This story was originally published by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, where you can find other stories reporting on fifteen city neighborhoods in Milwaukee. Visit milwaukeenns.org.

Monday, January 19, 2026, marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday that recognizes Dr. King’s profound impact on the American Civil Rights Movement and celebrates his life and legacy. Dr. King emphasized love, justice, nonviolence, and perseverance, famously saying: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

In this spirit, it’s important to speak out against unfair and unjust practices and policies to help create a healthier future for all. Unfair practices and policies and unjust living conditions can impact health, especially for historically marginalized people who identify as Black, Indigenous, or Hispanic.

The impact of unfair practices and policies on health outcomes can be seen in commercial tobacco. The commercial tobacco industry has a long and well-documented history of heavily targeting people who identify as Black, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, Native American, and Latino and Hispanic with aggressive marketing strategies.

Widescale marketing of mentholated tobacco- a chemical compound used in commercial tobacco products which makes them easier to inhale, more appealing to use, and more difficult to quit- has been strategically aimed at Black communities creating harms such as:

More than 8 in 10 (85%) Black smokers report smoking menthol-flavored cigarettes, compared to 41% of people who identify as White.
Nearly 1 in 5 (19%) African American adults in Wisconsin are current smokers. For comparison, 13% of the total adult population in Wisconsin currently smokes.
Each year 50,000 Black Americans in the U.S die from smoking and die at higher rates from tobacco-related diseases like cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

As pastor of El Bethel Church of God and Christ on Milwaukee’s Northwest Side and as representatives of the faith community as a whole, we have experienced the adverse impacts that tobacco has had on our congregants, their families and the community. We encourage everyone to heed Dr. King’s message about speaking up to help create a healthier Wisconsin for all.

Things we should speak up about

How the tobacco industry targets our communities, including our kids, with menthol and other flavored tobacco products.
Tobacco industry tactics like using fruit and candy flavors and other products that are designed to appeal to kids to lure new customers.
The saturation Black and Brown communities with price promotions and point-of-sale advertising.
How the tobacco industry spreads misinformation related to menthol and other tobacco products.

January marks a new year with new opportunities to change how commercial tobacco products are affecting Wisconsinites. The Wisconsin African American Tobacco Prevention Network is here to support you in speaking out against unjust policies and practices related to tobacco. Free help is available for those who are ready to change their tobacco use by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669) or by visiting WIQuitLine.org.

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