Caldwell’s poem was one of many segments that took place during Wisconsin’s No Menthol Sunday.
For the past five years, the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network (NAATPN) and the Wisconsin African American Tobacco Prevention Network (WAATPN) along with faith leaders have been celebrating No Menthol Sunday.
“Menthol tobacco products are heavily marketed to African American communities through point of sale marketing, culturally tailored messages and ads and price promotions,” she said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tobacco kills 45,000 African Americans a year with menthol cigarettes being the tobacco product of choice.
In addition to Caldwell’s spoken word pieces, WAATPN commissioned several local artists to create pieces for No Menthol Sunday.