at a regional conference sponsored by John Hopkins University and the Montgomery County (Maryland) Department of Health on a day that included Dr. Harold Freeman (founder of NBLIC) and Dr. Benjamin Carson amongst the other presenters.

BHMI established B.A.P. Caps™ as its initial signature program to :a) expand the B.A.P. Caps™ capacity and the infrastructure across South Carolina; b) trademark and/or copyright materials used to facilitate the program; and c) to work with others to replicate the B.A.P. Caps™ program in the state.

The Black Men's Health Initiative now facilitates the B.A.P. Caps™ program to:

• Be a major player in reducing prostate cancer and other health disparities amongst Black men;
  
• Replicate the B.A.P. Caps™ program in other states in the Southeastern U.S: and
• Further expand the capacity of BHMI by identifying persons in each of the target state(s) to assist the prostate cancer prevention using the B.A.P. Caps™ model;

CDC Prostate Decision Guide for African Americans
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/prostate/prospdf/aaprosguide.pdf