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Transformative Black Health Equity Efforts 

LONG BEACH, CA — Kevin Hatcher, a leading figure in advancing Black health equity initiatives. Throughout four years of community-centered public health leadership, Hatcher successfully drove systems-change during a challenging period of social and political turbulence. His dedicated efforts directly benefit the Black community in Long Beach. [1, 2]  As a proud cancer survivor, Hatcher became widely known for championing internal change and raising awareness about Black men’s health. Concurrently, his efforts strengthened community access to culturally affirming outreach and engagement in health services.

Serving as a central bridge between the Health Department and the local grassroots ecosystem, Hatcher ensured that the City’s highest investment in Black health to date—COVID - 19 pandemic recovery and racial equity and reconciliation initiative fund benefited Black-led businesses, consultants, and residents. Community members credit his leadership with expanding vital access to preventive and trauma-informed mental health engagement, while creating visible pathways for Black residents to become civically active and socially cohesive.

Working alongside Black community organizations, physicians, therapists, educators, faith leaders, and residents, Hatcher distributed over 10,460 pieces of PPE and thousands of COVID-19 test kits to mitigate the spread of the virus. He also co-led critical initiatives to confront longstanding racial disparities. His efforts raised awareness of the increasing 10-year life expectancy gap between Black and white males, while simultaneously combating economic inequality. These initiatives directly aligned with the Long Beach City Council  directive recommending the City Manager's office to eliminate Black chronic unemployment through targeted data analysis and workforce development.

Working alongside Black community organizations, physicians, therapists, educators, faith leaders, and residents.

Statement from Kevin Hatcher 

“It has been the honor of my career to serve the City of Long Beach as the inaugural Department of Health and Human Services’ Black Health Equity Coordinator. I have learned so much in this role. I look forward to partnering with you.  The marathon continues…”

Transformational Programs & Community Impact

Black Mental Health Program

Under Hatcher’s leadership, the City contracted with six Black mental health providers — including a Clinical Psychologist — to provide free therapy, outreach, and supportive service linkages for Black residents.

Program outcomes included:

• 5,191 Black residents served

• 311 individualized care plans developed, including 62 by a Clinical Psychologist

• 537 referrals to culturally affirming services (food security, housing, primary care) 

• 157% increase in underinsured and uninsured clients served

• 182% increase in Black men engaged in therapy services, including unhoused residents

“This program reduced stigma and normalized mental health conversations in underserved areas.” – Ashley Thames, LMFT SHIELDS for families 

“We’ve bridged critical access gaps in services for Black families.”  Ianna Dumas-Smith, LCSW, SHIELDS for families  

Visibility and Trust Building 

Hatcher actively engaged thousands of Long Beach residents via cultural events, digital media, and direct outreach. He brought vital health resources to major celebrations—including Juneteenth at King Park , Black History Month, MLK Parade and Celebration, The Uptown Jazz Festival , and LGBTQ2IAS+ Pride events—as well as the Multi-Service Center, public libraries, and affordable housing complexes like Carmelitos, and Northpointe Apartments. 

Partnering extensively with grassroots and civic organizations—such as the African American Cultural Center of Long Beach, LBUSD Black Student Achievement Initiative  Center for Black Student Excellence, the Black Neighborhood Tenant Council, BLM, the NAACP Long Beach Branch,, 100 Blackmen Long Beach Chapter,  increased the members of Long Beach residents into the  California Black Health Network , and I-NSPIRE COMMUNITY COALITION Hatcher built deep community trust. Through this visible presence, he championed Black representation in healthcare and distributed life-saving assets, including  The Pulse of Black Long Beach Community Health Resource Guide  featuring over 174 vetted culturally affirming health resources.  Hundreds of Black men and boys participated in health sessions held across community, library, barbershops, and university settings throughout Long Beach. Hatcher partnered with physicians, mental health professionals, Mr. Baker’s Style Center , and educational institutions to implement a culturally grounded health education series focused on:

Clinical Care: Primary, preventive, and sexual health services.                                             

Holistic Wellness: Mental, emotional, and occupational well-being.                                            

Community Protection: Immunization confidence and youth injury prevention

“Sharing my expertise was a great way to give back to your hometown.” Alejandro Mongolo, MD.

