Derrick Mack learned of his hypertension at a barbershop.

The 51-year-old got his regular fade and then sat for a blood pressure reading last November.

When the cuff came off, he was stunned: 182 over 110 — numbers that were well above the recommended range of less than 120 over 80. Mack had no idea that his blood pressure was so high that he could have experienced a stroke or heart attack. He went to the doctor the next day. 

Now, he’s on medication and exercising four times a week. Every Thursday, he returns to All in the Wrists Barbershop on West 22nd Street hoping to see his numbers improve on the next reading.

“I want to live to see my kids grow,” said Mack, who has four children.

The reason Mack learned about his blood pressure is because of a recent partnership between IU Health and barber Marvin Taylor, who hosts free weekly health screenings at his near northside shop to make sure Black residents receive the care they need.

Past the painted blue walls and burning incense, you’ll find Taylor glancing out his window to see what’s going on in his neighborhood. He wants his shop, nestled between two liquor stores, to be a sanctuary for people who otherwise struggle with poverty and addiction. A $2 bill inked with the words “solidarity” and “peace of mind” is clipped on the mirror behind his barber chair. 

“We can help people who may not have the resources or time to go to the hospital,” said Taylor, 49. “They can come to a place that’s a staple in the community.”

Barbershop screenings since Jan. 5 have been 95% positive for hypertension, according to IU Health data. The high blood pressure condition, if left untreated, can spiral into heart disease, strokes and kidney failure. Hypertension is caused by a combination of factors, including obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, drinking and family history. 

“It’s a silent killer,” said Dr. Khadijah Breathett, a cardiologist at IU Health. “You don’t know you have it unless you get your blood pressure checked, and you don’t develop symptoms until you’ve had it for so long.” 

Nearly 23,000 Black Americans died of hypertension in 2021 alone — a stark disparity, Breathett said, linked to structural racism. 

“There are social determinants of health-related to discrimination,” Breathett said. “These were policies put into place, like slavery and Jim Crow. Then redlining and eliminating access to resources like healthy foods, good schools and better hospitals.” 

Part of the issue, she said, is justified mistrust of a health care system that has historically harmed Black people with unethical experiments and substandard care.

But these ongoing fears mean people are falling through the cracks of the medical system, unaware of conditions like hypertension before it’s too late. That’s why Taylor tries so hard to get everyone he meets to check their blood pressure. 

“As Black people, there’s a stigma,” Taylor said. “We don’t go to the hospital unless the bone is sticking out of the leg.”

Last week, while IU Health workers were inside his barbershop, Taylor stepped through the glass doors to chase down strangers. He pulled them into his shop — maybe saving their lives.

Mirror Indy reporter Mary Claire Molloy covers health. Reach her at maryclaire.molloy@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @mcmolloy7.