B. Lee Green, vice president of the Office of Institutional Diversity at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, spoke about the differences between racial classes and their health on Wednesday.
Though his speech focused mainly on health issues, Green took time to joke with the crowd.
He described himself as having the three B's.
"I'm bald. I wear a bow- tie. I'm black," he said. "I tell my new employees that I'm hard to miss."
More than 100 people, mostly students and professors, attended Green's speech, held at the Florida Gym.
The event was part of the Florida Center for Health Promotion Speaker Series, co-sponsored by UF's Department of Health Education and Behavior to coincide with Black History Month.
Green was selected because of the success of his research with health disparities and because of UF's link to Moffitt, according to Jill Varnes, co-organizer of the event.
Moffitt and UF, as of last year, have engaged in an energizing and growing relationship, said Dean Steve Dorman of the College of Health and Human Performances.
During his speech, Green said there is a racial gap in mortality rate, even in early life stages. Blacks have double the infant mortality rate compared to whites, he said. But at age 85, there is an equal mortality rate between whites and blacks.
One problem, Green said, is the percentage of whites and blacks who have cancer, which has not changed since 1981. He said more blacks are affected because fewer seek medical care due to cost.
Sadie Sanders, a UF professor of human sexuality, required her graduate students to attend the lecture.
"All these diseases that he talked about, diabetes and cancers, they affect the overall body which in turn affects human sexuality," Sanders said. "I wanted my students to see that."
Marissa Wheeler, a student in a class taught by Varnes, was also required to attend.
"The huge differences in disparities are a hard thing to fix," Wheeler said. "The work he is doing will benefit everyone."
Dr. Green was paid between $100 and $500 to come to UF, in addition to his travel expenses.