“Kevin is always accessible, sharing health information and resources, and championing the community's interest” Micheal Baker, Owner of Baker’s Style Center 

Black Infant Health Program Partnership

Hatcher always served as a committed strategic internal partner to the Black Infant Health Program:

• Promoting the program to greater Long Beach community

• Providing sweat equity for the KJLH Black Women’s Health Expo 

• Engaging birthing mothers in the BCHSNA 

Black Health Equity Collaborative (BHEC)

Hatcher managed multiple capacity-building grants for BHEC, a network of Black serving organizations and mutual aid hub, that contributed to:

• Organizational assessments, technical assistance, and strategic planning

• New member organizations and funding opportunities

• Community engagement:  Mental Health townhalls, resource fairs, and tabling opportunities  

• Marking and promotions 

• Participation in the BCHSNA workgroup and launch of the Digital Community Health Resource Map

• Establishment as a 501(c)(3) 

Advancing Equity Within Public Health Systems

As a City Racial Equity Champion, Hatcher worked to deliver accountability to the Long Beach Black community. He helped develop the Department's Racial Equity Action Plan and advocated for systemic changes across municipal services.

To drive systemic change, Hatcher co-facilitated Racial Equity 101 training for all Health Department staff, anchoring municipal policy in structural racism and implicit bias education. As Equity Advisor to the Homeless Services Bureau, he directly tackled severe racial disparities—notably that Black residents make up 12% of the city population but 34.7% of the unhoused demographic—he pushed for fair procurement and hiring practices. Furthermore, he expanded his advocacy across intersecting communities, supporting the Filipino, LGBTQ2IA+, and NHPI groups to launch their first-ever Community Health Assessments in Long Beach.

Kwanzaa Experience

Hatcher helped establish The Kwanzaa Experience, in Long Beach, guiding its growth into a major community event. By collaborating with groups like the AACCLB, LBUSD BSAI - Sankofa Parent Villae - Center for Black Student Excellence, Earthledge Center for Transformation , Agape Children's Museum , Council District 8, United Negro College Fund, April Parker Foundation , 100 Blackmen of Long Beach , Hatcher helped boost the event's operating budget by 150%. [1, 2, 3]  The initiative achieved overwhelming community acclaim, with 95% of surveyed patrons reporting high satisfaction and stating they would recommend the event to their schools, friends, families, and churches. Today, this landmark annual event supports thousands of community members and several Black-serving businesses and organizations, featuring:

• Intergenerational arts, crafts, and live performances 

• Wellness-focused health resource fairs

• Black history and cultural cuisine 

Reflecting on this impact, 100 Blackmen of Long Beach Health Chair Eric Burroughs stated, “The Kwanzaa Experience is my favorite event in Long Beach.”  LBUSD Administrator, Office of Equity, Engagement, and Partnerships at Long Beach Unified School District: Black Student Achievement Initiative Dr. Elyssa Taylor-Stewart stated: 

"Kevin Hatcher has been a trusted community partner of the Black Student AchievementInitiative of Long Beach Unified School District since our founding, in 2021. He was the first community partner I collaborated with, and his commitment never wavered. Kevin brings lived experience and deep knowledge of transformational change in the Black community. His consistent presence at our Sankofa Parent Village meetings helped build authentic trust between our community and Black families in Long Beach. Each year, he helped organize our Black Mental Health Town Hall, ensuring local Black mental health practitioners showed up with culturally responsive and much needed support and resources for our families. He also opened his annual Kwanzaa celebration to LBUSD students, strengthening their connection to Black cultural tradition and reinforcing identity and belonging.”

Health Equity Community Projects (1.0 & 2.0)

Through a competitive process aligned with the City’s Health Equity Investment Framework, Hatcher helped department leadership develop an equity tool, define funding categories, and manage more than $1.5 million for Black-serving organizations. By 2024, these initiatives reached 22,563 beneficiaries.

