A new study, conducted in partnership with the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health, confirmed a troubling addiction trend among African Americans. Based on overdose data and death certificates from four states, it found that the rate of opioid deaths among Black people increased by 38% from 2018 to 2019, while rates for other racial and ethnic groups did not.

The recent highly-publicized overdose-related death of African American actor Michael K. Williams was a grim reminder of how drugs and alcohol can strike down even the most successful Black artists and entertainers in the prime of their life.  This is not just a loss of life, but a loss to our culture and society. As we all know, addiction is not just a private concern; it robs all of us of our friends, family members, and beloved icons as well. 

For Black History Month, SMART Recovery would like to honor and remember those African American artists and entertainers we’ve lost to addiction over the years in the hopes that their struggles can inspire anyone to seek out the help they need to overcome their own addictions.