The Toll of Corporate America on Black Men

Black men, toxic jobs may be killing us. We may not want to hear it, but the best way to care for our kids and wives isn’t working ourselves into the ground — it’s prioritizing our health and doing everything within our power to maximize our longevity and happiness. This includes going to the doctor, checking in with our mental health, and, if necessary, removing ourselves from unhealthy corporate environments.

In this episode of I Am Dad podcast, Kenneth Braswell and Justin Grant discuss how job stress, systemic challenges, and workplace culture can harm Black men’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being. These negative impacts — and what to do about them — are the subject of Company Men: A Wellness Guide for Black Men in Corporate America, a new book researched and written by Grant, who saw many Black men in high-pressure jobs succumb to serious health issues. While the stress of climbing the corporate ladder challenges many executives, he says the culture can be especially repressive for Black men.   

As part of this conversation, Braswell and Grant offer career and health insights from their perspectives as Black men and confess past failures to listen to their bodies, go to the doctor, and tend to their mental health. A common thread in their story is what motivated them to stop neglecting their health: Black fatherhood… and wanting to be around as long as possible for their loved ones.

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