Press Release
Briefing with Leading Experts To Dive Into Why Black Overdose Deaths Are Rising
Elmcor Youth & Adult Activities to Host May 19 Briefing Ahead of July Report
QUEENS, NY — Elmcor Youth & Adult Activities will host a virtual media and stakeholder briefing on May 19, 2025, ahead of its upcoming report, The State of the Overdose Epidemic in Black America.
Black Americans are dying from overdoses at higher rates than any other racial group, with Black adults over 50 experiencing some of the steepest increases in overdose fatalities. Yet, these stories remain largely ignored, and Black communities continue to be denied the care and compassion others receive.
In response to this growing crisis, the briefing will provide an in-depth look at the current state of the epidemic, and offer solutions from a variety of perspectives. Speakers include:
- Saeeda Dunston, CEO, Elmcor Youth & Adult Activities
- Alphonso David, President & CEO, Global Black Economic Forum
- Dr. Melicia Whitt-Glover, Chief Executive Officer of the Council on Black Health
- Dr. Aletha Maybank, Former Chief Health Equity Officer, American Medical Association
- Philip Rutherford, Founder, Black Faces, Black Voices
- Dr. Roland J. Thorpe, Jr., Program for Research on Men’s Health, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions
The briefing will take place on Monday, May 19 at 1 p.m. ET via Zoom. Media and the general public are invited to RSVP to attend at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PPLeo4-LQL6iwYnbDK3faQ#/registration.
The forthcoming report, slated for release in July, will draw on community-level data, firsthand experience, and national trends to provide a clear picture of how the overdose epidemic is impacting Black Americans and how targeted, community-led solutions can turn the tide.
Contact:
Brittany G. Cummings
About Elmcor Youth & Adult Activities
Elmcor is the oldest Black-founded and Black-led nonprofit in Queens, New York. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Elmcor provides a broad range of comprehensive services that support the lifespan, from preschool-aged children to older adults. What started in 1965 as a small, volunteer-based organization has grown into a multi-service human justice organization, reaching over 12,000 individuals annually through a wide range of services including after-school activities, recreation, college preparation, older adult centers, food pantry, career pathways, reproductive health education, violence interruption services, universal pre-k, housing, and substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery.
