As a young intern, Lincoln Mondy created a documentary that highlights the tobacco industry’s decades-long campaign to target Black communities with the sale of menthol.
The tactics he discovered by researching the industry included menthol advertising in Black neighborhoods (including handing out free cigarettes), discounting menthols at convenience stores in Black communities, placing ads in Black publications like Ebony and Jet, showing up at Black music festivals and events, and fostering close relationships with Black civil rights organizations.
“I was really, really angry,” remembers Mondy. “I don’t really have another way to put it. I was just so mad that this was information that I didn’t know about.”
Watch Mondy’s short film that describes his findings and includes interviews with experts and activists.
Learn more about this and other related projects that tackle tobacco use as a health equity issue >>