Raheem DeVaughn Lovelife Foundation, King for a Day, Dallas | Photo Credit: Leah Frazier
Candid convos on one’s struggles and mental health challenges used to be strictly taboo—especially for Black men—but now, R&B singer Raheem DeVaughn wants to do something about it. Just prior to World Mental Health Day, the Grammy-nominated artist visited Dallas on October 3, alongside KRNB 105.7 FM Radio, to present “King for a Day”—an homage to the wellness journey of Black men—all powered by Gilead Sciences.
The foundation has been in operation since 2012, and was birthed from a very unique circumstance close to DeVaughn’s heart. As a caregiver for his father up until the time of his passing, a nurturing presence became natural to the singer, and was the ultimate catalyst for many unspoken conversations that needed to be told amongst men.
“Mental health is a very important thing to me that I hold near and dear to my heart,” the 51-year-old father of five told the DeSoto Tribune. “My father Abdul Wadud was a child prodigy cellist and went on to become [a] world-renowned musician and teacher of music…but he also suffered from schizophrenia most of his adult life. [At King for a Day], I’m encouraging the men and young men in the room that it’s ok to have a therapist and to be proactive about it, and not wait until the cause and effect.”
DeVaughn and the King for a Day crew took the experience back to the one gathering spot that’s legendary for Black men and safe-space conversations–the barber shop.
“The barbershop was the Black man’s country club,” said Greg Ellis, former Dallas Cowboys player and founder of Getting My Help, who also spoke at the event. “In most barber shops, barbers and hairdressers—whether you realize it or not—they are the community therapist,” DeVaughn added. “You spend a lot of time in their chair. The barbershop and what it has meant for us as Black folks has always been a place of community, and a safe space to talk about a number of things. I’m hoping that this is the start to creating a safe space for men.”
Comfortably situated inside Dooney’s Barber & Beauty Academy, guests gathered intently while both young and adult men received free haircuts and styles, while engaging in critical conversations covering sexual health, mental health, physical health, and more. 30 local men were selected to attend, receiving elite care from DeVaughn and his team of partners including: Black Heart Association, Abounding Prosperity, Paul Quinn College, Getting My Help, Brother Ben X, and the African American Men’s Health and Wellness Agency. No topic was off limits, and no question went unanswered. It was community and brotherhood on full display.
“King for a Day is such an incredible moment to be happening in Dallas, and to be having such critical conversations amongst Black men about what’s happening in our communities,” said Rashad Burgess, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at Gilead Sciences. In his remarks on sexual health, Burgess primarily addressed one of Dallas County’s growing concerns–the HIV virus. “50 percent of new HIV infections are happening in the South,” he told the DeSoto Tribune in an interview prior to the event. “Dallas County residents are more than twice as likely to be living with HIV, and nearly twice as likely to be newly diagnosed, compared with other Texas residents.”
Knowing these statistics, both DeVaughn and Burgess knew that it was crucial to discuss the current data, in addition to HIV preventative medication like PREP, and HIV post-exposure medication like PEP. Community partner Abounding Prosperity delivered on-site HIV testing, while Black Heart Association tested men’s blood pressure, cholesterol, and other heart health screenings. Overall, education and access to information was a key driver behind the success of “King for a Day.”
“This is where it starts,” DeVaughn said. “It’s not going to happen in one day, but this is a demonstration that you don’t have to be Raheem DeVaughn or Gilead to start a movement.”
As Fredrick Robinson, co-founder of Black Heart Association emphasized, “If we’re going to save our community, it’s going to start with us kings.”
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