“Kevin has played an important role in strengthening community connections through resource sharing and community presence. He connected Earthlodge to the Kwanzaa Experience, shared information about beneficial grants and projects, and partnered on the Black community needs assessment centering the needs of some of the most marginalized BIPOC communities in the City. Kevin has also maintained a visible presence at many community events, consistently showing up in support of community members and local initiatives.” Earthlodge Center for Transformation 

The initiative supported more than eight organizations through programs focused on:

• Economic resilience

• COVID-19 Education and outreach

• Trauma-informed mental health services

• Chronic disease prevention

• Violence prevention

• Basic needs support

Black Community Health Strengths & Needs Assessment (BCHSNA)

Black Community Health Strength and Needs Assessment  championed by Kevin Hatcher, represents a watershed moment for health equity in Long Beach. As the first process of its kind in the City's history, this trauma-informed, predominantly Black male-led Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) fundamentally dismantled historical extractive research models. [1, 2, 3, 4]

By decentralizing traditional power structures, the BCHS established genuine community ownership over the data, ensuring that Black residents defined their own health priorities and solutions. Through culturally grounded, healing-centered      

Key outcomes included:

• 60 listening session participants

• 336 community surveys completed

• 200 attendees at Community Point-in-time Check-ins

• 31 Black Community vetted health providers evaluated

• 60 trusted culturally affirming providers identified and mapped

Occupational Wellness and Black Health Equity Internships

Hatcher worked with Long Beach Workforce Improvement Network, CSULB-LBUSD Math Collaborative, Long Beach City College, and CSULB Black Resource Center and engaged several transitional aged youth into internship and volunteer programs. They served as  City of Long Beach Public Service Fellows, Youth Advisory Council Members, Health Sciences Majors, and Kwanzaa Experience volunteers. Interns received training in Community Based Participatory Action Research and Racial Equity from subject matter experts.  

“Working with Mr. Kevin Hatcher gave me the opportunity to support my community in a way that I could have never imagined.  I learned so incredibly much from him, and could not thank him enough, for the opportunity. It was apparent how deeply he cared for our community, and how passionate he is about making a difference. His determination is extremely admirable, and has benefited so many lives.  We need more leaders like Mr. Hatcher in the community and I gained so much from my internship with Mr. Hatcher. 

Mackenzie Beaty, BS CSULB Health Sciences, Pre-PA student, BCHSNA Research Assistant. 

“Kevin has provided mentorship, resources, and opportunities to young African American males in our program. His support has been invaluable.” — Doris Robison, Executive Director, CSULB- LBUSD Math Collaborative rally affirming providers

Juneteenth State of Black Health – Long Beach

Gwen Manning, Darrick Simpson, D9 Councilmember Dr. Joni Ricks-Oddie

Hatcher also helped pioneer the Juneteenth State of Black Health – Long Beach. This City-sponsored and community-led convening would act as a strategic engine to share community health priorities, track measurable progress, and Increase public accountability.[1]  Ultimately the goal is to eradicate anti-Black disparities to measurably increase life expectancy for the Black population of Long Beach. [2, 3, 4, 5]

Hatcher Proposed Systems-Level Initiatives

Based on the findings from the Black Community Health Strengths and Needs Assessment (BCHSNA), Hatcher pushed for several community informed proposals intended to improve City accountability in Black health equity efforts and longer term sustainability including:

Community-Led Black Health Steering Committee

A stipend-supported, community-governed structure designed to:

• Review BCHSNA findings

• Establish priorities

• Co-develop strategies

• Strengthen ongoing City accountability

Capacity Building for Sustainability

Hatcher proposed mini grant opportunities to allow Black-serving organizations to provide direct services through the Central Health Facilities – Dale Clinton Resource Center  with a focus on long-term sustainability.

Faith-Based Housing Stabilization Model

Hatcher also proposed a City-funded partnership between Black faith institutions and community-based organizations to support:

• Rental assistance

• Housing stabilization

• Eviction prevention

The initial focus centers on Black older adults and other priority households.

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