Jay Harris didn’t know how heavy his risk for prostate cancer was as a Black man before he was diagnosed. He thought his predicament was simply the result of his individual family history. There was a bigger picture he was missing because of a lack of information. “I knew I was at risk, per se, because my dad went through it, but I was not aware of the one in six Black men versus one in eight men in general. I was not aware of that,” he told Black Health Matters in an interview.
Now, after surviving his battle with it, the veteran sports anchor is working to help others get the information they need about their health before they need it. He will join over 140 former NBA legends in advocating for PSA testing among those who need it most.
“It is my responsibility to speak out,” Harris continues.
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Widening The Net
The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA), which brings together legends from the NBA, ABA, WNBA, and Harlem Globetrotters, and The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) are working to advance PCF’s “Check the Box! Saving Lives Together” initiative.
The goal of the initiative is to ensure every person with a prostate gets screened for prostate cancer with a simple PSA blood test. It includes “digital storytelling, public forums, and community‑based activities.”
Harris is teaming up with his close friend Nancy Lieberman, Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and Legends of Basketball Executive Board Member, to spread the word about how quick and easy the test can be. They are encouraging men to “check the box” for PSA testing so that they can take control of their health. “Jay Harris is my brother, and we’ve been inseparable,” she tells Black Health Matters. Prostate cancer can linger with no symptoms.
“He shared the news with me, and it was a kick in the stomach because he’s young, he’s healthy, he’s fine, he’s vibrant, and now, this person that I’m very close to is sick. And I just was like, there has to be something that I can do.”
She sprung into action learning what she could about prostate cancer. The statistics floored her.
“It really hit me that I had to do something. I was raised by the Black community,” she continues.
“For everything people have done for me as a kid growing up, playing in Harlem at Rucker Park, this was very personal to me to be able to try and open doors for Black men to know that they have to get tested.”
Harris’ presence will allow those attending these events to meet someone who has faced prostate cancer. They will see a familiar face speaking on the subject.
“He’s going to be around to talk to some of the guys who maybe have never had this opportunity to talk to somebody who knowingly has had prostate cancer,” says Lieberman.
“It’s a no-brainer, because if I have a voice and I can help, I’m going to try and do that,” adds Harris.
Sharpening The Message
The PSA test needed to catch prostate cancer early can be conducted with a simple blood draw. Despite that, many mistakenly believe that it requires invasive methods. Because of that, they fail to check the box. This puts themselves at risk and puts their families at risk of losing them.
“There were several men, on my dad’s side of the family, who died from prostate cancer or colorectal cancer because they just never went to the doctor, never got checked,” said Harris. “It’s a sign of weakness because we’re men. We’re supposed to be strong. We’re superhuman. Nothing can bother us.”
Black men are not only absent from testing. According to the Journal of the American Cancer Society, “Black men are largely underrepresented in key phase 3 PCa trials and may be less willing to enroll in clinical trials due to lack of awareness, lack of diversity in clinical trial research teams, and bias of health care providers to recommend clinical research.”
Harris and Lieberman acknowledged how misinformation can stop those who need to get tested the most from learning their status.
“I think it is super important to let men know Black men in particular that we’re just talking about a needle in your arm. Because of the whole stigma of having a doctor put their finger in your anus to check your prostate,” said Harris. “The fact that it’s a finger prick, the fact that it’s a blood test. Yes, that message needs to be out.”
Correcting misinformation and tackling causes of apprehension saves lives. “There’s so many myths out there in life, and this is one of them, and it’s just so important just to get the information,” adds Lieberman.
The Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities identifies prostate cancer as a stigmatized disease.
“That’s the first thing. It’s almost like a joke,” he added.
Caring Consistently
There’s nothing funny about the risks, but instead of waiting for people to take it seriously, they’re going to meet them where they are. It is easier to get a man to attend an NBA game than show up at a doctor’s office. By reaching out to sports fans in their comfort zone, they’re going to reach the people who need the support most.
The effort to check the box is bigger than a weekend. It kicked off during All-Star Weekend and proceed over a series of games and sports events. Where the nets fly, the information will flow.
“We’re going to move on to the big three. We’re going to have testing every game in every city that we have the big three. So, we’re pushing, testing, testing, testing,” adds Lieberman.
“We can tell you whatever the heck you want to know, but if you don’t get tested, we can’t help you.”
